Thanks to Springfield Mom Ann Gemberling for her advice on planning fall and Halloween parties!
With the school year now under way, students’ calendars start to fill with activities. Halloween is just around the corner with festivities, costumes and more. Fall sports are ending, but field trips and team parties start to fill in the blanks on the calendar. One of the first fall activities for a grade school child is the Fall/Halloween class party. For some lucky parents, the job of room parent/class coordinator is assigned. These parents then go searching for ideas of fun activities to make sure their classroom party is talked about all year.
For many, taking on this task can seem overwhelming! I mean I don’t know if you have found yourself down the Pinterest rabbit hole before, but it is real! We move from searching for a few inspirational ideas to find ourselves hours later with a mile-long list of things and zero production has happened! Just me?! I have found the best solution to this by breaking down the “job” into smaller, achievable steps. Preventing the overwhelm and exhaustion and replacing those with joy and intentionality. The ‘how’ you ask? Well, I am here to share!
Step 1: Logistics
- Determine date and time allotted for the party.
- Determine teacher expectations.
- Will the teacher want the parents to run the entire party, or will he/she help with organizing activities?
- What activities will the teacher expect?
- Crafts, games, snacks, etc.
- Do any students have allergies to be aware of?
Once you have a clear direction, the planning can begin.
Step 2: Choose snacks and drinks
Many schools require pre-packaged or store-bought treats. Be sure to follow your school’s policy, as well as, keeping any food allergies in mind. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
- Mummy Juiceboxes – Wrap juicebox with a piece of gauze and attach eyes with a small drop of hot glue
- String Cheese Ghosts – Use a sharpie to apply ghost faces on cheese. Easy and fast!
- Spider Eggs – All you need is some powdered donut holes and plastic spiders. Place donuts on a platter and put plastic spiders over donuts.
- Bat Brownies – Use pre-packaged brownies (Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies), wiggle eyes, and black construction paper. Cut out bat wings using black construction paper and glue eyes and wings to the package of brownies.
Step 3: Chose age-appropriate activities
Activity stations are a genius way to keep kids busy while having some order. Have 3-4 small groups cycle through each activity station.
When choosing activities, it is important to keep the craft or activity simple and manageable within the time given. Keep in mind that most crafts will be taken home the same day, so remember to plan in drying time needed for painted or glued crafts. Here are a
few games and crafts that will keep the kids entertained:
- GamesPumpkin Ring Toss – Use 3-4 medium-large pumpkins (make sure to find ones with a good stem) and 4 rings. Most tosses, wins.
- Halloween Ghost Bowling – You will need 6, white paper cups, black marker, and a soft ball. On each paper cup, draw ghost eyes and mouth using the black marker. Stack paper cups into a pyramid. Have the child roll the ball and knock down as many cups as they can.
- Eyeball Dig – Needed: At least 2lbs of spaghetti noodles, cooked and drained, 2 cups of water for game time, large bowl, toy eyeballs (12 or more), and eye mask. Pour drained and cooled spaghetti into bowl, push the eyeballs into the wet noodles (use water if noodles get dry or sticky). Blindfold the child and set timer for 1 minute. Have the children dig to find as many eyeballs as they can!
- Crafts
- Fall Leaf Potato Stamping – You will need potatoes cut in half, using a sharp knife to carve a stem and three little veins on each side. Also have fall colored paints, paint brushes, and 8×11 card stock. Have the children paint the potatoes and stamp away!
- Glitter Glue Spiderwebs – This craft requires 3 basic supplies: Elmer’s School Glue, assorted glitter, plastic page protector sheets. Use the glue to draw large spiderwebs on top of the page protector and sprinkle with glitter. Allow to dry overnight before removing the spiderweb from the plastic sheet.
- Cotton Ball Ghost – Use cotton balls, glue and black construction paper. Have children glue cotton balls on the black construction paper in the
shape of a ghost. Then have them cut eyes and a mouth and glue on top of the cotton balls for a spooky ghost!
Step 4: Sign-up Sheet & Delegate
The goal of any room parent is to enlist help with pulling off a memorable fall party. Many parents may not want the responsibility of the “room parent” role, but are more than willing to step up to the plate and help! Of course, organizing who is doing what or bringing what item can be a challenge.
- Signupgenius.com com is a FREE online software tool for volunteer management and event planning. It takes little to no time to set up your event needs and email the signup sheet to other parents.
- Hopefully the other parents will use the signup tool, but if not, send out a note to parents about what areas help is needed.
Step 5: Party Clean Up
- Make sure to clean up when the party is over. Leave the classroom the way you found it to alleviate any extra stress on the teacher.
Classroom parties are fun for both the child and the parent volunteer. If all does not go as planned, no one will know and the kids will still have a great time. Relax and have fun, too!
About Ann (Every Little Thing Gemberling)
Hi! I’m Ann Gemberling – blog writer for Every Little Thing Gemberling. I am the wife to Jay and the mom to 3 amazing kids! I’m a special needs, twin-momma whose hope is to lift your spirits and give hope to all that may be facing difficult journeys. I welcome you to my tiny corner in the online world at www.everylittlethinggemberling.org. With love.
