The principal at our local school has asked me to be a part of a reward celebration for the students. They will be having lots of activities to choose from, and she wants me to let them decorate-something. I'm thinking cupcakes, would probably be the way to go, but I can't get my head around what would be easiest-give them a bag of buttercream with a tip and let them make some flowers, or let them make a fondant rose or monkey or something. There will probably be around 100 kids...in small groups...and no help...
Can you guys help me out with some ideas?????

PLEASE!!!!

I let my best friend's three year old twins decorate their own birthday cakes. I frosted the cakes, then gave them the bags with star tips and buttercream. They also had lots of different sprinkles and colored sugar to choose from. Cupcakes would be the way to go with 100 kids, though. Make up every color buttercream, and pre-fill the bags.

...it may go without saying but USE A TWIST TIE on the ends of those bags!! Even if you make them small, kids are going to squeeze it right in the middle and shoot all the icing out the back end.

Thanks Jennifer and clovely,
I think bags and tips will be the easiest way to go. And yes, definitely twist ties on the bags! I've worked with kids before, just not so many.

I recently did a cookie decorating activity for kids (about 200). I put thin icing in a squeeze bootle (a large Wilton bottle). I let them squeeze on the design and then put on sprinkles. This was for all ages. They really little guys needed help with the squeezing. It was fun for them and me too.

Hmmm....squeeze bottles....that's a thought!
Thanks.

in thinking of kids-lots so expenses and whatnot i would forgo the bag/tip and put coloured icing in ziploc bags (secure the end with elastic) and loads of sprinkles-small candies (unless the school is helping with the expense) could you do up some quick punch out style fondant flowers for them to put on? definately have one of those plastic tablecloths and keep a broom handy-couldn't they give you a couple of older students to help? don't they need volunteer hours to graduate? (they do here)

Dirt cupcakes for boys - Oreo cookie crumbs and gummy worms!

Theresa

I've decorated both sugar cookies and cupcakes with a little boy I babysit for an he loved both. Both times I used disposable decorating bags with holes cut in the tips instead of using couplers and different tips, but he keeps asking when we're going to do it again, so next time I may try different tips. I didn't have any ties on me so I tied the bags closed so it didn't ooze out the top.

I used sandwich bags once, and the icing was too thick and it started popping other holes in the bags.

IMHO, they probably wouldn't be as into the fondant cut-outs unless you made a ton in different shapes/colors. I'm thinking it'll be too hard to get fondant shapes they're all interested in and have it be worth the money. Find some craft store coupons or watch for sales at the grocery store and get some different sprinkles.

I hope the kids have fun!

Having worked with school age kids for 10 years this is not going to be an easy job. I would first say is there any way you can get a friend or another parent to help you out, even if they dont know what they are doing? 100 kids is a lot to manage and decorating cupcakes is going to be VERY popular with them. One thing you can do is just have bowls or small cups of frosting (white) and popsicle sticks so they can frost the cupcakes. I think the kids would love to try out the piping bag so if you want to do that just keep it very simple. Maybe 3 colors with 3-4 bags of each color. Dont over fill the bags, keep the bags small so they can hold it with their little hands. Stick with round tips and make them large so they don't have to squeeze too hard to get it out. You will need to tie the tops closed. Have different kinds of sprinkles they can use. I would stay away from fondant, there is just too many kids. If it was a smaller group I think it would be ok. That is what I would do. I do think you will need one more person to help you out. Dont try to teach them anything too hard you will not have enough time and you will just get frustrated. You will be teaching them enough about how to hold and squeeze the bag. Just let them do it and have fun. This could be really fun. I have always wanted to try something like this with the kids. It's great to see what they create all on their own they are usually horribly beautiful If my 4 year old daughter can use a piping bag then the school age kids can do it

Thats my 2 cents hope that helps

I knew I could count on you folks for some advice. Thanks.

If you have a vacuum sealer seal the end closed. I did that for my son's christmas party and it worked great. No icing out the back and I could fill them pretty full. We used just white icing with different colored sprinkles. We gave out plastic knives and they squirted some on their cookie then used the knife to spread it. You could also do some royal icing drop flowers in advance for a little something extra.

HTH

Judi