Organizing a School Classroom Party
Before the party
It’s always a good idea to talk to the teacher before you start planning your party or purchasing items. You may plan everything ahead of time and then come to find out that a student has an allergy or that certain decorations aren’t allowed. Here are some good questions to start with:
“Do any children have food allergies?” Usually the teacher will have been notified if any children have food allergies.
“Are there any decorating restrictions?” Most teachers recommend not bringing balloons because of possible safety issues, but if they are allowed – they make for quick and easy decorating!
“How long will I have to set up before the party?” The answer to this question is really important. This will determine the type of party that you will have. If you have only a very short time, you will have to limit your decorations and serve easy and quick party foods, etc. Most of the time, the teachers will take the kids outside and allow you about 10-15 min. for setup. This is also a good time to make sure that you will have parent helpers!
“Do you allow holiday-specific themed parties, or do you prefer general holiday parties?” Some schools/teachers prefer to stay away from the specific holiday and steer more towards the general season, so be sure to check with your teacher. Even if they want you to stick with a seasonal theme, you’ll probably be able to throw in some holiday ideas too. Example: your teacher may want you to stick with a fall theme instead of Halloween, but you will probably be able to put a Ghost Lollipop into their gift bag, etc. Just make sure to check on any restrictions.
“Are there any food items that aren’t allowed?” Some schools/teachers prefer no soda pop for a party, and sometimes frown on wrapped hard candies – so be sure to check if there are any rules/preferences.
“Are classroom supplies available to use for the party?” If you need to use items like glue sticks, tape, or scissors for your party craft – don’t assume that the teacher will let you use the class supply. Check with her first to see if that is okay – if not be sure to bring your own supplies. This question also applies if you want to play music during the party. The teacher may have a CD player in the class, but be sure that you will be able to use it!
Even though you are the room rep, you will still need other parent’s help for the party – so be sure to ask for volunteers to bring items, and to help you with the party itself. Be sure to send home reminders!
Make a party plan including a schedule of what you want to do. Purchase and prepare all supplies that are needed. If you are doing a craft, I recommend pre-cutting and sorting the supplies into a zip lock bag for each child, and putting a basket with glue/scissors, etc into the middle of each table. It makes it much easier to pass out the craft supplies if they are already prepared in individual baggies! Assemble goodie bags or any take-home gifts ahead of time as well. Use class-parties.com to help plan your event and to gather your food ideas, crafts and party games.
Setting up party
Try to get to the school a little bit earlier than planned. The parking lot usually fills up fast on party days – so the earlier you are – the closer you get to park, and that makes a BIG difference when you are lugging all the party stuff around. Party supplies, crafts, food and juice boxes can be heavy and cumbersome – so bring along a rolling cart or a wagon to make the trip from the car to the classroom a breeze.
Most teachers take their students out of the room during your party set up – but be prepared if that doesn’t happen. You can bring along themed coloring pages and markers or crayons, or have music or a movie playing. Just be prepared – in case!
Ask your parent helpers to be there early to help you set up. I recommend passing out all the food and drinks first – so when the kids come back in, they can sit down and start eating right away. Set up the rest of your activities and decorations.
***Be sure to make a plate for the teacher!!!*** This should be a relaxing and fun time for the kids and the teacher!
During the party
Class parties are fun and memorable for kids, so be sure to bring along a camera to catch those memories! The pictures can be shared with the teachers and parents – or even put in a school newsletter! Try to find music to go with the party. It really helps set the mood and the kids love it. You can also use the music as a quick back-up game if needed (musical chairs, dance/freeze, etc.)
Have a parent helper go around with a trash bag during the party to clean up after the kids, and another parent assigned to help with refills or seconds. The kids should usually eat first, and then play a game (if planned). While the game is going on – you can clear the desks for a craft or activity if you have one set up. If you are doing a craft – make sure to write the child’s name on it so they don’t get theirs mixed up with their neighbor. If you want to do two things, but only have time for one activity ( either a craft OR a game, but not both), then you can set up two stations and have ½ the class do the game while the other ½ does the craft; then have them switch. You can find TONS of free crafts and games at www.class-parties.com!
