Category: Arts & Crafts

Create your own party bags

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Every parent wants to be imaginative and give their little guests an amazing party bag. So why not let the kids make their own party bags at the party?

If you purchase some white paper party bags with handles which are perfect for the kids to draw and colour on with some colouring felt tips or pencils. Children can write their names and draw some great pictures or shapes, you could even use stencils. The coloured party bags have a special shiny coating which pens cannot be used on. Give the kids a choice of crafty bits to add to their bags e.g. fun stickers, peel and stick alphabet foam letters and shapes, die cut card shapes, trimmed fabric piece with fabric embellishments etc. –

Fold over the top of the colour party bags and hole punch. Thread some ribbon through and tie in a bow, makes a lovely finishing touch! You can theme your party bags to suit your party theme e.g. Pirate Party, Princess Party, Fairy Party, Under The Sea Party.

You can fill your party bags with your handmade crafts from the party or why not fill a tub full of goodies and ask each little guest to put their hand into (in turn) to uncover a special treat to take home.

Getting the children involved in making their party bags makes them it a bit more special. The children are more inclined to cherish their bags when they get home, making the party even more memorable.

Children love arts and crafts and will happily sit on a craft table for hours rather than running around a party venue trying to create their own fun and generally being a ‘bit silly’. Distraction is the key to a successful children’s party.

Girls just want to have fun

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Invite your friends for an extra cool sleepover girls birthday party!

Crafts, Make-Up, DVDs, Midnight Feasts, Birthday Cake, Sleeping Bag Races – what more can a birthday girl ask for? The girls are coming round for a sleepover! Girls just love to make things with their friends. Get creative and make something really special like a funky t-shirt or some cool jewellery:

T-shirt painting is always a popular kids crafts activity and a great idea for a sleepover. Give them a blank white t-shirt and a bunch of fabric pens and paints, some sparkly bits and pieces to stick on and see what new fashion they can design. They can really let their imagination go wild with fabric painting.

Having a ‘girlie night in’ means only one thing- time to get your nails painted, create cool hairstyles, have fun putting on each other’s make-up and get all dressed up ready to show off your artistic expression ‘ designed by yourself’ new T-Shirt.

Roll out the cat walk, load the music, flick on the spot lights and have your very own
fashion show!! Catch it all on camera for some great memories.

Time for Dinner:

Why not make your own Pizza? The kids will really enjoy making the pizza dough (most supermarkets have an easy packet pizza base mix that takes 5 mins to mix up) and then add lots of great toppings e.g. tomato, ham, pepper, pineapple, pepperoni, olives and lots of cheese. Children love to eat their own homemade dinner.

Chocolate Fountain Dessert:

How about the kids cutting up lots of different fruits and dipping them in some scrummy melted chocolate!!

Get cosy:

Grab your sleeping bags and pillows, get comfy in your pj’s or onesies and settle down in front of the TV to watch a great movie for a little quiet time and don’t forget your popcorn!

Have a great party!

Jewellery making fun

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Are you having a Girly Party or a Sleepover? Looking for an activity for the girls to do at the party? How about some cool jewellery making, girls of all ages love designing and making their own bracelets, necklaces and key rings.

Just pick the bead mixes that you fancy and mix and match together. You will be amazed at the results from the children.

You could put out a fun choice of beads in different bowls on your party table for the kids to see, e.g. large wooden multi-coloured beads, alphabet beads, stripy beads, heart beads and lovely heart, star and flower silver charms. The kids will mix and fix to their hearts content. Add some simple knots here and there for an extra funky look. Little tip, give the kids a wooden peg each to put on one end of the cord whilst they are threading on beads so that they don’t drop and lose any.

Elastic cords work well with kids, they are easy to tie knots in, not like some cords which can be stiff. Fitting bracelets on children’s wrists is also easier with elastic cord. Make sure they double knot at the end.

