There is exuberant, wondrous fun in a good old-fashioned mess. Squishing toes in warm mud, big drippy paintings, stained fingers, and cookies decorated with edible art are the stuff of a well-lived childhood. Yet kids today just don’t have the same opportunities to get wet, dirty, and stained the way their parents did growing up. Their lives have more structure, more coaches and teachers showing them the right and wrong way, the tidy and efficient way to do things. Our children’s lives are more sanitized and neater with classes and workshops. Change this for one day with a Dress for Mess Birthday Party.
It isn’t as bad as it sounds. The party is held outdoors. You will ask a couple of adults or teens for help. It is relatively inexpensive. Most of all the kids will have such a blast, it will be remembered as one of the all time best birthdays ever.
Let’s start at the beginning. A good rule of thumb for the number of guests for a birthday party is to invite your child’s age. For example, a 4 year old should have around 4 guests. If you have help during the party, that number can expand. The keys to a good birthday party are to have plenty of activities (you can always skip one if time runs short), involve your child in the planning as much as possible, and keep things simple. For invitations have your child decorate blank pre-stamped post cards from the post office with stamps and felt tips. Write “Dress for Mess Birthday Party!” at the top. Add the need for a swimsuit. For decorations cover a picnic table with butcher paper and have stamps, stamp pads, felt tips, and bingo markers for the kids to use to draw on the paper while waiting for the other guests to arrive.
There are several activities here that you can pick and choose from. Two hours is plenty of time for a good party. Select the ones that appeal to your child and that fit within the time frame. You want the kids to linger over an activity if they want to. It is a good idea to have the projects open for kids to roam between them if desired.
For party favors give each child a small bag of art supplies (blank note pad, stamps, stamp pads, felt tips, water colors, bingo markers, glitter, etc). End the party with the water slide—a joyous way to bring the festivities to a close. Most of all, relax, have fun, and remember that all messes can get cleaned up. You are making memories and that is a priceless gift indeed.
Impasto Paintings
Impasto is a thick layer of paint that you design through--like finger-paint without fingers!
What you will need:
1/2-cup liquid starch (or 1/2 cup powdered laundry starch for a thicker paint—(available in the detergent section of your grocer)
1/2-cup liquid tempera paint
construction paper
items to trace through the paint: combs, feathers, cotton swabs, paintbrush, jar lids, pencil, etc.
sponge paintbrush (available at the hardware store. Buy several! You'll find many uses for them!)
Whisk the paint and starch together until well mixed. Liquid starch will make a thinner paint; if you are using powdered starch the paint should be as thick as frosting. Select a contrasting color of construction paper and spread the paint completely over the paper with the sponge paintbrush. You can also wedge the paint on the paper with a narrow paint scraper to make an interesting patterned texture. Next, trace your items through the paint while wet. Make a design, write a poem, draw a picture!
Gelatin Finger Paint
What you will need:
small boxes of fruit flavored gelatin
spray bottle filled with water
finger paint paper or butcher paper
Tape the paper to the table. Spray water onto the paper and sprinkle the dry gelatin onto the paper. Begin to paint! Spray more water onto the paper as the gelatin absorbs it. This is an incredibly tactile project that moves kids through the sensory experiences of dry and gritty to slimy and then to sticky.
Treasure String Game
Follow the string to a prize at the end! Make the path simpler for younger kids, and more complicated for older.
What you will need:
ball of string, yarn or twine per player
small prize per player (a certificate for a favor, a small toy, a flashlight for night tag, etc.)
paper and felt tip to make a nametag per player
Begin by tying the prize to one end of the string. Place the prize in a hiding place in the yard then unroll the ball of string as you walk around bushes or trees, under tables, around chairs, etc. to the place you will start the game. Tie a nametag to the end of the string. Repeat the process for each player.
When you are ready to start, give everyone their nametag with the string attached and have them roll up the string as they go along to their treasure on the end. Save the string and recycle it for another use.
Oobleck
Is it a liquid? Is it a solid? Children's imaginations will blossom with Oobleck--a wondrous recipe that uncovers all kinds of possibilities. Place the Oobleck in a large bowl, 4 kids per bowl. This activity is open-ended. Some kids will want to play with it for a long time, and some kids will be finished in a few minutes.
What you will need:
2 boxes of cornstarch
3 cups cold water
2 tablespoons food coloring
plastic dishpan or bowl
Have your child mix the cornstarch, water and food coloring in the container with her hands until it is smooth. Now try this: squeeze the Oobleck in your fist. Now open up your hand. Draw a finger down the center of the solution. Pound on the Oobleck, now feel it gently with your palm.
What happens? If you touch Oobleck gently it acts like a liquid and is soft and yielding. When you squeeze it or pound it quickly, it is hard and crumbly. Cornstarch is ground up into such fine particles that the molecules line up like little plates. When you pound it, the plates are rigid. When you move it slowly, the plates slide around and act like a liquid.
Cookie Paint
Buy or make plain sugar cookies for the kids to paint, the bigger the better!
What you will need:
6 egg yolks
6 colors of food coloring (paste food coloring gives a richer color to the paint over liquid)
cotton swabs or clean paint brushes
colored sugar crystals or sprinkles
Place each egg yolk in a small bowl. Add several drops of food coloring into each bowl and stir with a fork. Add more food coloring if necessary for a rich color. Use the paint brushes to paint the cookies.
Water Slide
End the party with this slip and slide. An easy way for kids to clean up and have fun at the same time! Place the water slide on a flat piece of lawn away from any stationary objects a child could slide into. Talk to the kids about rules beforehand (one person at a time for example).
What you will need:
A long piece of plastic tarp (at least 20 feet long)
hose
Find a safe flat place to lay the tarp. Now for the slippery part: wet the tarp down completely with the hose. Take a few running steps on the lawn and slide belly down across the tarp. Wet the tarp down after each child, or keep a small stream of water from the hose running onto the plastic.
Comments