My son's birthday is near Thanksgiving. I was looking at the oriental trading comapny site and thought of having a fall theme this year. They had some cute crafts to make turkeys out of plates and so on. Has anyone tried to do a craft project at a birthday party? Was it a flop?

I've been to ones where they have a coloring station for the younger kids.

My SIL tried to do crafts at his last party and it went over like a wet noodle. They wanted to be in the bounce house or on the water slide so I guess that it would depend if you are going to have a bunch of activites or just a few. If you are going to be indoors, and mainly doing sit down type activities it will probably go over well. My SIL just had too many things for them to do. Crafts were not high on their list.

I also think that some kids would rather do crafts and some would rather run around, probably will depend on the type of kids your son will have over. KWIM?
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I have done crafts at parties. I usually do them first thing while everyone is arriving. This way we don't have to delay the start of the party for the late arrivals or say we have to wait till everyone is here.

My girls love crafts where as my son hates them!

How old will your son be? I think it depends on the age of the children.

Kids usually like to be active during a birthday party. Those are the most fun anyway. I would say it might go over better at a girls party; not a boys party.

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I was going to ask the same thing. I can't remember ever doing crafts at the kids' b'days.....one year DS had the 101 Dalmations theme, so we played pin the tail on the Dalmation.

A few craft ideas for you anyway:

*wrap a toilet paper tube in colored tissue paper, then twist off one end, and tie at the bottom. Fill it with wrapped candies (tootsie rolls, etc.) and then twist off the other end, tie with ribbon or something like that. Voila , a cute craft that was fun to make, and they can enjoy it later, and you didn't break the bank on it.

*picture frames: have pre-made popsicle sticks glued to make a frame shape (square, triangle, rectangle,etc). Beforehand you can take an old puzzle that is missing pieces or something you p/u cheap at a yard sale, and spray paint the pieces all different colors. Have the kids glue various pieces on there. If you have a polaroid camera, or digital camera, you can take a picture of the child (with or w/out the b'day boy) and print out the picture of them. Then glue the picture into the frame. You can even get stick on magnet tape, so they can hang it on the 'fridge at home.


Just a side note: I'd definitely have some "run off the sugar high" activities for after the cake.

Good Luck.

OH, decorating t-shirts is fun for boys, too.

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I'd say "yay" to crafts. I have them at every gathering...even small family get-togethers. Nothing too complicated and no one is obligated to do one. It's a good way to focus their attention especially if things are getting too rowdy.

I usually just have foam pieces (boy and girl themed). I have the foam door hanger things for them to decorate or just a plain board. It came in handy when one of dd's friends got nauseous bouncing in the bouncer. It gave her a chance to chill out, then she went back and was fine.

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We did a craft party for my sons 5th birthday. It went over VERY well. We made T shirts with fabric crayons, design-your-own-kite, decorate a goody bag, and a few other things I can't remember. We stayed inside for the party then went outside for a HUGE water gun fight while the parents picked up the kids. I think this was the funnest party I have ever thrown. His birthday is in May.

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I think crafts are good for early grade-schoolers or girls mostly. Doing it at the beginning when everyone is arriving has worked out for me. One we did that was a lot of fun was decorating oh-what-do-you-call-them? masquerade type masks - those cat-eye things on a stick - with sequins, glitter paint, jewels, feathers, and ribbons. They finished these up early on and set them aside to dry for taking home. Worked out quite well.

Not a craft, but a similar idea that we did for one of the boys was to build a racing machine from Legos. Huge tub of Legos and a track with lanes (just a banquet table prpped on one end) that they could race their creations down. Similar to what they have at LegoWorld in the Disney Marketplace in WDW if you're familiar with that. We awarded prizes in a variety of categories (speed, creativity, etc) and let them take their creations home.

cj/

I usually stick to crafts at for my girls parties, my boys have never been interested in doing them at their parties......if you son would like to do them, then go for it.

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O-H-I-O

I would say no but then I personally do not like crafts. I have been to showers and parties where they wanted to do crafts and I made up an excuse to leave...it's just not my thing (and I don't know many who do like it). I know my kids wouldn't like crafts and they are 5 and 8

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We're a big crafts-at-parties family. The girls (6 + 9)probably wouldn't think it was one of our parties if there was no craft. They usually make crafts at the home parties they go to, as well.

I have an idea for you - how about for your boys, a make-your-own pizza party? It's sort of crafty, sort of not. It will satisfy the crafty ones, and the ones who don't usually like crafts won't even consider it one.

My kids love crafts. But at a birthday party, I would not do something that has to be glued. It seems like the glue is never dry when it's time to go home or it falls apart. If you must use glue, I'd get out the hot glue gun and skip the Elmers!

Another idea that my kids have been big on - decorating sugar cookies and then getting to eat them. You can make the cookies early (shapes or circles), get several colors of frosting, sprinkles, colored sugar, those silver ball things, M&Ms, mini chocolate chips, etc. and let them get creative.

Lisa

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Now I love crafts, and so do my kids..we really don't have parties though. My 6 yr old however went to a party last weekend, and the mom had actually ordered crafts from oriental trading also..the only kids that sat down long enough to do it was my daughter, and the birthday girl. The others were too busy with the swingset, and bounce house!

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