Estimated Time:
2 hr., w/ kids helping ;-)

Materials:
Cake mix, plus ingredients listed on box

Tub of Ready-Made frosting
(vanilla or cream cheese flavor)

Confetti-type sprinkles...or coarse sugar (tinted to desired color; you can put it in a jar w/food coloring and shake, shake, shake)

Curling ribbon(s), scissors

Decorating gel(s) or icings, and special Tips, if needed

Other options: candies, like M&M's, especially the mini-sized

Description:
Bake the cupcakes according to the directions on the cake mix box. (Foil cupcake liners or special liners are Cool, but not essential.)

Frost the cupcakes w/white frosting.

Decide on your message; write in on paper (for the kids' reference ;-) and let them spell out the message, one letter per cupcake, using gel or icing tubes and/or candies.

Use the scissors to curl some ribbon 'streamers' to decorate all 'round the sides or topside of your cupcake platter.

Other comments or suggestions:
I think the M&M candies spell out a li'l neater if they are stuck in Sideways, vs. flat; it just creates a thinner line. My son wants to use either Gel or Icing to spell, and it's His project. The gel tube (an appetizing Blue color...hmmm) seems smaller and easiest to handle. "Gentle pressure, Boy! We don't want the entire tube o' Blue on one cupcake!" ;-)

As it happens, this batch o' cupcakes is "Happy New Year" cupcakes, but my 7 year old son wanted Red, White and Blue, and that seems fitting, as we close out 2001. The same "spell it" cupcake thang works well for any holiday, or birthdays, with changes of color in candies, ribbon, icing, etc.

I saw sacks of (regular sized) M&M's in Red, White, and Blue, at WalMart, and I wish I'd bought a bag, to just bust open and spread 'round the bottom of the cupcake platter, for color and "added attraction."
That would make this cupcake platter the Star of the Potluck, kid-wise.
;-)

(Some of the proceeds of those particular sacks of M&M's are destined to go to the Red Cross.)

The more your children are Truly including in the cupcakes, start to finish, the longer it'll take, but it's Fun. My son is better at scooping cupcake better than I am; he gets 24 cupcakes to the box. But he makes little Truck and Motor noises, and pretends he's some sort of construction vehicle with a payload to scoop and dump, so it takes awhile. ;-)

With the leftover frosting, we made 'graham cracker sandwiches', a favorite 'round here. That helped keep the kids from eating the Masterpiece they are creating for the church potluck party.