Friday, April 24, 2026

10 Fun Kids Birthday Party Activities (Easy, Creative & Screen-Free)

Planning a kids birthday party can feel like a lot — especially when you want activities that are actually fun (and not total chaos 😅).

If you're looking for easy, creative, and screen-free ideas that kids will genuinely enjoy, these birthday party activities are simple to set up and guaranteed to keep everyone entertained.

Keep reading for one activity that doubles as a party favor 👇


1. 🎨 Ink Blot T-Shirt Activity (The BIG Hit!)

Kids making an ink blot t-shirt step-by-step with paint, fold, and reveal — fun DIY kids craft activity
Each design turns out completely unique — no two are ever the same. Kids love seeing what they get when they open it.

If you want one activity that kids will remember (and parents will thank you for), this is it.

Kids get to create their own one-of-a-kind ink blot design on a t-shirt using simple supplies — and the best part is the reveal when they unfold it.

No two designs are ever the same, which makes it:

  • incredibly fun
  • super creative
  • perfect for all ages

💡 Bonus: It doubles as a party favor — no extra goodie bags needed! Each child can even take home a printed Certificate of Authenticity to make their design feel official.

👉 Tip: Have kids create their shirts early in the party so they have time to dry while they enjoy the rest of the activities.

Kids wearing ink blot t-shirts at a birthday party with colorful symmetrical designs, fun DIY craft activity for kids
Kids love creating their own designs — just allow time for shirts to dry before taking home their one-of-a-kind party keepsake.

This is always the activity kids talk about after the party — and the one they remember most.

👉 👉 Get the full step-by-step Ink Blot T-shirt Guide here (instant download) with BONUS Kids Activity pages)



2. 🎈 Balloon Pop Game

Fill balloons with small prizes or silly challenges and let kids take turns popping them.

Simple, exciting, and always a crowd favorite.


3. 🧁 DIY Cupcake Decorating Station

Set out:

  • plain cupcakes
  • frosting
  • sprinkles

Let kids decorate their own creations — fun and delicious.


4. 🔍 Scavenger Hunt

Create a simple list of items to find around your home or yard.

You can:

  • do teams
  • offer a small prize
  • keep it quick and playful

5. 💃 Freeze Dance

Play music and let kids dance — when the music stops, they freeze.

Anyone who moves is out (or just gets silly — your call!).


6. ✂️ Craft Station

Set up a simple table with:

  • paper
  • markers
  • stickers
  • glue

Great for quieter moments or kids who want a break from active games.


7. 🎯 Ring Toss or Bean Bag Toss

Easy to set up and perfect for all ages.

You can even DIY this with items you already have at home.


8. 🫧 Bubble Station

If your party is outside, bubbles are always a hit.

Try:

  • different wand shapes
  • bubble machines

9. 🎭 Dress-Up + Photo Corner

Set out:

  • hats
  • scarves
  • silly props

Kids LOVE taking pictures and being creative.


10. 🎁 “What Do You See?” Ink Blot Game

Go around the table to see each other's ink blot designs and:

  • say what they see
  • vote on the funniest ideas
  • make up stories

You can also print copies of the bonus activity pages included in the guide and have kids fill them out, draw their own ideas, and share with the group.

This is a fun add-on to the t-shirt activity and keeps the creativity going even after the shirts are made.



Make It Easy (and Actually Enjoy the Party)

You don’t need a long list of complicated activities to throw a great party.

Just one or two standout ideas can make the whole experience feel fun, creative, and memorable.

If you’re looking for something that’s:

  • simple to set up
  • fun for all ages
  • and doubles as a take-home keepsake (after a little drying time)

👉 👉 Grab the Ink Blot T-Shirt DIY Guide here



Final Thought

The best birthday parties aren’t about doing everything — they’re about giving kids something they’ll remember.

And sometimes, that’s as simple as a little paint, a fold, and a big surprise when they open it up ✨

Monday, February 18, 2019

5 Cold Weather Indoor Craft Ideas to Keep your Kids Occupied

5 simple kid crafts for winter indoor rainy days
Hello everyone! We survived #SeattleSnowmageddon2019 and eventually were able to dig ourselves out of our garage and driveway. It was a doozy of a snow storm, but we had everything we needed to stay warm and keep our tummies way more full than usual for a week (stress eating during an emergency is a real thing).

What I keep hearing from my friends, is while many had enough food to eat, and were lucky enough to have power, they didn't have enough to keep their kids occupied. The stress on parents this past week multiplied as fast as the snowflakes fell and it got me thinking, it might be nice to create a post with activities for kids to do during the cold, and sometimes unexpectedly stormy, winter weather.

