How To Plan a School Birthday Party

Birthdays are always a special occasion, especially for kids. Apart from the traditional grand 1st & 7th birthday parties of our little ones, we can opt to host a birthday party in school for our preschoolers and big kids.

With more progressive schools emerging, which usually encourage heightened social interaction and with smaller and smaller class populations, celebrating a school birthday party is now fast gaining popularity.

More than the practicality of it, school parties foster friendship and sharing among classmates. With it being an intimate gathering among classmates and/or schoolmates, they tend to cherish more these shared experiences amongst themselves.

First off, hosting a school party for your child simply means that the snacks will be care of your child. Like with any party, start by setting your budget. Then decide if you want to hold a party just for your child’s class, or whether to include other classes, or the other levels, which of course will also depend on what the school administration allows.  
 
How to plan a school party:
1. Get permission with the school or get to know the school guidelines on this...because they do differ! Common practice is that they allow it during the snack time, so it's basically a 30 minute affair.

• • Ask if they allow balloons, sticks or flying type, or none at all, mascots, clowns, etc.
• For time consideration, ask if they allow hosted parties, just in case you will avail of a party package from a restaurant or fast food chain. This will normally include hosted games.
• Check with your child’s teacher if they have a standard party program. Most schools nowadays have one, but just in case they don’t have a program, please be ready to host it or find some one to do it for you. 
• If you want have a full-blown party with games, piñatas and more, and think that the snack time wouldn’t be enough, ask if you will be allowed to hold it after class hours. This is to inform the parents that they will be picking up their kids at a later time. But the downside of this is that some of your kid’s classmates might not be able to stay long if they are riding the school bus.
• Also, ask the school policy on guests or visitors, if you decide to invite other family or friends to join you on the school party.

2. Make sure you know the head count of the kids, and if you wish, you can allot extra for the teachers, the office staff and others.

 

Click here to learn more tips on planning your child's school birthday party.

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Read on to learn more tips on planning your child's school birthday party.

 

3. Give out invitations at least two days before, just to let the parents know that the snacks are on you, and should they decide to return the favor of getting presents, you won’t rush them.
4. You can still choose a theme for the party, just to coordinate the invitations, with the cake and the giveaways or tokens, if any.

• Invitations can be Do it Yourself (D.I.Y.), Custom Invites or store bought
• Matching Party Hats, Table Liners/Place Mats

Options for party snacks:
1. Restaurant meals usually include spaghetti, chicken, or burgers

• Ask the restaurant to change the soft drinks that comes with the packaged meals to juice instead, for a healthier treat and for schools with a no soda policy.

2.    For easier distribution of home-cooked meals, better prepare them in throw away or styrofoam meal containers (in 3s or 4s depending on what do you plan to serve).

• Suggestions: Spaghetti, hotdog on a stick with marshmallows, chicken nuggets etc.
• Remember to prepare the cutlery sets (Spoon, fork & table napkins).

Suggested School Birthday Party Program (Usually hosted or led by the teacher)
1. Birthday song & blowing of the cake
2. Birthday wish
3. Snack time
4. Giving/Opening of presents from classmates
5. Goodbye song and others (Dismissal Routine)
6. Awarding of stars/smileys or others (still part of the dismissal routine) and giving of loot bags/souvenirs (If any.)

IMPORTANT REMINDERS:

• Prepare take-out bag/plastics, just in case the kids will not be able to finish their food.
• If you intend to serve the cake, make sure you bring a serving knife as well as dessert plates and forks.
• Lastly, be on time so that the party will really start and end promptly.

Be it a grand party or an intimate gathering of family and friends, regardless how big or small, every birthday should be celebrated with love.

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