Fun and Messy Birthday Party Ideas

Here are some fun and messy birthday party ideas that may be better for the summer months if you live in a climate like mine - easier to clean up with a hose outside? I think most items could be found at the dollar store. Don't forget to take lots of photos and warn guests not to wear their party bests & to maybe bring a swim suit and towel?

Lots of the ideas were taken from this website. But just in case it goes down one of these days I've listed them below:

Paint Splatter Party
This could be so fun and all you'd have to do is hang up some paper in the garage or taped up to the fence. Canvases could be tossed on a plastic table cloth and onto the grass.

• Acrylic (water soluble but take more work to get off of structures like garage floors) or tempera (washable) paint
• Canvases
• Poster paper
• Brown wrapping paper
• Plastic table clothes
• Apply paint with: squeeze bottles, with toothbrushes, 

Crazy Hair Party
One of my favorite birthday party memories is getting my hair moussed purple in my parents backyard and eating cake afterwards.

• Gel
• Sparkles 
• Ribbons, bows, clips, elastics
• Coloured hair spray (stock up at halloween)

Bubbles Bubbles Bubbles

What child doesn't like chasing bubbles around the backyard?

• Big bottle of bubble solution ($5 at the supermarket - I find it works better than home made, but that's just me)
• Little wedding favours (5 for a buck at the dollar store) for give aways
• You can rent bubble machines at party stores

Painting with Pudding

Messy, tasty and wrong but so right!

• Paper
• Assorted pudding mixes all ready to go
• Also works as body paint
• The garden hose

GOO for Everyone

• Cornstarch + water + a little food colouring will mix up nicely in a bowl but will goo and be ridiculous when you try to pick it up.

Water balloons

Fun for everyone. I have memories of my Uncle hiding out on the roof of my grandparents house waiting with a bucket of water.

No Utensils Birthday Feast!

Let kids dig in with their hands. Imagine the memories 

• A spaghetti & meatball dinner party for kids (Someone even suggested a spaghetti fight was the hit of their party - spaghetti in the lawn? This may be too much even for me - but if it's for you let me know how it turns out!)
• Watermelon eating contest (no hands)
• If this gives you indigestion while reading it I promise that it'll be from laughing so so hard!

Kid Car Wash

This would be fun as a clean up activity or as a party in itself!

• Wash stations - wash, rinse, dry, buff/wax
• Soapy water (kids wading pool filled with bubbles)
• Sponges (good for throwing)
• Shammy cloths cut into strips and hung from a clothes line
• Clean towels
• Powder
• Lotion
• Gift bags could house a bar of soap, a toothbrush and some stickers (?)

Click on images to go to their websites!