As a young child in school, one of my favorite activities was the classroom parties. There is nothing like celebrating Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day and the end of school! It is a time for fun, memories and great snacks. I loved how special my mom made my classroom parties as a child so when I became a mom, and my little ones entered school, I couldn’t wait to volunteer as room mom. My goal was to ensure tons of happy memories. I wanted to give the kids a time during school to have fun, relax, and give them the freedom to let out that bottled up energy.
I was a room mother for both my sons from the time they were in Kindergarten through 5th grade. After my last one went on to middle school, his 5th grade teacher asked me if I would be the head room parent for her daughter’s class! She wanted her last year of elementary school to be as memorable as possible. I was humbled and excited. One more year to be creative! So how did I get a teacher to personally ask me to be a room mom when I had no children at the school anymore? I.M.A.G.I.N.A.T.I.O.N. It also didn’t hurt that I made sure the teachers were able to sit back, relax and have fun themselves. To be the best room parent possible, just follow these easy steps. Your parties will be the talk of the school!
Pick a Theme
This is the most important step! The planning is much easier if you have a specific motif to work around. Here are some themes that I did: Carnival, Spies are Us, Beach Luau, Christmas Dreams, Monster Mash. A theme will make finding activities for the party easier, and will help when decorating. Don’t go overboard on decorations, however, they really aren’t necessary. In fact, I kept most of the decor to the food table. I also brought decor from home instead of paying for new ones. If you are going to spend money, put most of the effort into the activities and the snacks.
Ask for Help
Many parents are more than willing to help, or send things, not so many can or want to be in charge. Make it easy for parents, especially for those who work, by sending out or posting a sign up sheet for the snack table. Be sure to have parents phone numbers so you can send them texts. Be sure to include the time party activities will begin in case parents want to attend. Success will depend on other parents being involved. There may be some parents that want to co-room parent with you. Divide up duties or plan one activity apiece. Also, make sure to find out if any child has food allergies or medical conditions that limit the types of food they can eat. Many parents will bring special snacks for their child, but you can ensure they don’t grab something they shouldn’t.
Plan an Activity
Make sure there is at least one event during the party, but leave plenty of time for the kiddos to get through the snack table line, and back to their desks, so they can eat. For a carnival party, have stations around the room. Games to try: Bean bag toss, Ring toss, Duck grab, Tattoos, and Horse race. Divide the children into groups giving them about 3 mins per station to play that game. Have one station for the kids to get their snacks and sit down at their desks and eat. Of course, they should have time at the end to get seconds. Another fun activity for Halloween would be a pinata. Kids will have a blast trying to get to the candy. Buy $1 gifts at a dollar store and wrap them up to give to the children during a Christmas party. Read scary stories during Halloween before a costume parade. If you are able, bring extra costumes for children that may not have one. The Spies are Us party was probably the most creative party I’d put together. A mom volunteered and made ice cream with nitrogen (courtesy of our local university) which the kids LOVED. The students were then separated into six different “spy” groups. Their mission was to get to a balloon, in a box, trapped by “wires” that had to be removed in a certain order to free the balloon, pop it and find the secret message. So be creative!
Take Pictures
Do not forget to document the fun for the teacher, students and parents. It’s a special time in their lives. Make prints or text pictures to parents. A memory packet is a delightful way to share the pictures you take. These can be given to each student at the end of the year. Parents that aren’t able to attend will be thankful that they have a memory to share with their child even if they couldn’t be there in person. Teachers get close to their students, and creating a memory book of parties throughout the year is the best year end teacher appreciation gift. Be sure to get everyone in the pictures so no one is left out!
Know the class
Having fun and planning the perfect class party is important, of course, but getting to know the kids, every child, is by far the most essential. Children will have fun no matter what, but if you make sure that you know their names, and go out of your way to say hi, give them a high five, involve them in conversation, it will make their day! I still have kids who remember me from the time they were in elementary school! They still remember the parties which for me makes me smile.
There you have it! Simple steps to follow in order to plan and carry out the best classroom parties ever. I would love to see your parties! Or hear about what you did and how the kids enjoyed it. Send me a comment and pictures! Good luck and have fun!