I pulled a few of my favorites from the archives that I thought you might like. While being housebound wasn't very fun and cabin fever set in rather quickly, I'm hoping these crafty ideas for cold weather will come in handy for you or your kiddos so no one goes too stark raving mad.

[*Disclosure: This post contains Amazon links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.]


Indoor Craft Ideas for Kids during Cold, Winter Weather


(*affiliate links included in this post. See disclosure below)

Make an Ink Blot T-shirt

kids projects for rainy or wintery days - decorate tshirts with ink blot design
Ink blot t-shirts -an easy, cool, indoor kids activity © ShannonSews
Grab our Ink Blot T-Shirt DIY Guide here that takes the guess work out of it. It tells you step-by-step what you'll need and how to do it.

It also comes with BONUS Kids Activity Pages so your kids will be occupied for hours! (hooray!)

When I did this ink blot t-shirt making activity with groups of school-aged kids, they had so much fun and wore their t-shirts proudly for years after. 



👉Click here for a video of us making them



Faux water color painting

kids paint watercolors without paint use crayola washable markers
Faux water color projects for kids © ShannonSews
This craft is SO easy if you have some washable markers and small paint brushes on hand (I used Crayola Washable Markers). If you have access to the internet and a printer, you can print out free coloring pages, clip art or even draw something yourself in a pinch. And it's more fun than just using the regular old kid set of water colors.

This link will take you to my step-by-step instructions (+ a video!) on how to keep anyone occupied for hours (I know, you'll count yourself lucky if your kids focus on this for 20 minutes) but I swear they and you will love it. Even if they knock the water glass over.

SUPPLY LIST:
Crayola Washable Markers
Kids Paint Brushes
White Cardstock
Clip Art (google to find free-bees)
Computer & Printer (or just let them paint their own designs)




Sew easy bean bags or rice bags

Winter sewing projects for kids - sew rice bags or bean bags
Kid friendly sewing- beanbags / rice bags © ShannonSews
I know, the point is not to give your kids ammunition while you're stuck inside the house, but think of all the fun they could have throwing bean bags at targets, downstairs - away from you.

Create a target by cutting out a hole in a box or draw a target and tape it to a box. It can't get more easy than that on a cold, indoor, winter day.

However, for this project you really do need a sewing machine, although, you could use strips of stitch witchery and a hot iron to bind the fabric together, but a sewing machine is the best route. Follow the link to the full tutorial. They are just squares, so even a new little sewer may not have too much trouble with this. I made these as sewing weights, but you follow the same instructions for bean bags the kids can toss and toss and toss - just hopefully not at you or each other.

SUPPLY LIST:
Cotton fabric squares - cut them yourself or buy pre-cut 5" cotton squares
Sewing Machine and thread OR stitch witchery and a hot iron (optional, this method not shown on tutorial)
Dry beans or rice
Old Cardboard box for target practice
Scissors to cut out target hole



Make Paper Roses

Make paper roses - easy for kids - indoor cold weather activities
Easy paper roses - kid projects for rainy days © ShannonSews
This is a really fun activity for kids that know their way around a pair of scissors and can roll up a strip of paper. And if you don't want to get involved in the making, just let one of your older kids help, that you trust with a hot glue gun. I didn't mean that as a joke.

I made this red rose out of 2 pieces of scrapbook paper, and if I can make it, trust me, you can - or even your elementary school aged child can. This link takes you to another blog's tutorial, who showed it much better than I could. They even embellish their flowers with glitter, but this post is about lowering your stress, not heightening it.

SUPPLY LIST:
Colored Cardstock
Scissors
Hot glue gun


Make Your Own Soothing Lavender Water

DIY lavender water for easy indoor kids activity
Lavender water recipe even for kids © ShannonSews
Did you know they make something called Lavender pillow spray to calm and soothe before bed? Maybe if your kids make this lavender water it will make them really relaxed and they will want to go to bed. What a marvelous idea for a housebound snowy, cold or wintry day, don't you think?

You will need a few ingredients on hand like distilled water, though I'm guessing regular tap water would work in a pinch, Essential Lavender Oil, Witch Hazel (or a pinch of rubbing alcohol instead), a measuring cup & spoon, funnel and empty spray bottle.

Since many people have these items in their house already, it could be an easy go-to project...OR for us crafty types who keep a rainy day activities bin, you're set.



SUPPLY LIST:
Distilled water
Essential Lavender Oil
Witch Hazel (ethyl alcohol, isopropyl or vodka) *acts as an emulsifier & helps spray dry faster
Measuring cup & spoon
Funnel
Spray Bottles




I'd love to hear your cold weather stuck-indoors activity ideas for kids! Share in the comments below! And good luck through the rest of the winter. The groundhog may have been wrong?