You should be the one in charge of how things progress during the party and make sure that things move along. This should be a fun time for the teacher, but if there are discipline problems – you should probably refer the student to the teacher and let her take care of the problem.
Party getting too loud or out of hand? Bring a book along with you that relates to the holiday or season. It’s good to have as a back-up in case your class gets too rowdy. You can call them to sit in a circle and read a quick and interesting story to them. They’ll quiet down pretty quickly, but will still be having fun! Check the reading list on class-parties.com for great book suggestions.
Watch that clock! Make sure that you are finishing up on time. Most class parties take place during the end of the school day, so you will need to wrap up the party on time to allow students to get their backpacks ready and lined up for dismissal.
After the party
Make sure the children have their goody bags and/or take home projects as they leave to go home.
Use extra trash bags to pick up all the trash and leftover food. If you have extra un-opened juice boxes – save those for the next party. Wipe down desks and tables and clean up the floor, and take down any decorations you brought. The teacher will appreciate it if you put the classroom back the way it was before you got there (maybe a bit cleaner!). Be sure to send thank you notes to the parents who helped during the party!
Have Fun!!
Simon Grant - Psychological Magician
Simon Grant is a young psychological magician based in Kent and I have seen him perform on many occasions. Many people may know him from Maidstone where he used to pop to the local bars in the evening and entertain hundreds of people.
His tricks and performances are absolutely mind boggling and I would highly recommend his presence at any 21st birthday party. Feel free to check out his website and view some video clips of him in action.
A better Way to make your Life Tasty with Food Network Recipes
It is in the nature of man to eat to live. While many eat basic food, there are a few who want to eat a variety of foods according to their taste and temperament. So first they refer to various cook books for different recipes. Secondly they watch cooking shows. This way food net work recipes have become popular.
More about Food Network Recipes
Many different cooking shows are on Food Net Work containing different genres of recipes. These include parties and exotic dishes like cultural cuisines. Food Net Work recipes have become popular in spite of recipes on regular cook books because of the hosts and the easier visual facility.
Three aspects of the various Food Net Work shows make them very popular. Many of the hosts, first of all, are easily identified through the shows in such a way that they are ready to try a new recipe and a deliciously tasty one in spite of their busy schedule.
A number of hosts make their shows enjoyable with their easy going and casual personalities. Earlier, cooking shows were boring because they were direct and to the point. But in Food Net Work recipes spectators get all the directions they require for each recipe and get entertainment with comedic aspects also.
The most important and number one reason for the popularity of Food Net Work recipes is their ease in following. Every challenging recipe is presented in such an easy way to follow each and every step whether the person has experience or not. The person can see the professional preparing the recipe if he wants more time to learn. He can also video tape the show and learn every step by playing the tape at leisure.
For any more information on different Food Net Work recipes check your local listings indicating to you the different times for shows. You can also visit the official website of Food Net Work. Through proper research you will surely zero in on some interesting new recipes.
Tags: party recipes
Directory Of London Nightclubs!
Myclubbing.net aim to provide listings and information for the best clubs and bars around London.
A great way to celebrate your 21st would be to go on a club crawl in the city. There is an endless choice of clubs supplying a lot of variety in music.
Whether you like funky house, trance, drum n bass, hardcore, garage or even cheesy pop, myclubbing.net exists provide you with information on all the clubs in town.
They are definately worth a visit! Visit MyClubbing.net
Top 10 Fancy Dress Themes
Below are the top 10 fancy dress theme ideas according to fancy-dress-ideas.com
Position 10 - The ‘P’ party*
This theme is great as it gives people scope to apply creativity, while condoning plagiaristic laziness. Say ‘Arrgg matey’ and say hello to join the plethora of Pirates, Prostitutes and Pikies. Thankfully you’ll be in the semi-safe hands of the reasonably pissed up paramedics and police.
