girl making art

Art Party

An artist party is great for almost any child and can be geared to most ages. Younger children can enjoy coloring, painting, and easy games. Older children can be challenged to draw abstract self portraits and guess famous painters. An artist party can be held at home (preferably in the yard or garage), at a park, at a children’s museum, or a paint-it-yourself ceramics studio.

Party Invitations
Make invitations incorporating recent or older drawings done by your child. Ask guests to wear clothes they can get messy or provide “smocks” out of white plastic garbage bags (cut neck and arm holes and tie ribbon around waist).

Party Decorations
Decorate the party area with brightly colored balloons in your child’s favorite colors. Have guests make a hand-painted birthday mural. Paint a birthday greeting, such as Happy 10th Birthday Amanda, in big letters on a large piece of paper and the guests add their artwork and signatures.

Games & Activities
Fill a jar with beads and have guests guess how many beads are in the jar. Give the jar of beads and spool of cord to the winner. Have guests guess the name and artist of famous paintings. Play pictionary. Hire a face painter or have guests paint each other’s faces. Fill a
Coloring Crafts pinata with inexpensive art supplies like crayons, markers, glitter pens, and paint brushes.

Arts & Crafts
Draw outlines of guests on paper and have them cut out and paint to look like them or have guests draw self-portraits. Have guests create a sidewalk chalk mural. Paint or tie dye t-shirts. Set-up a table with play doh and cookie cutters for young children or modeling clay for older children. Make paper collages making or rubber stamp stationary.

Party Refreshments
Serve mini pizzas, baby carrots with ranch dressing, and fruit kabobs. For dessert make an artist palette cake or parfaits (layers of ice-cream, pudding, candy and cookies in clear plastic cups) or have guests decorate their own cupcakes.

Party Favors
Send guests home with a favor bag filled with colored pencils, markers, stickers and stencils or give each guest a coloring book and a box of crayons or a watercolor paint set. Give guests large paper gift bags to decorate and put all their art projects in to take home.