Alright moms, raise your hand if you’ve gotten the email, looking for volunteers to help with your child’s Valentine’s Day party at school. Now, raise your hand if you’ve been scouring Pinterest, searching for the perfect craft or treat to bring to the party. As a teacher myself, let me give you some helpful hints on how to have a successful Valentine’s Day party at school. Hopefully this will save you some time in the long run.
Keep it simple.
No, really. Most class parties are at the end of the day, and trust me, the kids are equally excited and exhausted. The teachers even more so than the kids. Most parties are only one hour at the most, so there isn’t time for an elaborate craft, multiple party games, and a snack. Trust me. Keeping in mind clean-up and transition times, you may really have about 30 minutes to squeeze it all in.
That being said, plan extra activities and games, just in case you do have extra time.
The craft may not take as long as you anticipated. The game may flop. The attention span of the younger kids may get the best of them. Have something else ready to go. Leaving a teacher with 10 minutes of dead time before dismissal is brutal. Have you ever tried to round up 25 kindergarteners for a story, who are hopped up on sugar, because it’s not time for dismissal yet? It’s not pretty.
If you want to something Pinterest-worthy for the party, pour your energy into the snack.
A snack mix with Valentine-colored ingredients (M&Ms, marshmallows, candy hearts) is an easy twist on a classic treat. Cut anything into a heart shape, and voilà! It’s good enough for Valentine’s Day. Of course, with all snacks, be sure to check your school’s guidelines for snacks and please adhere to all allergen restrictions. Don’t try to fly something past a teacher’s radar – it’s our job to keep kids safe, which includes not allowing unsafe snacks in the classroom.
Still in need of some ideas? Here are some ideas for a Valentine’s Day Party that will keep kids and teachers happy:
Crafts
• Friendship Rocks
• Paper Plate Valentine Wreath
• Conversation Heart Photo Frame – glue the popsicle sticks to make the frames before the party, so the kids have more time to decorate it
Games
• Valentine Bingo – easy, peasy, lemon-squeezy. This can be used in all grade levels.
• Minute-to-Win-It Valentine Games
• Valentine I Spy
Snacks
• S’mores Snack Mix
• Valentine Popcorn Mix
• Conversation Cuties
What are some of your favorite Valentine’s Day activities and snacks to have with your kids?