We recommend the following quantities needed for children’s party jewellery making:

Bracelet – 0.5m per child
Necklace – 1m per child
Key Rings – 0.5m per child
Bracelets Necklaces Key Rings Bag Jewellery

Beads are an idea for lots of craft activities, not just for jewellery making:

String up some alphabet beads on cord or ribbon and tie as a tassel on a book spine or as a bookmark
Decorate a photo frame with mixed colourful beads using PVA glue
Dangle some beads on a split ring for a Key Ring idea
Personalise your PE Kit Bag or Pencil Case by stitching on some alphabet beads

Star Wars parties

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Long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, Star Wars came to life. Today, Star Wars is still every bit as popular as it was in the last century. Several generations love the saga and there are so many fun ways to throw a successful Star Wars celebration that even Darth Vader will be jealous of!

Planning & Invitations

From the classic rectangle invitation with eye-catching graphics to a light saber replica made from paper, there are many different styles of invitations to choose from. Another great idea is using your DIY skills and some downloads to achieve a completely custom look.

Star Wars party Invitation Ideas

Unique, homemade invitations can really get you in the party mood! If you have the time, here are a few Star Wars invitation ideas to consider:

Cut a piece of white cardstock into the shape of a lightsabre. Use markers to colour the handle grey and the beam blue or green. Write your party details in silver marker on the beam. Alternatively, fold a piece of cardstock in half, cut out two small lightsabres and cross them together in the middle of the card. On the front of the card, write, “You are Invited to a Galaxy Far, Far Away…” Write your party details inside.

Print out movie stills from the birthday child’s favourite Star Wars movie. Write your party details on the back.
Punch a hole in the corner of a card-style invitation and attach it to a Star Wars Mask that your guests can wear to the party.
Make a simple black helmet to resemble Darth Vader’s helmet out of black construction paper. Write your party details in gold pen.

Include creative wording for your party details, such as:

In a galaxy not too far, far away,

Michael is having his 5th birthday!

So fly your spaceship at the speed of light,

To the celebration of our Jedi Knight!

Decorating & Food Ideas

Star Wars Party Decoration Ideas
Aside from sticking to the basic Star Wars colour palette of royal blue, black, white and grey, you can take your children’s party to another level with the details. Choose a couple of accent colours, such as the green, red and blue associated with lightsabres to add a pop of colour to the party. From a cupcake tower centrepiece to a sweet buffet you can definitely make a huge visual impact with your decorations.

Pony party

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Your children’s birthday could be just around the corner, or maybe you’re in charge of throwing an amazing school summer holiday party, but you’re not sure where to start. Why not have a Pony Party? Now, you’re probably thinking that this sounds complicated but be assured it isn’t. So we have put together 4 essentials for any Pony Party to be a great success:

1. Ponies

You can’t have a pony party without the ponies! There are many organisations who will provide the ponies, trainers, and all the other bits for you! All you have to do is contact them, set up a date, and let them do the rest. Now, how easy is that?

2. Crafts

Of course all children like to draw, colour, and make their own arts and crafts. Setting up a craft table is a great way to keep the children busy when it’s not their turn to ride! Plus, with the right crafts, it’s easy to tie in your Pony Party theme. How about getting some recycling bits of cardboard boxes and toilet rolls etc., as well as paint and googly eyes and get your guests to make a pony. Each child makes their own pony and at the end of the party the best one wins a prize. Don’t forget to give everybody a little token for taking part though!

3. Costumes

What would a Pony Party be without cowboy/cowgirl costumes? Get some fancy dress for the children while they ride! Hire a Photographer to capture the priceless sights!

4. Food

The children will have worked up an appetite after all that running around. Time to feed them! Here are a few simple treats. Keep with the pony theme by slicing up apples and carrots, and serve some mini shredded wheats (hay) set them out on a picnic table. But what would a birthday party or any party be without sweet things? Ask your cake decorator to help you keep the theme with a cake or cupcakes!

Follow those directions and your Pony Party should be fun, easy, and totally memorable!

Head to Portsmouth to see the Mary Rose

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The fascinating Mary Rose Museum! The ship was raised from the seabed in 1982 and can now be found in Portsmouth.

1. Discover England in 1545
The Mary Rose is a time capsule, preserving life in Tudor England. Explore objects recovered from Henry VIII’s flagship and discover what life was like in 1545. There’s a common misconception that the Mary Rose sank on her maiden voyage, but she was a successful warship for Henry VIII for almost the entire duration of his reign. A visit here is an educational and fun day out for all the family!

