Parties, especially classroom celebrations, seem to have died down in recent years. This might be because we are becoming politically correct about who and what and when to celebrate. Or it might be because of food allergies.
But I am here to tell you that you CAN have class parties, without food.
Generally, at class parties, there is a snack or cookie decorating station or candy. With food allergies, this is going to be a no go.
FYI: These ideas can also work for birthday parties, end of year parties, or whatever kind of party you need to throw for a child.
You’re going to need some games.
And I mean more than Pin the Tail on the Donkey. My favorites: anything involving a straw, a cup, and some challenging objects to pick up. One cool example would be using a straw and suction to pick up pom-poms of various sizes and deposit them into cups.
Another good game is statues. Put on some music, maybe make it match the seasonal theme. Play the music and let the kids go nuts dancing. When it stops, everyone freezes. The last person to move is the winner and gets to control the music for the next round.
My last game suggestion is an oldie but a goody, and you probably already know this one: corn hole. Yes, the classic backyard BBQ game of aiming a beanbag at a small hole in a tilted, elevated wooden board. It utilizes math, coordination, and spatial awareness.
Get crafty
Everyone loves a good craft, right? And you will need more than just crayons and holiday-themed coloring book pages.
One suggestion is masks. Not the foam ones that every craft store sells, but the cool more Mardi Gras type maks on a stick. Get a bunch of fancy heavy paper mask shapes, decorative straws or small wooden dowels, glue, feathers, and sparkly things. Show the kiddos how to attach the sticks to the masks, then them go crazy with decorating their masks. This craft can be themed for the season or event, with Halloween colors or holiday colors that include celebrations of all cultural groups.
Every single child I have ever met loved to get their hands dirty with paint. So create a class mural! Ask a creative parent, student, or even the teacher (if he or she has time) to create a seasonal or themed outline. Or you could let the kids go free-form and have them create their own stuff. Either way, after they are done, this will make a great class display for the hall and a cute photo to share with the school and other parents.
Sharpie mugs are all the rage these days and are shockingly easy to create and set. All you need are plain white coffee mugs, a variety of permanent markers, and an oven (or a willing parent). Have the kids design their mugs, then bake the mugs at 350° for 30 minutes, let cool in the oven to set fully. PopSugar has a reminder that the mugs need to go into the oven before it is hot, and remain until the oven is off and totally cold. You can even bake twice to be sure that everything is completely set.
Goody Bags
It’s not a party unless they leave with something. At least according to the kids, they need to leave with something. And it can’t be food.
So hit up your local party store and raid the small toys aisle. Grab all of the temporary tattoos that relate to your party theme. Get bouncy balls, and those sticky things that you can throw against the wall or ceiling. Get whatever small, cheap little toys are there and that you think the kids would get a kick out of.
Stick these things into a festive bag, tie it with a ribbon, and call it a day. Your job coordinating this party is over and done.
Bonus: you did it all without involving food at all.
For more information about allergies, please check out Physical Health Wellness. They have lots of great resources for allergy awareness and medical treatment.
What do you do for fun classroom party ideas that DO NOT involve food?
~Meg
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