Decorating party hats

Children love to get creative using odd of bits and pieces found from around the home.  Here is a simple activity in decorating party hats, which children as young as toddler age will have fun doing. Perfect and easy to set up for birthday parties or playgroup sessions. 

Possum (aged 2.5 years) loves to decorate anything that will stay still for long enough. I happened to have a few left over paper party hats from a recent birthday celebration and felt we could have some fun adding a few bits and pieces to jazz them up a little bit. Decorating party hats activity turned into a huge highlight for Possum’s day and she couldn’t wait to get Daddy to wear one she had personally decorated for him. 

Recommended age: 2 years+
(Active adult supervision is required with all my activities)

Decorating party hats activity

You will need – 

• Paper Party Hats
• Glue
• Bits and pieces (sequins, stickers, torn coloured paper, scraps of material, feathers etc)

This is an invitation for children to get creative and make a conscious choice of how they wish for their party hat to be decorated. The use of sequins and feathers encourages children to develop their fine motor skills.

I had some used scraps of coloured paper, which I asked Possum to tear up into smaller pieces. We talked about various sizes, big and little etc. She had also noted that some of the torn pieces looked like interesting and familiar shapes.

This was Possum’s first experience of using a glue stick (not sure why it has taken so long). She did very well to run the glue stick along the length of the paper party hat, however, looking back gloopy glue, rather than a stick, would have been easier to apply. Still, it was a great experience for Possum. 

Offering Possum a variety of materials to stick onto the party hat really tested out her fine motor skills. Using stickers and feathers were particularly popular. LOL 

Feathers also added a lovely sensory element to this creative activity. 

Soon began the wonderful hat parade! Possum made many gorgeous hats, which she proudly wore throughout the day (because you really don’t have to have an occasion to wear a party hat). I loved that each of them were quite different and that it was an activity she had done with such a high degree of independence. 

Would your child enjoy decorating their own party hat?  

Kate from The Craft Train has another wonderful post about making your own party hats, which includes a free printable. Check it out! 

Here are some more ideas you’ll love –

Follow Kate @ LaughingKidsLearn’s board Laughing Kids Learn on Pinterest.