Halloween Party Ideas

WOW!  How do I ever begin to explain all that has been going on in my life for the past 3 months?!?  I was hoping to return to my blog much sooner than now, with ideas for back-to-school, fall, math and also get a jump on Halloween ideas.  Unfortunately, none of that happened before now.  Hopefully by now, if you are a room parent, you have already begun thinking of what games, crafts, snacks, activities or ideas you have in mind for your 1st classroom party of the school year...HALLOWEEN!  If you haven't yet thought of it, and you find yourself waking up in a cold sweat at night, here are a few tips and tricks to get you started.

1.  PLAN IT
Over the years, I have found the best system for younger aged kids to plan to run the party as centers or stations.  Break the students into small groups and have them rotate from one center to the next.  The smaller sized groups makes it easier for parent volunteers to manage and it helps the students by changing up the activities.  The best ideas for centers include age appropriate games, snacks, or crafts.  After rotating through the centers, it's best to end the party with a whole group game or activity or a fun book relating to the holiday.

2.  GET HELP!
Don't try to do everything yourself!  You will end up either stressed, broke, or at home at the end of the party crying into your diet Coke.  Ask for help!!!  Parents, grandparents, or close friends are all great resources.  Ask for help in a variety of ways...either by attending the party to assist or by donating goods to the party, especially for any working parents who can't attend.  Check with the teacher ahead of time to see if the school/classroom has any supplies you might need for the party.  Most likely, the teacher may be willing to donate glue, construction paper or other craft items.  Keep in mind, that you not only need to plan for craft and game supplies and snacks, but also for paper ware or any simple decorations.

3.  HAVE FUN!
 Even though you can guarantee things WILL get chaotic and loud during the party, enjoy it!  The kids should have a fun time no matter what they are doing...even if things don't go according to plan, which sometimes happens!  One thing to think of is taking pictures.  I know that I take pictures of my class during the holiday parties so that I can add them to my end of the year DVD.  If that's something a teacher doesn't do, you may want to assign a parent to be in charge of this assignment.

Classroom Party Guide from Volunteer Spot

And finally...here are a few Halloween ideas to get things rolling...

CRAFTS:

 

Halloween Mason Jar Lantern - I would think this fun craft idea would be ideal for 3rd graders or older.

 

Scary/cute spider hat from Little Buggie Tutu

 

GAMES:

 

7 Halloween party games and activity ideas from Volunteer Spot.

 

Copy and laminate this monster chart from Expressive Monkey to have students draw their own monster masterpieces.

 

Don't Eat Frank game board from My Sister's Suitcase.

 

SNACKS:

 

Skeletons made with brownies, white chocolate covered pretzels and marshmallows (drawn on with edible marker) from Wants and Wishes.

Crispy Frankenstein Treats from Grumpy's Honeybunch.

 

Candy Corn Halloween Bark from The Girl Who Ate Everything.

 

Witches hat made from frosted sugar cone, sprinkles, gummy worms and cookie or cupcake liner as suggested. 
(Source:  No Time for Flash Cards)

 

 

Great Room Parent Tool!!

When I first began this blog, my primary purpose was to reach out to room parents in hopes of helping them out, since I was new and clueless to being a room mom myself.  I had the hardest time finding ideas (door decorations, parties, and more) so I decided to create my own site to help others in the same boat. Since that time, 3 years ago, I have returned to teaching (1st grade) full time.  My blog still shares ideas and tips for room parents, but it also offers teaching ideas.  I guess that is why my header says "Room Mom 101...where you can find ideas for ALL your school needs".  Hopefully my blog has and does help people do just that.  I feel like it does by all your nice comments and great followers I have now!!  You guys are GREAT!  Anyway...At the beginning of summer, I had the great opportunity of gaining a sponsor for my blog. A representative from Volunteer Spot contacted me in regards to my blog. (You might have noticed the green button in the top right corner of my blog?!?)  She told me all about her site and how it could greatly benefit Room Parents everywhere.

Looking back on being a room mom, one of the most time consuming parts of being was scheduling parents for class volunteers, holiday parties, and conferences. Lost clipboard signup sheets, long ‘reply all’ email chains, and phone tag – ugh! Some room moms give up and end up doing it all themselves. DON’T!
Instead, save time {and sanity} and try out VolunteerSpot's free online sign up sheets – it makes coordinating parents simple and easy! Just a few clicks of your mouse and you can have your class volunteer calendar all set up. Email the parents the link (or put it on your class website), they click and sign up – choosing when they want to read to the class, help at table-time, or what to bring to the class party. Automated reminders help parents keep their commitments and remind you if a parent doesn’t have an email address. Parents can even signup on the go – from their smartphone! It’s so easy it feels like you cheated ;)
VolunteerSpot has terrific free eBooks including a new Classroom Party Guide – with fun ideas throughout the year!
Volunteer Spot has made life much easier for many room parents AND teachers.  Check out some of these comments:

"I'm a HUGE VolunteerSpot fan - we signed up over 350 volunteers and it could NOT have been easier!" ~ Allie, Highlands SummerFest, Atlanta, GA

"Wow! You have saved me hours and hours of emails and phone calls. Thank you, VolunteerSpot!" ~ Joyce F., Kindergarten Homeroom Mom, Farifax, VA

"VolunteerSpot has been the answer to my prayers for an easy way to have parents sign up for a parent-teacher conference!! It was easy to create and easy for parents to use. It really cut down on paper and notes back and forth." ~ Jennifer, 4th Grade Teacher, Apex, NC

I am so excited to have such a great sponsor! They have been great to work with and I absolutely LOVE the idea behind this site.  If this is your year to be your child's room parent, or if you are a teacher looking for a new approach to scheduling conferences, head on over and check out Volunteer Spot!

What Is A Room Mom???

With this site, I have realized that one thing I have failed to do, is to mention what exactly a room mom/parent is and what their responsibilities are. Oops. I guess I have just assumed everyone knew so I never broke it down, but here is goes. For everyone it might be different, but here is my definition...
A room parent is a parent of a student in the class who helps out the teacher. Each teacher might have a different idea of what they want done or what they need help with, but generally I have found that the room parents' main task is to help with holiday parties.
Generally, teachers have helpers for other areas of help. (ie: reading helpers, field trips, take home projects, etc.) This could be the room mom's responsibility to find those helpers, but at the schools I have been at it has been up to the PTA to help out with this assignment.
When I was the room mom for my son's class, I planned a Halloween and a Valentine's party because that is what the teacher wanted. She had other thoughts for Christmas, so I didn't have to worry about it but other teachers may want to hold a Christmas party/activity.
When I was a teacher, the PTA held a room parent luncheon at the first of the school year. This is where the teachers and room parents could get together and talk about ideas, parties, etc. for the year. It was very helpful!! I asked my room moms plan a Halloween and Valentine's party only. I told them that I had ideas in case they wanted to use any, otherwise they could come up with their own. For Christmas I always did The 12 Days of Christmas (idea to come) so I used several parents at that time and not just for one party.

Has anyone ever been a room parent before and have anything to add? How has your school handled room parents? Feel free to share any thought or ideas that could benefit others! Thanks!