End-of-the-year class parties that kids, teachers and parents will love

Planning an end-of-the-year class party but short on ideas? Here are some fresh ones from Such A Smart Mom and some of her party-planning pals.

It’s tempting to knock yourself out for a class party, especially ones that mark a milestone, such as the end of kindergarten. Remember, it pays to keep it simple. Your kids and the teacher will appreciate it. Kids are giddy enough as it is, and the teacher is hours away from a much-deserved rest. Plus, room moms suffer fatigue, too.

If you want to include a craft, I’d suggest limiting yourself to no more than two. We all have memories of doing too much. I will always remember one party (for the record it was a holiday party) when my friends Leigh, Kathie and I planned four crafts for a class of first-graders. It was crazy. In the back of my head, I must have known it was too much because I thought to bring a blow dryer to dry glue on one craft.

Holding a year-end party at park or a grassy spot on campus is always a winner. If you and the teacher are game and you have several eagle-eyed parent volunteers, a trip to the beach or a lake would be a huge hit with the kids. (Don’t forget the sunscreen, bug spray, a spray water bottle, ice pack and first aid kit.)

For my daughter’s kindergarten “graduation,” we had a family barbeque at a beach with a playground just feet from the sand. The swings literally looked out on the ocean. Twenty 5- and 6-year olds and a lot of younger siblings at the beach. Pandemonium? Yes. A perfect day? Absolutely.

Running races, three-legged races, water balloon tosses, Simon Says, touch football and softball are as much fun now as they were when we were kids. If you want to, you could hand out small prizes to the winners.

Last year, my son’s class studied ancient Greece. His truly dedicated teachers for English and social studies planned a Greek-themed festival at a neighborhood park complete with a discus throwing competition (frisbees), javelin toss (pencils), horseback races (stick horses) and more. The kids and the teachers dressed up in Greek chitons, not togas!

Mrs. Rick and Mrs. Whitehurst made it look so easy, managing to stay organized and unflappable with excited tweens all around. Lunch, of course, was Greek. We all pitched in for food prepared by a local eatery and parents brought in drinks, fruit and dessert.

It was the perfect end to a perfect school year. (Somewhere hiding on my computer are great photos to prove it!)

If you want to go the extra mile and plan a themed party here are a few ideas from my friends Lynn and Julie: A Hawaiian theme with grass skirts, hula hoops, beach balls and even an inflatable palm tree.

Julie, who is as unflappable a party planner as any teacher I have seen in action, said she likes planning parties that pay homage to a particular culture. Here’s an example: If students are studying Mexico, you can serve Mexican food and plan activities (maybe a pinata) that honor the culture of Mexico. (Here in California, fourth-graders study the state’s history and its ties to our neighbor to the south.)

If you are looking for simple fare that kids love, it doesn’t get much easier than pizza.

Deirdre Kleske, a mother of two who works with California Project Lean and the San Diego County Childhood Obesity Initiative, has great suggestions for healthy party snacks. Her first: serve the healthy food first and save the sweets for later.

We all know that kids at a class party will eat just about anything you put in front of them. So Kleske’s point is well taken. Why not put out the fruits and veggies first, let them have their fill and then bring out the cupcakes or cookies?

Kleske also suggested serving water rather than juice boxes loaded with sugar. And pretzels instead of chips. Since the weather is warmer, low-sugar frozens desserts or ice cream are great options to cupcakes.

Georgia, a San Diego mom, sent me some great ideas for class party activities that are fun and educational. She’s demonstrated these science experiments and said they are perfect for elementary schoolers. These experiments and many others can be found at Countertop Chemistry and Science Bob.

The experiments would make for great summer fun at home, as well. Countertop chemistry has an experiment that involves making ice cream, perfect for this time of year. Science Bob has one for making rock candy.

Dancing Spaghetti from Countertop Chemistry

Spaghetti is denser than water and, therefore, sinks when placed in water. When spaghetti is placed in a solution of baking soda and vinegar, the spaghetti rises to the surface due to the carbon dioxide gas that adheres to it. When the spaghetti reaches the surface, the gas is released, and the spaghetti sinks again.

Materials

1 1000-mL beaker or 1 glass mixing bowl
10 g sodium hydrogen carbonate or 3 tsp. baking soda
45 mL 3% acetic acid or 4-5 tbsp. vinegar
10 2-cm pieces of vermacelli
 water
 
Procedure
1. Fill a clear container 3/4 full with water. Add the sodium hydrogen carbonate (or baking soda) and stir to dissolve.
2. Break the vermicelli into 2-cm, or 1-inch, pieces and add them to the container.
3. Add the acetic acid (vinegar). If the vermicelli does not begin to “dance” after a few minutes, add more sodium hydrogen carbonate and acetic acid.
4. You can also substitute raisins or mothballs for the vermicelli.

The Exploding Lunch Bag from Science Bob

You will need

One small (sandwich size) zip-lock bag - freezer bags work best.
Baking soda
Warm water
Vinegar
Measuring cup
A tissue

What to do

Go outside - or at least do this in the kitchen sink.

Put 1/4 cup of pretty warm water into the bag. 


Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the water in the bag.


Put 3 teaspoons of baking soda into the middle of the tissue


Wrap the the baking soda up in the tissue by folding the tissue around it.


You will have to work fast now - partially zip the bag closed but leave enough space to add the baking soda packet. Put the tissue with the baking soda into the bag and quickly zip the bag completely closed. 


Put the bag in the sink or down on the ground (outside) and step back. The bag will start to expand, and expand, and if all goes well…POP!

How does it work

Cool huh? Nothing like a little chemistry to to add fun to a boring afternoon. What happens inside the bag is actually pretty interesting - the baking soda and the vinegar eventually mix (the tissue buys you some time to zip the bag shut) When they do mix, you create an ACID-BASE reaction and the two chemicals work together to create a gas, (carbon dioxide - the stuff we breathe out) well it turns out gasses need a lot of room and the carbon dioxide starts to fill the bag, and keeps filling the bag until the bag can no longer hold it any more and, POP! Be sure to clean up well and recycle those plastic bags…have fun!

Make this an experiment
The project above is a demonstration. To make it a true experiment, you can try to answer these questions:

Will different temperature water affect how fast the bag inflates?

What amount of baking soda creates the best reaction?

Which size bag creates the fastest pop?

Looking for suggestions for end-of-the-year gifts for your teacher? Read Such A Smart Mom’s Great end-of-the-year gift ideas that teachers are sure to love.