* This idea is transferable to any letter of the alphabet - or why not try asking guests to come as something beginning with the first letter of their name!
Position 9 - Superheroes
Whether it was Superman or He-man, Catwoman or even Supergran, we all had our favourite superheroes as a child - well now’s your chance to finally be just like them!! The standard lycra & pants element is bound to turn heads (although not always for the right reasons!!) or why not be a bit different and go as the hero’s alter ego?
Position 8 - Tarts & Vicars
The classic fancy dress theme - your chance to be seen in public wearing your shortest skirt and highest heels - teemed with the obligatory fishnets and that’s only the guys! For the more reserved amongst us the vicar costume is an easy alternative.
Position 7 - Charity shop night
Have fun and get some good karma whilst you do it! Set a price limit and your guests have to buy their whole outfit (shoes and accessories included) from your local charity shop. The results are always hilarious and no two outfits are ever the same - just keep an eye on the number of guys dressed as women - they love it!!!
Position 6 - Uniforms
Every girl loves a man in uniform!! And I’m sure the other way round is no exception!! From sailors and firemen to nurses and air hostesses this is a great theme for stag and hen nights and is bound to get you lots of attention. Just be careful not to lose the keys to those handcuffs!!
Position 5 - What you want to be when you grow up
Not only is this a great theme with loads of options but you also get to find out what your friends aspired to be when they were kids. There’s always a few policemen and nurses - however you bound to see some slightly more unusually career goals like your lawyer friend who actually wanted to be a zoo keeper or your posh sister in law who secretly yearned to be a bin man!!
Position 4 - Films Stars
Always fancied yourself as a bit of a Hollywood Starlet? Think you’d make a good 007 or Lara Croft? Or do you see yourself as more of a Fred Flintstone? The options for this theme are endless and with more films arriving at your local multiplex each week there’s no excuse not to come up with a great costume!
Position 3 - Cowboys and Indians
Another classic theme and so easy to do - throw together some denim and a checked shirt - and I bet you ladies have at least one pair of cowboy boots in the cupboard somewhere! Plus you get a chance to play fight with the obligatory toy weapons!
Position 2 - Heaven and Hell
Are you a dirty devil or an innocent angel - or why not combine the two and come as a naughty nun? Whatever you choose this is a great theme - even dressed as an angelic being I’m sure you’ll get some cheeky devil’s heart racing!
Position 1 - Goodies and Baddies
Whether you go for a famous duo like Austin Powers and Dr Evil or a classic coupling like cops and robbers this is a theme with loads of scope for imagination and a great idea for couples.
Great kids parties are “a piece of cake” at Kids-Party-Paradise!
New and original ideas for kids parties, including themes, invitations, decorations, games and activities, food and recipes, costumes and more to make your child's party a piece of cake!3GB Community
I just came across a fresh new social networking site called 3gb. 3gb is a new online community where you can meet new friends, reunite with old friends, upload your photos albums, join groups, create your own blogs, chat with other members and hear mp3 hits.
You can search for your friends to see if they are already a member, and if they aren’t you can easily invite them to join.
You can listen to mp3 songs or become a DJ and create your own music broadcast through their Nullsoft Shoutcast server integration.
Signing up is quick and easy, you can get started in minutes. All you need to provide is a username, password and email address and you are ready to go. Getting started with your profile, creating a blog or joining a group is easy and fun.
Even though 3GB is a new community, a quick look at the network statistic show this online community is growing quickly:
583 members
73 albums
701 photos
1810 friends
34 groups
39 entries
206 comments
If you join now you have a great opportunity to become a top user as the community is young and still developing, the most popular user at present is elkinei with 154 friends.
So checkout http://www.3gb.biz for yourself today.