*This post contains product links, added for your convenience. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases through Amazon.com. 

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

New Ink Blot T-shirts in the shop

I couldn't resist making a few more Ink Blot T-shirts. A couple for adults and a handful for kids. 

I'm always a mix of excited and anxious to see how each paint "splatter" will turn out and love to hear what people see in each design.  

We no longer sell ink blot t-shirts pre-made, but we had so much interest, we made a step-by-step guide so you can make your own! Even better!

👉 Make your own one-of-a-kind Ink Blot T-shirt in minutes Get the full step-by-step guide here 

Instant download. No experience needed.





Here's my 2 cents.

This one I call the Cave Man
(size Adult Medium)

Random painted design


fabric painted t-shirt

This one's a flying frog, wingspan out.
(size Young Adult XL or Adult M-L)

fabric painted design


ink blot t-shirt




👉 👉 Want a simple printable version you can follow along with so you can make your own? 

 → Get the Ink Blot T-Shirt DIY Guide here

Includes step-by-step instructions + bonus kids activity pages.





I can't be the only one who sees a mouse, now am I? Clear as day.
(size Child M)


kids painted t-shirt

Kids unique mouse t-shirt

Creature with electricity shooting out the sides. Clearly.
(size Child M)
 
Abstract childs t-shirt design


unique fabric painted design

Wings of angels
(size Adult Small)

 
abstract art t-shirt

blue and orange designed tee

It's all about imagination! 
You should have heard all the ideas the kids came up with as they saw each shirt when we did our 50 ink blot t-shirts project at school! I learned a thing or two about what real imagination is!






 


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Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Ink Blot Designed T-Shirts: One-of-a-Kind Wearable Art

Updated for 2026: I’ve refreshed this post with an updated Ink Blot T-Shirt Guide to make it even easier to create your own one-of-a-kind designs at home.


Making ink blot designed onesies has been so much fun…
but I can’t keep all the fun just for the babies, now can I?

So I decided to try my hand at creating some “Wearable Psychology” ink blot t-shirts—made for actual humans to wear out in the world (not just admire at home 😄).


Three white t-shirts hanging on a line with red and black ink blot paint designs, showing unique symmetrical DIY t-shirt patterns created with an ink blot technique

These are adult (unisex) XL, and every single one turned out completely different.


And the designs that I “created”?

😂 It gets me every time.

You truly never know what those little plops and swirls of paint are going to reveal. I go in with an idea… and it almost never turns out the way I imagined.

But honestly—that’s half the fun.






❤️ Ink Blot Valentine T-Shirt

White t-shirt hanging on a line with a red and pink symmetrical ink blot design, creating a heart-like pattern from a DIY paint technique
I call this one the Ink Blot Valentine T-Shirt because if you look closely… you can see little hearts.

And I didn’t plan it at all.

The red and pink combination ended up being perfect for Valentine’s Day—completely by chance.


{WATCH} to see how this t-shirt was made



Close-up of red and pink ink blot design on a white t-shirt showing detailed symmetrical paint patterns created with an easy DIY method

White t-shirt with red and pink ink blot paint design hanging on a clothesline, showing a unique abstract pattern made with a simple DIY technique


☔ The “Seattle” Ink Blot

This one made me laugh.

What is it about blobs of paint turning into something recognizable?

To me, it looks like a biker dude holding umbrellas… which somehow feels very Seattle appropriate.



White t-shirt hanging on a line with a bold black symmetrical ink blot design, creating an abstract mirrored pattern using a DIY paint technique


Close-up of black ink blot design on white fabric showing detailed symmetrical shapes from a folded paint DIY t-shirt technique

White t-shirt with black ink blot paint design hanging on a clothesline, showing a one-of-a-kind abstract pattern created with an easy DIY method

{WATCH} to see how the "Seattle" Ink Blot t-shirt was made.




👽 The “Alien Ant Farm” Ink Blot

When my husband saw this one, he immediately said:

“Looks like Alien Ant Farm.”

(Yes… that’s a real band. I had to double check too.)


White t-shirt hanging on a line with a red and black symmetrical ink blot design, showing a bold abstract pattern created with a DIY t-shirt painting technique

Close-up of red and black ink blot paint design on white fabric showing layered symmetrical lines and abstract shapes from a folded paint technique

White t-shirt with red and black ink blot paint design hanging on a clothesline, featuring a one-of-a-kind symmetrical abstract pattern made with an easy DIY method


Red + black paint blobs = something I never could have planned.

{WATCH} to see how this 'Alien Ant Farm" Ink blot t-shirt design was made




🎨 Why Ink Blot Designs Are So Addicting

I love that every design is completely up to chance.

