OT- Ideas for Class Parties

[kcool]

I know that I am getting ahead of myself, but I am the room mother for my son's 3rd grade class. I have never been a room mother before and want to do a great job. We have a 'winter party" in December and I would love to hear what you have done in the rooms that you have been room moms, what others have done in your classrooms, and I would lvoe to know what might have been done that was impressive. I am very excited to get started and I am am a BIG planner! Thanks y'all!!

 

[lisadr]

Are you looking for ideas for a class party as far as activities and food? Or themes? I am known for being a "big planner"(AKA-over-the-top )myself. I am just not sure what your school and teacher allows.

In my DD school- they have a quick little party with "healthy" foods only-which drives me a bit crazy because what's a party without a cupcake!??!

Post a bit more about what your looking to do and I will post back with any ideas I have/have done

 

[marceeinWA]

I would love to see any ideas too. Sorry I have none at this time.

 

[GJM]

I was room mom last year for my DS 2nd. grade class. I never was before and I wanted everything to come out great. Our school allows two parties, holiday party in Dec. and end of year party. We also have to have the "healthy" food, but are allowed one junk food (cupcakes)!

At our holiday party last year, the kids decorated gingerbread men. I got them in Costco, plus they did 2 other crafts that didn't work so well!

I didn't want to be class room mom again, but the teacher asked, and you can't say no - but at least this year I think I am sharing it with another mom.

Here is a website with some itead.

www.familycorner.com
www.amazingmoms.com

Good Luck!

 

[kcool]

Are you looking for ideas for a class party as far as activities and food? Or themes? I am known for being a "big planner"(AKA-over-the-top )myself. I am just not sure what your school and teacher allows.

In my DD school- they have a quick little party with "healthy" foods only-which drives me a bit crazy because what's a party without a cupcake!??!

Post a bit more about what your looking to do and I will post back with any ideas I have/have done

We have 2 free food days a year, so we are can serve any type of food that we want. I have already thought that I would do a winter theme (white, blue and silver) instead of the traditional red and green and I am going to make homemade sugar cookies shaped like snowflakes with light blue icing. Any food ideas based on that theme would be great, I am thinking just pizza as the main dish beacuse it seems that most of the kids chose that even if other things are served. I am at a loss with craft or game ideas. I need things that can be done in about 15 minutes, but would dry fast enough that they can take them home that day. I have always loved an ornament from my kids, but that is where my idea ends! So, anything that you could tell me would be great! I am so excited to be room mom, but want the kids to love it!

 

[kcool]

I was room mom last year for my DS 2nd. grade class. I never was before and I wanted everything to come out great. Our school allows two parties, holiday party in Dec. and end of year party. We also have to have the "healthy" food, but are allowed one junk food (cupcakes)!

At our holiday party last year, the kids decorated gingerbread men. I got them in Costco, plus they did 2 other crafts that didn't work so well!

I didn't want to be class room mom again, but the teacher asked, and you can't say no - but at least this year I think I am sharing it with another mom.

Here is a website with some itead.

www.familycorner.com
www.amazingmoms.com

Good Luck!

Thanks! I will checking them out now!!

 

[K and K's Mommy]

Throwing snowballs is fun for all ages. You divide into two teams and give them white tissue paper. The kids have to wad them up into snowballs and throw them at the other team. The team with the most across a line (tape) wins. You give them a certain amount a time, and it doesn't need to be much more than a minute.

A relay with unwrapping Hershey kisses - The students divide into teams, run/walk to a chair, sit down, grab a Hershey kiss, unwrap, eat, go tag the next person in line. When they are 2nd and above, you can make it harder by wearing gloves.

Last year my third grader's teacher brought in her Kareoke (sp?) machine. They loved it! For their Valentine party, that's all they requested to do!!

Candy cane relay - The kids have wrapped candy canes. You put a solid bracelet on the candy cane. When it is their turn, they walk with it in their mouth and have to transfer the bracelet using no hands. You have to enforce walking so no one falls and chokes on a candy cane stick! This is done in two teams.

My favorite game is "bobbing" for donuts. I've always done this at a fall party though. This is when you hang powdered sugar donuts from a pole, have two parents hold the poll above the kids' heads, and they try to eat the donuts with no hands. It is very messy, but fun! If you are interested, I've got my set-up down pat so it goes quick, and I adjust for kids' heights.

