Celebrations started many centuries ago, as a way of marking important events. They have both religious and political roots around the world, although today they are more commonly smaller affairs. From family birthdays to annual get-togethers we all have our own celebrations throughout the year. Getting creative and making things as part of decorating for our occasion is common place.
The importance of arts and crafts with children
We see through our camps that arts and crafts are well loved activities with children. It gives them an opportunity to express themselves and they take great pride in their creations! Most recently our activities have included creating Easter headbands together, finger painting and making small sculptures. Along with building confidence, the children focus hard and persevere whilst bringing their ideas to life. What better way to mark parties than to get creative as a family and make things together!
Picture a scene of homemade bunting, lightly fluttering in the breeze as it adorns a bush or hedge for a garden party. Painted jam jars with hand-picked flowers taking pride of place as a table centrepiece. We have lots of ideas that you can dip into whatever the event.
Finding Materials
The beauty of craft is that there are no rules on what materials you use. You can collect fallen petals or flowers when out on a walk, make a bark rubbing on a tree that takes on a new purpose as wrapping paper or artwork, or dig through your recycling to see what can be safely reused. If you wanted to, purchasing materials such as air drying clay can add an element to your designs too.
What decorations do you need for a party?
From birthday gatherings to street parties, there is one thing that they all have in common when it comes to decorations – you need something which will stand out. Decorations can set a tone, or theme, of the event. Colours can be tied into a specific scheme, or sometimes left to be entirely random which form a fun celebratory vibe too.
Choosing what to make will depend on your venue, but children can always be involved to add a fun personal angle to the occasion and give them a sense of accomplishment as well. The crafts that we have noted below we feel would stand out in a variety of settings and are very straight forward to achieve.
Easy crafts for children
Paper crown
A really simple idea, and something that could make a great party activity, is to make a paper crown. Cut a band of paper that fits around your child’s head and staple or glue the ends together to secure it. They can have fun painting it, sticking petals or coloured paper on it, or perhaps old buttons or spare sequins. Older children may like to try an origami crown like this one.
Finger painting
Finger painting is a lot of fun and a great sensory activity to try with your children too. You may want to use an old sheet or piece of oilcloth underneath the creations to protect your surfaces. You could even move out into the garden with this one as it can get messy!
Put small amounts of each paint into an old plant dish or shallow tub. Jar lids work well for this too. Then spread out a cloth or some paper and get creative! Your child might like to have a specific design in mind before starting, or just get going and see where their ideas take them. Let them dry then hang them up as artwork or use them to cover tables.
Paper Chains
Paper chains are a classic decoration that can be quick and easy to make from strips of coloured paper or even old magazines. For a different look, hang threaded paper loops in a downwards direction for a cascade effect. If you wanted to, colours could be grouped together to make a rainbow.
Cardboard Wreath
Making a wreath doesn’t have to take hours. Carefully cut out a circle from a piece of cardboard in advance then encourage your children to paint or stick onto it. Scrunched up paper can look very effective. Scraps of material could also be used, although they may need a stitch or two to retain their shape before being stuck on.
Tissue Paper Vases
These look gorgeous and can be gifted or used as part of your celebration decorations. We mentioned them in our Earth Day post too, as they are not only fun and creative to make but can help to use up materials that can’t easily be recycled. As well as tissue paper, you can also use acrylic paint on glass to create a stained glass effect. Fill with flowers or small tealights for a pretty and personal touch to tables or windowsills.
Bunting
We mentioned bunting above and the beauty with this is that every triangle can be made differently. This makes it a super activity to get the whole family involved with! If you attach your triangles to a piece of ribbon then some could be material, maybe making use of scraps of fabric left over from other projects. You could encourage more finger painting for others, or freestyle drawing with crayons. If you have some wax crayons then perhaps your child could make a bark rubbing from their favourite tree. Alternatively, draw a pattern in wax then paint over it and watch the original design emerge through the paint.
Final Thoughts
Celebrations are often a source of happiness and joy. Creating craft or artwork for them may not only be a lot of fun, but can also hold memories for years to come. If you are celebrating anything this year, from birthday parties to ‘just because’ gatherings, we hope that you find these craft ideas helpful.
Find out more about how we get creative at our holiday camps.
In the meantime… happy crafting!