Post # 1
Member
847 posts
Busy bee
So I am a Primary One teacher (that’s five year olds and the equivalent to first grade), and it’s my school’s annual P1 Christmas Party on Friday. I’m supposed to be organizing this, and I really need some help/ideas ASAP. A few other teachers/mums will be supervising at the party and there will be around 30-35 kids there. The party will last approx 3 hours and the kids will meet (the janitor dressed as) santa who gives them a present. The children are allowed to wear their party clothes.
Please suggest ideas for:
decorations
food
games
prizes
competitions
anything else you can think of.
Bear in mind it has to be CHEAP and my mum and I will be making these things tommorrow night. We are NOT professional bakers, decorators or crafters and we have to get a lot done, so nothing too elaborate. The school has given me £150 but if it’s any more I will have to make it up out of my own pocket, which I will do.
Thanks in advance!
Post # 3
Member
3368 posts
Sugar bee
We made a small, easy treat with our class. You mentioned they are allowed to wear party clothes, so this may not be an option. I’ll send you the link to the recipe if you’d like?
Pin the nose on Rudolph?
Cut out snowflakes (also for decorations).
Post # 4
Member
847 posts
Busy bee
@BridieBea: YES thank you! This has been incredibly stressful. I’m the newest teacher so they always make me organize stuff like this for ‘experience’ lol.
Post # 5
Member
3368 posts
Sugar bee
Post # 6
Member
6256 posts
Bee Keeper
One thing I thought of that doesn’t cost any money would be to have them write nice notes/color pictures for people in a nursing home or soldiers on active duty (if you know someone who could get them there.)
You could also play Christmas trivia; ask a mix of fun questions and school-related questions, and the winner gets a small gift or holiday knickknack, or gets to lead heads up 7 up or whatever.
I feel for you. It’s hard to think of things that don’t cost any money that aren’t religious and that can be done in party clothes!
Post # 7
Member
847 posts
Busy bee
@EffieTrinket: I really like the idea of writing letters/drawing pictures for seniors or soldiers, but my concern is that the children will get bored. I know that sounds bad, but they are only five years old and are still learning to write so it’s kind of frustrating for them. I’m worried they would be disappointed because for them a party still means running around screaming and high on sugar.
It’s a nice idea but I think they’re a bit young for it. Got anything else?
Post # 9
Member
3368 posts
Sugar bee
@BridieBea:
Food ideas:
S’more Mix
2 c. Golden Grahams 1 c. mini marshmallows 1 c. nuts (optional) 1/2 c. chocolate chips 1/2 c. raisins
Makes 4-5 cups
(Idea from another message board)
I’m a first grade teacher, and this is what we did last year and will do again this year. We have various craft stations for the kids. One station was making open-faced Rudolph sandwiches. Each kid got a triangle of bread, a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter in a small cup, a popscicle stick spreader, red m&m’s for noses, raisins for eyes, and pretzels for antlers. They made their own snacks and loved them! Of course, have milk to go along with it! Another station was frosting sugar cookies: provide cut-out sugar cookies, frosting, sprinkles, more popscicle stick spreaders, and you’re good to go! I played the music from “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” and it was a very festive time. Have fun!
Games:
Freeze dance or musical chairs with Christmas music.
Book exchange. Each child brings a wrapped book and each child gets to take one home.
Sugar cookie decorating station.
Ornament making station (supply the pre-cut ornament shapes, cotton balls (snow), glitter, glue, etc)
http://pinterest.com/smith9456/first-grade-winter-ideas/
Post # 10
Member
925 posts
Busy bee
I teach reading to kiddos ranging from age 5 to 8, and so I’ve been doing a little searching myself. I just came across this idea on Pinterest:
http://speckled-egg.blogspot.com/2010/12/surprise-snowballs.html?m=1
It could be personalized to each kiddo, purchased at a dollar store (or the like), and unwrapping them should take some time… Who knows, you could even align this with one of the PPs idea about holiday trivia (e.g., when they get an answer right they can unwrap it three times). Even though it’s messy, they could help clean it up at the end (to pass even more time and ensure a clean post-party classroom).
Post # 11
Member
1685 posts
Bumble bee
+1 to the stations idea!
I’m trying to remember what I loved most that age.
I remember making snowflakes, making “God’s Eyes”(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God's_eye if you don’t know what I’m talking about), decorating gingerbread men (and eating gingerbread men), and playing Bingo.
Why Bingo? I’m not really sure. But I sure did like it!
Edit: Not really sure why the url didn’t copy, so here:
Post # 12
Member
337 posts
Helper bee
You could do Polar Express… give them a “ticket” and have hot chocolate and different stations… they can wear their pjs
Post # 14
Member
3368 posts
Sugar bee
@BeachBride2014:
@HisAngel:
Love the Polar Express theme~ so cute and fun! And bingo was my fav too.
Post # 15
Member
6256 posts
Bee Keeper
@BridieBea: Hmmm…. maybe put small toys in a few boxes that they can shake, and let them guess what it is? The one who guesses right gets the toy.
Or what about a Christmas show and popcorn? Air popped is super cheap, and Hulu has Charlie Brown Christmas and some other things. They also have DVDs of the claymation Frosty and the like at Target.
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