Crafts - By third grade, be wary that some will not be into crafts. I've done the reindeer out of clothespin, ornaments for the birds (pinecones with pb or shortening and bird seed), and used premade kits from Oriental Trading.

Have fun!

 

[cruizie]

I was the homeroom mom last year for my dd's kindergarten class. I went back to work at the end of last school year so I don't think I can do it this year. Our district is pretty strict on things but we are allowed to have one "sweet" item at the 2 parties (Winter & Valentine's). No balloons or confetti. The whole grade level (homeroom moms) choose to do pizza so this simplfied some things. We had pizza, pretzels, fruit & a treat. We had about 10-15 minutes to do a craft or play a game. I opted for a craft and we did Snowflake Picture frames from Oriental Trading. These were pretty labor intensive!! I half put them together and they finished them. However, they were so cute!! Another mom went to school one day and took pictures of each child and we put these in their frames. Something I did not think about until after the party was to take a group picture and give a frame to the teacher. There are lots of games and a few great websites to check out.

www.familyfun.com
www.orientaltrading.com
www.birthdaypartyideas.com

Another thing our homeroom moms do is Field Day shirts. Field Day here is held in May. Each classroom draws a color out of a hat and the class will choose a team name. For instance, my dd's class was R***s Rockets. The color the drew was pink or other. I choose other thinking that we could do multi-colored tie-dye or something. I found out after we told the class all about tie-dye that it still had to be pink! I had each parent send in a t-shirt for the child. I tie-dyed all the shirts and then did an iron-on I did w/ a picture of a rocket & the team name on it. It was pretty labor intensive but the kids loved them.

Also as hmrm mom, I collected for a teacher gift in December, given at the winter party - each parent that wanted to participate sent in whatever donation they could & I purchased an AMEX or Visa gc. I bought a card and had all the kids sign it. For Valentine's Day, I bought an inexpensive vase at TJ Maxx ($5) and bought a couple bouquets of inexpensive flowers (mixed bouquet). I had the kids line up and each gave the teacher a flower so that at the end, she had a vase full of flowers. For end-of-year, I bought her a flowering plant & picked up a bunch of flower pics (like you put the card on in flowers). I asked parents that wanted to participate to buy a gc and add it to the plant when they came for graduation. At the end, she had a plant that would last and lots of different gift cards for shopping or dining. I also put together a little photo album (I am not a scrapbooker) along with a letter talking about how special the kindergarten experience was for both my dd and my dh & I.

Have a great time w/ it!!

 

[TinaLala]

I've done parties with my DD9's friends and here's some things that we've done.

Snowflakes - kids make them and then we hang them from the celling.

cupcakes - with coconut flakes on the top - snow

Snowman - kids can make them by gluing cottonballs on the pre-cut snowman.

Snowflake ornaments - using popsicle sticks

You have to focus more on the season then on the holiday. Do a pretend beach with tan blanket for sand and then have them pretend they are at the beach.

Hope that gives you some ideas.

 

[kcool]

Thanks! These are really helping!

 

[patchchild]

My third graders to a trim the trees for the animals party in December. Each classroom organizes making one or two types of edible ornaments to hang outside for the animals. PB on a bagel dipped in birdseed, stringing O's cereal and pretzels, suet filled orange halves... Then the kids take their creations outside to hang. They have a ball watching the birds and squirrels eat them over the next month or so.

 

[J'aime Paris]

I was room mom in dd class last year. I made a "holiday" themed bingo game. It had winter, Christmas, holiday pictures instead of numbers. And the kids used m&m's or licorice bits as space markers. The kids really loved it!

 

[SLK1]

Not sure if you're in public or private school. I'm in public, and we have done lots of snowman themes, ice cream floats and/or sundaes, we have done gingerbread men (really sugar cookies shaped like men because lots of kids don't care for gingerbread). You can also make gingerbread houses out of graham crackers and lots of decorations. One of my favorite crafts is to have each child make a frame out of popsicle sticks, then add spray-painted puzzle pieces to the popsicle sticks (you would have spray-painted them ahead of time using whatever colors you want - green, red, silver, gold, etc.), and put their picture in it. They can use it as an ornament or a magnet. Oriental Trading has tons of crafts but be careful - some are real duds.

 

[The Disney Bunch]

Have you spoken with the teacher? In our school it is very rigid as to what is allowed & the teacher dictates what she wants - we were only allowed to provide a snack & a craft.