Creative Ideas for a Memorable Painting Party for Kids

A lot of parents try to make a unique birthday party for their kids by spending more money than other parents. This is seldom a good idea since it starts a sort of parental arms race in which no one wins. The truth is that while some quality toys are expensive, kids don’t understand the material value of these toys the same way we do, and they won’t be able to recognize it intrinsically.

The same goes with parties.

Instead of buying a bouncy castle, why not throw a painting party for kids?

Here are several ways you can make this unique idea even more unique and give your kids a birthday of a lifetime.

1. Get the equipment you need (and in a sufficient quantity)

Generally speaking, you need a lot of painting supplies, and the cheapest way to do this is with paper. Even if you did get a canvas for every single one of the kids attending, this might not be the best of ideas.

Sure, Bob Ross says that there are no mistakes, only happy accidents, but most of the kids won’t necessarily share this sentiment. You need them not to be afraid to crumble a piece of paper and discard it.

The reality is that painting is a creative process. You have no idea how many times an artist discarded a piece of paper or a canvas with the idea that it would become a painting sold for millions. With some of the most iconic pieces in history, even this sketch would end up worth a fortune; however, no one counts discarded art.

Other than just the paper, you’ll also need pens, brushes, and colors.

If you’re really willing to spend a bit on this painting party for kids, you might also get a personalized apron for each kid attending. At the end of the night, they can take it home as a sort of memento.

2. Order paint-by-number kits

Another thing you could consider is, instead of regular papers and canvasses, getting a few popular custom paint-by-number kits. You see, this is a bit expensive, but it’s well worth it.

You see, not all kids are equally gifted or talented, which means that some of them might struggle to create anything. If you provide them with these paint-by-numbers kits, they’ll have immediate objectives to follow. Sure, the results will still not be the same for all kids, but the discrepancy will be a lot lower.

Moreover, the end results will be more formidable, which means that, at the end of this kid's party, you could make an actual exhibit. Later on, the parents (when they come to pick up their kids) could take these art pieces with them and display them in their own homes.

3. Paint outdoors

Another great idea is for you to move the party outdoors. Just imagine a person standing in a courtyard of their manor painting a scenery. Better yet, imagine an art colony taking its program outdoors to use the ideal weather.

There’s a practical reason why you want to move this painting party for kids outdoors, as well. Just think of the mess.

Sure, when you first started planning it, you had a different idea in mind. What you planned is a bunch of disciplined artists measuring every stroke of pen/brush before planting the next. However, we’re not talking about renowned artists. We’re talking about a bunch of kids looking to have fun at their friend’s birthday.

In other words, the mess is not an unfortunate outcome; it’s a feature of the event. You plan it all along, and the best way to counter it is to take the party outdoors.

Now, this clearly won’t always be an option. Even if the party is indoors, you have to plan for this mess.

4. Focus on the painting stations

When organizing a painting party for kids, the focal point is the painting stations. There are quite a few directions you can take with this one, which will determine the future course of the birthday.

First, you should go with individual easels. These are completely inexpensive and can be ordered online or bought at a store. Remember, you’re not going with professional easels but smaller, cheaper ones instead. You can even make them on your own.

Each individual easel also needs some paint, some brushes, water cups, and paper towels. Each of these is less expensive than you think.

Of course, if you decided to go via a bit more expensive/complex route and picked the kits we’ve previously discussed, chances are that you’ve already gotten it all.

5. Painting activities

While a painting party sounds pretty definitive on its own, the reality is that you have to be a host and organize activities. Birthday party activities for kids are essential when it comes to keeping the day structured and ensuring everyone has fun.

No, providing everyone with a painting station and telling them to “just paint” won’t cut it. It won’t keep them entertained for hours, which is why you need to have a few plans and help the attendees keep the event well-structured.

One of the ideas you could add is painting a group mural. Other than just having a station, after a while, you should roll out a huge canvas or a piece of paper and have every kid work together on it. Everyone should contribute, and at the end of the event, you should take a group photo of your cute little art colony.

You can also have a themed painting project or further gamify the experience by having the kids paint a specific theme on a timer. Just keep in mind that you don’t want to make it too competitive (for obvious reasons).

Finally, you don’t have to settle just for painting. A craft corner is an amazing idea that will diversify the sources of fun a bit.

6. Plan out the rest of the party

Just remember that painting is not the only aspect of the party.

You still have to think about the snacks. You can go with basic birthday treats and drinks, but keep in mind that you should probably stick to the theme.

Other than this, you want to go with colorful drinks. Raspberry lemonade and fruit punch are just some of the examples.

Decoration is so important, and you want everything to be in the spirit of art. Perhaps you could even print out faces (even better if they’re self-portraits) of famous painters and hang them everywhere. For the sake of the theme, you could assign these artistic identities to each of the kids involved and ask them to roleplay famous artists.

Lastly, setting art-themed music (something upbeat) will be the final touch that will make it all come together. This is what will complete this paint party for kids.

A birthday painting party is one of the most memorable ideas you could come up with

Remember, this is what you’re aiming for - memorable. You want your kid to remember this birthday party for as long as they live. You want them to recall and retell it when they’re in their 20s, 30s, and even their 50s. When everyone else complains about how their parents never paid attention to what they wanted and never tried, they can just bring you up as a shining example and rub it into everyone’s face. A painting party for kids will make this easy.