Classroom Halloween Party Hints & Tricks | Stay Organized & Have Fun
October is here and you know what that means, holiday class party season is in full swing! Whether it's the costumes, the festive games, (the candy!), or the spookiness of it all, Halloween is definitely a favorite holiday for kids. Here are some creative and thoughtful ideas for room moms, teachers and parents for making this year's Halloween party truly memorable while still saving time and energy organizing it!
3 Steps to Halloween Party Fun
1. Plan it
Organize the class party into 'stations' with small groups of kids rotating through activities to keep the pace moving for the kids and the group-size manageable for parent volunteers. Everyone comes together for the final station, story time.
Simple, fun crafts include cardboard tube mummies, crayon resist fall leaves, marshmallow and pretzel skeleton pops, thumb print witches and spiders, and face painting.
Consider space limitations when choosing party games. Four Halloween favorites:
- Mummy-wrapping races: teams of 3 wrap a ‘mummy’ (child) with toilet paper, first to finish their rolls, win.
- Apple or mini-pumpkin relay: teams compete to pass an apple or mini pumpkin under their chins kid-to-kid without using any hands. If it drops, start over.
- Pin the nose on the pumpkin
- Halloween BINGO
Tip: Check out our Classroom Party Guide with great ideas from FamilyFun Magazine and SignUp.com.
Stories about pumpkins, spiders and witches are sure to please. Ask your children's librarian to recommend spooky tales that are age-appropriate.
For snacks, consider sliced apples dipped in caramel sauce, apple muffins with apple cider cream cheese glaze, popcorn monster hands, pumpkins goody bags, mummy drink pouches, and warm apple cider.
Tip: Ask the teacher if any kids have food allergies and if the school has policies limiting sugary treats.
2. Get Help!
Ask class parents (and grandparents) to pitch in and volunteer either during the party or by contributing supplies and food. Remember to plan for craft and game supplies, snacks, paper ware, and simple decorations (think plastic table cloths and mini pumpkins).
Tip: Free online signup sheets from SignUp.com make it easy to coordinate parent helpers. With the click of a mouse or a tap on a smartphone, parents can quickly choose when to help and what to bring. Automated reminders keep everyone on track.
3. Have Fun!
Be ready for joyful chaos! When things don't go exactly as planned, don't stress. Instead, put on a big smile and know that the kids will have a great time no matter what. Be sure to take lots of pictures, party day is a very special day at school!
Tip: Bring a child's wagon to help carry supplies from your car to the classroom
Happy Halloween!
