Children love to make things. If there's a child's birthday coming up soon, why not let him or her help make decorations and food for the party?
Making things together help strengthen the bond between adults and children but sometimes things can go wrong. Glue can get spilled; paint can get on clothes.
By taking a few simple precautions beforehand, you can make sure that your craft session will be full of fun and laughter rather than tears and disappointment. Consequently, it's worth having the following items handy before embarking on a craft project with children.
Sheets of newspaper or old bed sheets to cover the floor and table
An old shirt or apron for the child to wear (adults can wear them too)
A damp cloth for wiping up spills
Now you're ready to get crafting.
The following selection of ideas will help get you started but by all means use your own ideas, too. You could even ask the child whether he or she has any ideas – children are often far more creative than we give them credit for.
Invitations
If you're mailing invitations then you'll need to stick to the standard format of invitation inside an envelope but if you're able to hand out the invitations yourself, you'll be limited only by your own imagination.
Here are some unusual ideas:
Pin the invitation to the front of a small, cuddly toy
Put the invitation inside a bag of candy (sweets)
Pin the invitation to a pair of dog-ears or similar, with a note saying that the recipient is to wear the ears to the party.
Write the invite on an envelope containing flower seeds with a note to bring the envelope to the party. The seeds can then be planted in the garden to grow as a reminder of the day.If you have to stick to standard invitations, here's how to make them.
You'll need:
Card Blanks with Envelopes
Marker Pens
PVC Glue
Glitter
Any other decorations of your choosing
How to make:
1. Either draw simple pictures on the cards for the child to color and decorate, or let them use their imagination to create random patterns.
2. If glue has been used, allow the cards to dry for at least a day.
3. Write on the back, making sure you include the following:
The name of the child whose party it is
The name of the child being invited
Where the party is to be held
When to arrive
Whether food will be served (mostly for the benefit of other parents)
Whether there will be a party theme
When the party will finish
4. Pop the card into an envelope and address it.
Remember that some schools won't allow invitations to be handed out in school unless the entire class has been invited. Please ask your child's teacher beforehand so as to ensure an awkward situation doesn't arise.