No pressure.
No perfection.
No artistic skill required.

Just paint… fold… and see what appears.

It’s a little bit like gambling (in the safest, most creative way possible 😄).


✨ Make Your Own Ink Blot T-Shirt

DIY ink blot t-shirt guide with step-by-step instructions and bonus activity pages, showing how to create unique one-of-a-kind t-shirt designs at home

Want to try it yourself?

👉 Grab the Ink Blot T-Shirt Guide
Includes step-by-step instructions + bonus activity pages

It’s simple, fun, and perfect for:

  • Creative afternoons
  • Kids activities
  • Totally unique DIY gifts




👉 Start making your own one-of-a-kind ink blot designs today.





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Thursday, December 1, 2011

Ink blot t-shirt designs Fails and Successes

ink blot design t-shirt that looks like horses with black and turquoise paint
Remember when I thought Sharpie t-shirt designs were the next best thing to sliced bread? Well, at the moment (sorry Sharpies, I'm so finicky that way).

I'm head-over-heels for something else: 

Making my own Ink Blot T-shirt Designs 

You have no idea.



Make your own one-of-a-kind Ink Blot T-shirt in minutes 

Instant download. No experience needed.



Ink Blot T-shirt Fail - Before

Ink Blot Oops T-shirt (where i got my mistakes out of the way):

I started with a plain t-shirt (I usually use white, but had this pink one on hand so thought I'd give it a whirl.


I used a piece of cardboard the same width of the shirt, and put it in-between the shirt layers


Next, I folded the cardboard in half and make a strong crease


Put the creased cardboard inside the shirt


Made sure the creased cardboard is in the center of the shirt and secured it (I used some binder clips to keep it secure).



Pulled out my fabric paint. 
Some use acrylic, but I like the softer feel of fabric paint.



Applied my paint. I didn't try to make a design, just dripped, and dropped randomly.

image of a plain t-shirt with black paint spattered on it to make an ink blot design

Carefully folded my shirt in half along the cardboard crease. 


Tada! My first "ink blot" t-shirt. Kind of a fun design.
And this is where it went terribly wrong...

ink blot DIY shirt designed with black fabric paint
 
There were a couple of spots with thick excess paint (if you look closely you'll see). 

I should have left it alone. 

But I don't often leave things alone when I should.

So I pulled out my little sponge to try and soak up some of the paint. 
Wah, wah. Don't do that. 
The more I dabbed, the worse it got and I ended up running to the sink to try and rinse out the paint entirely. 
Do do that either. 
It didn't come out, it just bled. 

See, I'm teaching you how NOT to do things so you can avoid these mistakes! :)


close up of ink blot design mistake smudged paint

Ink Blot T-shirt Fail - After

In the end, as my shirt hung to dry in its sad, blotchy state, my husband said it looked cool that way. Like it was supposed to be like that. I guess I'll believe him even though I know he may just be saying that to be nice. It does sort of have that I-wore-this-in-the-garage-and-got-grease-on-it sort of appeal.



***And by the way, the last "real step" (instead of running to the sink to un-do my design)  - was letting the paint dry with the cardboard still in tact. 

After it was dry, I removed the cardboard and used a dry hot iron (with a cloth on top of the design) to set the paint for about 3 minutes. 
It's best not to wash your shirt for at least 72 hours.




👉 You can do better than this. →

Get the Ink Blot T-Shirt DIY Guide here
Includes step-by-step instructions + bonus kids activity pages.




Ink Blot T-shirt Success - Before & After


Now that I had that mistake under my belt, I thought I'd give it another try. It worked SO much better.

Ink Blot T-shirt Success - Before

This time I used a plain white cotton shirt


And I decided to try 2 different colors together - black and light blue


I let my creative hands fly - Drip, drop, splat

ink blot t-shirt DIY design "before" shows black and light blue random paint splatters

Folded the shirt over and tada!

Ink Blot T-shirt Success - After

Woah! I loved it! It looks like a horse or angry bull. Not sure which. What do you see?

DIY ink blot design close up on a t-shirt that looks like a horse

I decided to heat-set the design with a dry iron for about 3 minutes, after the design dried by putting a  cloth between the iron and paint. I just used a scrap of muslin.



I'm still obsessed with this ink blot design. I couldn't have planned it if I tried. 
And honestly, that's the crazy/intriguing/exciting part of ink blot design. 

You never really know what you're going to get. It's a roll of the dice, baby. And that's what makes it so addictive. 

Trust me, I warned my husband to hide all of his shirts.


painted shirt that looks like a horse or bull made by ink blot method


Ink blot t-shirt design After - Success - looks like horses


👉 Are you ready to turn a plain t-shirt into something completely unique?  
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