How to throw a classroom party

If you are the parent with a child in preschool or elementary school, you have probably been in this boat.  You were asked to help with a classroom party.  I have one coming up at the end of October and I know that most of my friends are planning their child’s class party, too.

First, let me say, from a teacher’s point of view… NOTHING FANCY, PLEASE!  Yes, we love “cute” things as much as the next person, but honestly, don’t go above & beyond.  Try to remember that you are setting the stage for the next person.   The truth is, your child wants YOU.  They don’t care about anything fancy (even though I am SO using my friend Julia’s idea and turning mandarin orange containers into little jack-o-laterns by drawing a jack-o-latern face on it with a permanent marker- easy peasy).  You child doesn’t care if you have tablecloths to match the cups to match the plates to match the napkins.   They just want to know that you care and that you are there.

The same goes for the teacher.  The teacher just wants a fun, easy-going party for the children.  Stress of a party= stress on the teacher= stressed children… not a great combination.

So, with that being said… lets get started.

1- Food.  Easy snacks works best for the kids.  If you can avoid having to use silverware, even better!  (Just be sure that they wash their hands first!)  Pretzels, apple slices, teddy grahams, etc…

2- Drinks- go for the simple juice boxes.   Its quick, its easy and the kids love them.  No need to do a fancy punch that needs a separate bowl, spoon & cups.  Keep it simple.

3- Treats.   Every party needs some special treats.   Again, go for something easy: cookies, fruit, etc… I try to avoid cupcakes because I don’t know one child that eats a whole cupcake.  Most just lick off the icing and the others just eat the cake (in my house, anyways… and in my classroom!)

4- Favors.  A simple bracelet will be perfect for this!  Kids love these little bracelets that they wear!
I used to do a bag full of candy, but I have to say that now that I am a Mom, I would rather our kids bring home other things (pencils, bookmarks, stickers)… so this year, I decided to go for something that is different and USEFUL!   I sent these Uh-Oh bands in for the kids.   How awesome are these?!  They have a lot of colors & they even have ones that GLOW IN THE DARK (so the kids think that they are really cool!)  You write your phone number on them and then if the child gets lost, they have this handy.  I used to put a piece of paper in our kids’ shoes with our number on it (they knew where to look), but this is so much easier!    They also have an allergy bracelet:

Anything like this would make the perfect favor for the class or really a great stocking stuffer for your child!  (You can find out more about these HERE.  I am all-in-favor of anything that keeps our kids safe.)

~This next part is oh-so-important for a classroom party to run smoothly!~ 

5- Budgeting:  If you are trying to keep a budget for a classroom party, here is what I suggest:
A great way to keep up with the money from other parents for a classroom party is to put it all on one card.  I like card.com because it is a prepaid card.

 6- Plan a fun, but easy activity.  This one would be PERFECT for a Classroom party!

I hope that those tips helped you to get an idea of how you want to help your child and their class.   A party is only as good as its host is relaxed…   so have fun with it!Ok- which holiday is your favorite for planning parties?   (I pick the fall!)