How to Plan a Classroom Party

Students enjoy several classroom parties throughout the school year. But students don't always appreciate all the planning that goes into creating a classroom party. Teachers usually do most of the planning. Even so, teachers encourage the help of parent volunteers with many aspects of party planning, preparation, and presentation. Pulling-off a successful and fun party requires thoughtful planning and many hands. If you are in charge of planning a classroom party, or any aspect of the party, here are some strategies and tips to help.

Classroom Party Policies

One of the first party planning tasks you need to do is to check school policy regarding classroom parties. You want to follow school policy, and you don't want to invite problems.

Classroom Party Communication

You need to communicate with parents of children in the classroom. Any communication needs to be kept simple, and the lines of communication need to stay open. Remember that some parents are not good readers, some are single parents on limited incomes, and some are not available to contribute time, funds, or volunteer effort.

Be sure to let parents know the date, the time of the party, and any student allergies. You need to communicate with parents who will be leading individual activities, crafts, and games. Plus, you need to work closely with those who make or receive donations, do the shopping, select the prizes, serve the food and goody-bags, and help with decorating and cleanup. One bit of advice, always know how much mess you can deal with in the classroom.

Classroom Party Purchasing Tips

Here is a tip that can save you money. Buy party supplies in bulk for the whole year. Furthermore, if you buy basic colors of red, green, orange, yellow, white, and black, you can cover all the party colors you'll need for most theme parties and all seasons. Plan your decorations around solid colors for balloons and streamers, and perk things up with theme-related party favors.

Classroom Party Themes

Kids love party themes. Teachers can plan a classroom party around a unit that students are currently studying or incorporate one of these standard party themes: Mexican fiesta, international theme, 50's theme, Hawaii luau, western theme, old fashioned theme, and character-based theme. Monthly birthday parties are theme-flexible and can present loads of creative possibilities.

Classroom Party Crafts

You need to focus on a simple craft that fits the time frame, the theme, and is age appropriate. You or your volunteers may need to pre-cut some pieces. Plan for that. Consider keeping all student projects the same. It keeps instructions to a minimum. What's more, there are no fights, and no one gets left out. In your craft-planning, you also need to consider how much drying time is needed for paint and glue. Finally, you need to consider how the craft will be transported home.

Classroom Party Outdoor Activities

It's nice to have outdoor activities that help stretch muscles, and outdoors is a nice place to absorb some of the mess. Standard outdoor party activities include: a relay race, bean bag toss, treasure hunt, and water balloon toss. You can put your own twist on these games to make them fit your classroom party theme.

Classroom Party Indoor Activities

Your indoor parties can include any of these traditional games to match the party theme: bingo, guess number of items in a jar, musical chairs, marbles, jacks, freeze dance, and duck-duck-goose. It's important to have different rewards for different skills and to alternate quiet with noisy activities. One more important tip to remember is to have a backup plan--just in case something flops.

Classroom Party Prizes

You need plenty of party prizes. You can use educational supplies as prizes, or try this. Fill a trinket box with found objects, donated treasures, discarded costume jewelry, or cheap things you pick up from a garage sale or flea market. Let little go to waste.

Classroom Party Snacks

Standard snacks for birthday parties include: popcorn, cut fruit, cookies, veggies and ranch dip, potato chips, soft pretzels, yogurt cups, fruit cups, fruit roll-ups, muffins, fruit juice, apple cider, yogurt-fruit-granola parfaits, fruit kabobs, and pizza. Easy to serve outdoor snack ideas are popsicles, ice cream sandwiches, and chocolate dipped bananas. Just don't overdo the choices or kids end up dumping out a lot of food.

With these party planning strategies and tips, you should be able to plan and carry out a great classroom party that's fun for kids and less stressful for teacher and volunteers.