Kids’ Mad Science Birthday Party
Mad Science birthday parties are happening all over the U.S. They have become a very popular way for kids to have hands-on fun with all their party guests.Why Easy Recipes can make your Drudged Kitchen Chores a thing of Past
Time management is a great problem for many people though they love to cook. Many easy recipes have been developed by some expert cooks so that a dedicated cook can have a few delicious meals with in a short span of time. These easy recipes have been developed by expert cooks understanding the life styles that restrict the time available for cooking. In spite of these easy recipes, lovers of cooking relish the more time consuming, recipes during vacation or on the weekends.
The easy recipes are on hand in many beautiful cook books authored by more famous cooks. They are also available on the internet. The diversity of these recipes appeals to every hungry person. These easy recipes are totally vegetarian as well as meaty, for the no vegetarians, spicy dishes like chili con carne. The easy recipes are helpful to cooks as they can estimate and plan in advance some of cook books with easy recipes in form on cooking these recipes in advance and stock them for later use.
Easy Recipes for Desserts etc..
An expert cook can easily find a few recipes easy and quick to prepare. It starts with appetizers, then moves to dips, then hot appetizers and some exotic starters to please the whole family. These are easy to prepare and most delicious. Recipes for exciting drinks, to serve before the main course, are available though it takes time to prepare special drinks. Alcoholic and other drinks are available for every one to taste. Though the dinner is easily prepared it remains special.
Some great recipes for main courses bring pleasure to the whole family and friends on any occasion. Italian specialists can be made easily with proper instructions. The cook will not reveal how easy the preparation was as they eat a delicious meal. Mexican recipes have become popular and cooks find many such dishes easy to prepare. Families, intent on losing weight can always go in for many recipes easy to prepare tasty and low in calorific value.
Tags: party recipes
The History of the Birthday Cake
What would a birthday celebration be without the candles burning brightly upon the top of an elaborately decorated cake and the happy celebrants face framed in the glowing light as they prepare to blow out their candles? We take the birthday cake for granted, but it has had a place in human history for many, many years.
In the Beginning
There are conflicting opinions about when the tradition of birthday cakes first got their start. Some say the tradition began during the Middle Ages in the country of Germany. A sweet bread dough was baked to represent the baby Jesus in his swaddling and was used as a commemoration of the Savior’s birth. Later, the birthday cake was reintroduced to the German population as a sweet treat for a child’s birthday.
Others say the tradition began in the Roman era. The Romans were known for celebrating three different types of birthday occasions; those for people, those for cities and temples and those of emperors both present and past as well as members of their family. A special cake was baked for a fiftieth year celebration with olive oil, honey, cheese and wheat flour.
Ancient Greeks were said to make bread or honey cakes to commemorate a birthday. In England, it was customary to bake objects inside such as a thimble or coins. It was thought that the one who got the coin would become rich and prosperous and the unlucky finder of the thimble would never have the opportunity to marry. Each object that was found signified a prediction.
Candles Burning Brightly
The candles of a birthday cake were originally used to bring God wishes for a happy birthday. Ancient people used to say their prayers over an open fire because they believed that smoke would carry their thoughts to the gods. Today the birthday celebrant is challenged to blow all the candles out with one breath in order to make their wish come true.
Birthday Celebrations are Not a Global Affair
There are many cultures that do not tack importance on the day an individual was born. In some regions it is the name day that is celebrated. This is the day that the person was given the name they carry through life instead of the day they came into the world. Others consider celebrating birthdays a pagan tradition and strive to eradicate any type of birthday celebration. One such religious group is the Jehovah Witnesses.
Others view celebrating their birthdays as an unhappy rite of passage. Once those important birthday milestones have been met, having a birthday is an indication of the passing of years and the fact that we are growing older. Not all adults view their birthday as a time to celebrate. Most joyful birthday celebrations center around the children. They are the ones who seem to take the most joy out of a birthday cake that is ablaze with candles and the prospect of sweet cake to eat once the blaze is blown out.