Dessert Decorating - 8yr - Decorating Stations

Dessert Decorating Party  I decorate birthday cakes.  So, for my daughter's 8th birthday party, she requested a dessert decorating party. 

I had 3 stations set up.  I split the girls into 3 groups of 4.  I then had them draw numbers to see which station they would start at. 

After round one was over and everyone had finished at their beginning stations, we rotated (i.e.., Team 1 started at the cake table then switched to the cookie table, Team 2 started at the cookie table then switched to the candy table, etc) 

One was for decorating their own doll cake.  For this, I prebaked all the cakes using 1/2 of a ball pan which is used for making 3-D baseball cakes.  I asked everyone ahead of time what flavor they would like best.  I had several bags of dyed buttercream icing laid out for them to decorate the cakes with whatever colors they wanted using all star tips.  For the doll part, I bought the off-brand of Kelly dolls (about $1.50 each at Wal-Mart) and wrapped them in plastic wrap and inserted them into the cakes.  I put the doll clothes and accessories in a plastic bag with the child's name on it.  The doll and all the baked goods were the girls' "goodie bags". 

For the second station, they got to decorate sugar cookies.  I had a cookie press gun and made the dough ahead of time.  I let them choose the shape of cookies and let them press the cookies onto cookie sheets.  Each girl got to do 5 cookies.  Then they used many different cookie decorations such as assorted sugar crystals, red hot candies, chocolate chips, nonpareills, and candy sprinkles. 

For the third station, they got to make their own lollipops.  I bought Barbie, Pokemon, and smiley face lollipop molds.  We melted pink and yellow Wilton candy melts and flavored them with candy flavorings (lemonade and strawberry).  Then, they spooned the melted candy into the molds, placed a lollipop stick into the mold, and placed them into the refrigerator.  They harden quickly and were ready within minutes. 

For them to take their treats home, I bought small cakes boxes (59 cents each) for them to place everything in.  Since the candy station took the least time, I had them decorate their cake boxes as a time filler while they waited for other stations to finish.  The cakes took the longest. 

This party was very inexpensive since I had all the cake decorating equipment.  But, you could buy disposable bags, couplers, and tips at a cake decorating store or Wal-Mart for not much money.  The ball pan costs about $10.  Or, you could use a small Pampered Chef glass mixing bowl.