How to Throw an Art Party

Ask any child their favorite school subject and they'll likely tell you art--or at least they will once they get past "gym" and "recess." Children are naturally creative and love to draw, color and paint--especially if they can get good and messy at the same time! An art party is fun for children and adults alike. It will keep the kids hopping and, with a bit of preparation, can be easy to set up and clean up.

Things You'll Need

• Tables
• Sample art projects
• Party favors
• Markers
• Toothpicks and decorating materials for apples
• Snack foods
• Low-temperature hot glue guns
• Scissors
• White and brown craft foam
• Materials for your chosen projects
• Flat-backed pins
• Vinyl tablecloths

Instructions

1. Set up the area. Get three or four tables, ideally long skinny ones, and set them up around the room. Cover each table with a vinyl tablecloth.

2. Decide on several art projects, one per table (see Resources for ideas). Create an example of each project and hang it on the wall above the table (or tape it to the table's edge).

3. Gather the supplies necessary for each project and set them on the appropriate table. Be sure you have enough materials for each child to make each project. Have an adult at each table to assist the children. Make sure the adult is familiar with the craft.

4. Decide how you want to organize the children. Depending on their ages and the number of guests, you can either have a free-for-all where everyone decides which table they want to go to or create groups and have them cycle through the tables.

5. Make sure each child puts his or her name on the project and provide a place to store them while eating.

6. Gather everyone together for snacks and treats. Create art-themed snacks: for example, a scribble cake (a large sheet cake with white icing covered in "scribbles" of different-colored icing), milk with drops of food coloring to make it more interesting (or use strawberry flavoring), apples with toothpicks and a variety of "decorating" materials (marshmallows, raisins, peanut butter) so they can make apple head people.

7. Hand out small pieces of white and brown craft foam as the party winds down. Let the guests cut out the shape of a palette and use markers to make paint smudges. Use the brown foam to make paintbrushes (allow the children to be creative in how they do this).

8. Have one or two adults ready with low-temperature hot glue guns at a table. As each child finishes, they bring their craft to an adult who glues the paintbrush across the palette and the palette onto a pin, creating an art palette-shaped pin. Have extra glue sticks--the glue disappears quickly.

9. Give out party favors or treats as the guests leave. Favors should be art-themed and may include boxes of crayons, paint sets, modeling clay, finger paints or anything that will let them get creative at home.

Tips & Warnings

• Art supplies, art-themed party favors and vinyl tablecloths are often available cheaply at discount stores. Discount stores often also carry mini-canvases, providing children the opportunity to draw or paint on a "real" artist's surface.

• As an alternative to a cake, allow children to decorate their own cupcakes or design their own ice cream sundaes.

• If children are too young for the art palette pin craft, provide chocolate pudding to finger paint with.

• Most art supply stores carry flat-backed pins (they resemble safety pins with a metal plate).

• Keep extra supplies for each craft or art project on hand in case of accidents or mistakes.

• Have a cleanup station--a nearby bathroom or a container of sudsy water.

• Make sure you use a low-temperature glue gun. Because the craft is small, some glue may get on your fingers, and a high-temperature gun produces glue at 350 degrees or above.

• Check for allergies if you decide to use peanut butter.

• Check to see if your materials are nontoxic; if they aren't, make sure children are carefully supervised while using them.