2. See the Mary Rose come to life!
An amazing light show brings the ship to life. Experience life on board, through both war and peace!

3. Explore life as a Tudor
No matter what your age, you’re bound to love the dressing up area. Why not see how you would look sat on the throne? There are also Tudor craft activities available for children too!

4. Download fun activities
There is a whole range of maps, worksheets and models available to download. You can continue the fun after your visit too!

A ‘girly’ sleepover party

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Girls just love to make things with their friends and that’s when lasting friendships are made. Get creative and make something really fun so your friends can remember your sleepover party for many months to come!

T-shirt painting is always a popular fun kids crafts activity and a great idea for a sleepover. Give them a blank white t-shirt and a bunch of fabric pens and paints, some sparkly bits and pieces to stick on and see what new fashion they can design. They can really let their imagination go wild with fabric painting.

Having a ‘girlie night in’ means only one thing- time to get your nails painted, create hairstyles, have fun putting on each other’s make-up and get all dressed up ready to show off your artistic expression ‘designed by yourself’ new T-Shirt.

Why not make your own Pizza? The kids will really enjoy making the pizza dough and then add lots of great toppings e.g. tomato, ham, pepper, pineapple, pepperoni, olives and lots of cheese. Children love to eat their own homemade dinner.

Every girl loves chocolate so why not melt some chocolate and get the kids cutting up lots of different fruits and dipping them in some scrummy melted chocolate!!

Get cosy, grab your sleeping bags and pillows, get comfy in your pj’s or onesies and settle down in front of the TV to watch a great movie for a little quiet time and don’t forget your popcorn!

Ideas for Kids Summer holidays

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Visit a theme park
The summer holidays is the perfect time to plan a visit to one of the best theme parks in the UK.

Go to a safari park
See wild animals roaming from the comfort of your own car, thanks to our safari parks UK guide.

Find your local beach
Feel the sand between your toes, build a sandcastle or paddle in the sea at one of the best beaches in England.

Play in the park
There’s loads to explore at your local park, from climbing frames to minibeast hunting. Don’t miss our tips for encouraging your kids to explore more.

Visit an ice cream farm
Days out don’t come much tastier! Find an ice cream farm near you now.

Complete a maize maze
See if you can find your way to the middle (and back out again!) at a maize maze near you.

Have a BBQ at home (probably in the rain!)
Summer and BBQs go hand in hand and we’d never let a little rain ruin our chance to cook al fresco! It’s one of our favourite things to do in the summer holidays.

Get crafty
With just a few supplies, you can make lots of kid-friendly arts and crafts this summer, without needing Pinterest-worthy skills. We’ve got loads of arts and crafts for kids on the blog, including toddler crafts, pom pom crafts, pottery painting and more.

Learn a new skill
Think about how much you could learn in six weeks! Pick up the basics of a new language, learn how to read a map, try a bushcraft survival skills workshop or even learn how to ski at an indoor slope!

Go on a family bike ride
Explore on two wheels this summer (don’t forget stabilisers for younger riders!) with our list of 5 traffic-free family bike rides.

Join the painted rocks craze
Brighten up your local walking route, by creating and hiding some painted rocks. Start by reading our ultimate guide to painted rocks!

Go to the cinema
The Incredibles 2 is top of our must-see list this summer, see our full list of new kids’ films you have to watch in 2018.

Go swimming
Pack your goggles and your cossies and make a splash this summer. For sunny days, find an outdoor swimming pool near you.

Minecraft party

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Minecraft has swept into the hearts and devices around the world, and you’re tasked with creating a Minecraft world in your own home for a party. But have no fear! Minecraft is a great children’s party theme, with tons of opportunities to make your Minecraft party shine. With such a blocky style, it’s easy to build your party area into a one of a kind world for your birthday gamer.

Personalise your party to show off the special day you are celebrating. Customize messages on invites, labels, activity mats, bag tags and more.

