As a busy parent, I know that throwing kids’ parties can be a bit of a challenge. How do you keep a group of kids busy in your home for a couple of hours? My go to solution to that problem is activity parties, especially with food. Here’s how to host a cupcake decorating party for kids of all ages.

The best part about a cupcake decorating party is it’s kind of a 2 in 1 party theme! Not only do you give the kids something they can do, but you can also use it as their party goodie if you want to skip on cake or other treats.

Why Host a Cupcake (or Cookie) Decorating Party?

Besides the fact that it’s a super easy party idea, a cupcake decorating party is probably one of the most versatile party themes. You can use it for birthdays, Halloween parties, Valentine’s Day, Easter, an end of school party, or just a fun activity idea for a group.

Cost Effective

Throwing a cupcake decorating party at your home or a budget-friendly venue is a lot easier on the wallet than most kids’ party venues. Even if you opt for a cupcake decorating kit rather than DIY approach you’ll still save compared to party venues.

Super Easy

You can turn this into a super easy party theme by picking up a cupcake decorating kit that’s perfect for a party from a company like Sweetology. That’s what we used to host our cupcake decorating party and it make things so much simpler for us. Plus the kids appreciated that everything was ready for them to use.

You Can Skip the Cake

This plays into the above points but worth noting on its own. By hosting a cupcake decorating party for your child’s birthday you can skip buying a cake and use the cupcakes you decorated instead!

Fits With Any Theme

You can easily theme a cupcake decorating birthday party to anything your child’s interested in just by changing up the frosting colors and extra toppings. This party idea works for pretty much every holidays and and special occasion, too.

Sweetology Cupcake Kits Review

Disclosure: Cupcake and cookie decorating kits were provided to us by Sweetology for this post at no cost. All the opinions are our own. This post is not sponsored by Sweetology.

We had the chance to check out Sweetology’s cupcake and cookie decorating kits to help create this post and wow, were they ever fun! From the packaging (ready to party right when you open the box) from the taste, it’s a great option if you want an easy party idea or fun activity.

Shipping & Packaging

Sweetology shipped our package out right away and it arrived on our doorstep. They don’t guarantee delivery dates, which may be frustrating if you’re planning a party last-minute, but as long as you order ahead you should get your goodies in time.

Like other food products, Sweetology shipped their cupcake kit with some ice packs instead the box. Unfortunately we’re in the middle of warm weather and these were melted by the time the package arrived. That being said, all the contents were fine, so it’s not really an issue.

Ease of Use

We love easy! The kit contained everything we needed to decorate our cupcakes and cookies including fun themed toppers and sprinkles.

The only prep involved was unwrapping everything, laying it out, and cutting the tips off the piping bags. If you wanted to mix extra colors or break up the icing between more people you would need to prep that as well. That being said, it was all ready to go in just a few minutes.

Since we covered the table before starting clean up was super quick. The kit does come with a professional decorating set that you’ll want to keep, so I guess that’s really the biggest clean up item.

The only thing I would have appreciated added would have been example pictures of the cupcakes for the kits we received.

Taste

This is a huge factor when it comes to eating cupcakes and cookies! Of course, I could argue that kids usually find most cupcakes and cookies delicious, but it’s still important that you’re working with something yummy if you’re going to pay for a cupcake or cookie decorating kit.

I found the cupcakes and cookies both tasted like what you’d expect from a bakery rather than the grocery store. The icing had a good flavor to it. The cupcakes were also quite moist, which I was surprised about given that they came in the mail!

We did find that the icing was overpowering if you use too much, though.

What the Kids Thought

We tested the Sweetology cupcake kit with a group of kids ranging in age from 8 to 15. Here’s their feedback on the Sweetology cupcake and cookie decorating kits:

Another issue that came up was that there was only one professional decorating set with piping tips. That being said, they made due with the cut tips and still managed to create some fun cupcakes like the garden with pond, pictured below.

Buying a Cupcake Decorating Kit VS DIY: Which is Better?

I’m someone who really enjoys baking so it’s actually been interesting trying out a cupcake decorating kit. I probably would never have considered picking up a kit and instead killed myself trying to bake cupcakes, whip frosting, and gather up all the supplies while also managing kids and party prep. Now that I’ve tried a kit for myself, though, I would actually consider skipping the DIY approach in the name of convenience.

How to Make Your Cupcake Decorating Party Successful

• Print out example pictures of cupcakes or cookies that fit with the party theme to help inspire creativity
• Make sure to cover your table so you don’t have a big mess to clean up
• Order in advance if you’re buying a kit so it has time to arrive
• If your icing has been in the fridge, make sure to let it warm up a bit and massage the bags before use
• For groups of kids that may all want the same thing, consider adding your own toppers instead if the kit doesn’t include enough

Cupcake Decorating Party Ideas

Here’s some ideas to make your cupcake decorating party extra special, plus some fun ideas for alterative party themes besides birthdays.

Cupcake Party Invitations

Cupcake Party Decoration Ideas

Cupcake Party FAQs