School Events and Classroom Party Ideas!

Planning an event for the classroom at school (parties, holidays, dances, carnivals) can be both fun and rewarding, if you don't let the stress wear you out first!

Thanksgiving Class Room Party
Christmas Class Room Party
Room Mom Tips
Fall Harvest
School Events

Basic tips for planning any classroom party:

Work with the teacher prior to planning any party for the classroom, even bringing in snacks for your child's Birthday. He/she will need advance notice and can inform you of the School's policies regarding celebrating birthdays.

Get a head count -- some kids participate in class only part of the day due to special needs.
Consult with your child's room-mother to find out what has/hasn't been done in the past & discuss how involved you want to be in a party.

Consider the various allergies (chocolate, dairy, wheat, nuts) some children have, and be prepared to either work around them or compensate for them.

Do not hand out party invitations in class unless all the children are being invited. This avoids hurt feelings.

Parent participation/coordination is almost always a huge help for the teachers. Get involved!

For younger children, set up stations for games and activities, crafts, food, etc

Keep the plans simple and the party usually no more than 1 to 1 1/2 hours

Most schools do not celebrate holidays, so make the activities somewhat generic (winter themed crafts instead of Christmas themed crafts, for example)

Plan for the unexpected. If you have only outdoor games planned and it's raining buckets on party day, you need to be able to shift gears in a hurry! Also, if you start a game and it's obvious the kids aren't getting into it, don't be afraid to stop it and go on to the next one. Always have at least two games in "reserve", in case the party goes quicker than you planned, or one of the games falls flat.

Having blank coloring pages to match the party theme is always a great filler.

Ask other parents to volunteer time and supplies/snacks.

Plan ahead. Write down a schedule for the party, outlining exactly what game follows what, and what the prizes are. Keep the paper tucked in your pocket during the party and refer to it often.

With the younger children, it is best to have the supplies for the craft activity prepared ahead of time. Pre cut all fabric pieces, string, cardboard etc that will be used for the craft projects. Putting the needed pieces for each craft into snack size plastic bags works wonders!

Having prizes for games is a good idea for older children (perhaps over 10), but for younger children it is best to be sure they all take home prizes/favors.

When the party is over, sit down and make some notes about what worked and what didn't. Discuss with the teacher and other parent volunteers what should be used or ignored at the next classroom party. The teacher can file the notes for the next party/next year's parents to use.