Minecraft is a world made of coloured blocks so your decor will mostly contain square-shapes. In the game, there are many different worlds you can create and explore, so getting an idea of which worlds you’d like to include in your party will help you tackle the decor aspect much easier. Whether it’s snow, desert, water, grass, or sand, you’ll find some great tips to throwing a one-of-a-kind Minecraft party in your home or outside.

  • You can coordinate solid blue, green, and black tableware and decorations with Minecraft brand elements to pull the whole look together.
  • Make a Minecraft party backdrop by taking square shaped paper plates and sticking them to the wall with sticky tack or non-damaging tape.
  • Use our stone wall backdrop to set the scene.
  • Take or make cubed cardboard boxes and cover with duct tape, construction paper, or tissue paper grass. Poke two small holes in the top and hang them from the ceiling with fishing line.

Party favours are a part of the party fun, and with a Minecraft themed party, you’ve got lots of options to choose from. You can even make it a personalised gift, with either a themed name tag or another individual character. Carry your theme through your party favours to make it feel complete.

  • Use coloured paper bags or boxes and glue or draw Creeper, Golem, or Ghast faces on them.
  • Fill smartie tubes with red, green, and blue bubblegum labelled as “TNT,” “Diamonds,” or “Slimeballs.”
  • Small blind bags of Minecraft collectables also make great favours.
  • Make your own Minecraft boxes to fill with small favour items with this simple template.
  • For older children party poppers labelled TNT make a great party favour as well!
  • Paint or tape Creeper faces on lime green buckets so your attendees can take a character from Minecraft home!

Minecraft is all about building a world, so why not include some building creativity during the party? Having the kids (and family) create a make-and-take craft is a great  way to keep the kids entertained and add one more keepsake to the pile of party favours.

  • Tape bracelets are a fun craft that’s quick and easy!
  • Pick up some inexpensive blank T-shirts and have the party attendees make their own Minecraft shirts use heat transfer vinyl or fabric paint.
  • With a little pre-planning, you can make some fantastic Minecraft creatures from simple items such as toilet paper rolls and small boxes.

Outdoor Birthday party ideas

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For summer birthdays or just a fun get-together, kids love a good party! Why not take advantage of the (hopefully) summer weather and have the party outside? Get going with these 4 fun outdoor kids party ideas!

1. Animal Party

While we’re all fans of furry creatures, sometimes the thought of having them inside is a little daunting. That’s why animals are the perfect addition to an outdoor party! Does your kid dream of riding a pony or holding a hedgehog? A children’s animal party can deliver! Most petting zoos or pony parties only need a small amount of space outside, like your garden. Reptile shows are great for Jurassic Park or jungle-themed parties. The animals are usually enough to hold the kids’ attention, but animal games can be a just as fun!

2. Outdoor Movie Night Party

Would you like to give your kid a drive-in movie party under the stars? Bring it to your Garden! Your kids and their friends of all ages will love being able to pile onto blankets in the grass and watch a family-friendly flick. Rent an outdoor movie screen or make your own by stringing up a white painter’s canvas.  Set up a movie snack bar with popcorn and classic sweet choices. Set up tin buckets filled with ice and bottles of pop to bring out the nostalgic vibe. Outdoor kids party ideas don’t have to be complicated; sometimes it’s just about spending time together!

3. Kids Olympics Party

Cabin fever may be setting in after all the April showers and being stuck in school, so get the kids outside and burn off some energy! Tap into their competitive side and set up a Kids Olympics party! “Active” is the name of the game with this theme. Discus throws (using Frisbees), obstacle courses, balance beams, or hula hoop contests are great choices for a Kids Olympics Party. You can also encourage teamwork with relay races. At the end of the party, give away small prizes or even have a medal ceremony to bring the festivities to a close!

4. Just Add Water Party

Looking for a way to cool off in the summer heat? Just add water! Have your guests bring their swimsuits, towels, and sunscreen for a day of fun in the sun. Activities like Slip n’ Slides or sprinklers are easy ways to add a little H2O to your outdoor party. Water games are always a great addition to outdoor kids party ideas. If all else fails, pass out squirt guns or water balloons and let the battle begin!