Elementary Christmas Party - 2011

Thursday was the elementary Christmas party for grades PK - 5th.  The event is sponsored by our Parent-Teacher Organization.  This year's party was a snowman theme.

During the party, students decorate homemade theme-shaped sugar cookies at one of the stations.  I had bought mini chocolate chips for the snowman's eyes and mouth, but my daughter accidentally forgot about then while she was helping in that center.  Oh, well, the students didn't seem to mind!

Santa stopped by the school during the party.  Children had their picture taken with him and were given their pictures after the party.  This is my youngest child on Santa's lap.

Of course, we couldn't forget class pictures with Mr. Claus.  This is the 3rd grade class.  Each class rotates through four party stations, staying at each station for 25 minutes.  Pictures with Santa were one of the stations.

Each year after Christmas, I buy a lot of the supplies we will need for the next year's party.  I store the boxes for the whole next year.  It cuts the costs of party supplies by quite a bit.  I usually wait and buy the party plates and napkins right before the party.  I could buy them in advance, but it's always fun seeing the new designs for the season.  These plates and napkins were from Hobby Lobby.  The little snowman mug, snowman gift bags for the centerpieces, and marshmallow packs (they had the saying "Snowmen Come Unassembled") are all from Oriental Trading, as is the big snowman in the first picture.

This was one of the funnest activities we've ever had at the game station.  The classes were divided in half, then the snowman making group were divided into teams.  The teams selected one person to become the snowman and the others to create the snowman.  Students were given two rolls of toilet paper to wrap around the person, plus they were given construction paper noses, hats, mouth and bones. *Note: Be sure to leave a space at the mouth and nose for the child to breathe.

The other group of students played a "snowball" game with cotton balls.  After both groups of each class were done, they switched games.  They seemed to be having a great time!

My daughter and a friend read for the book station of the party.  They chose to read two or three stories from several different snowman books.

The children enjoyed hearing stories about the snowmen.

Each year the students make a homemade Christmas ornament.  This year they made paint stick snowmen.  I ordered plain paint sticks from an online company, that were actually a little shorter than regular paint sticks, then painted the top parts of them black and the bottom of them white.

The brim of the hat are front short tongue-depressor shaped sticks painted black.  The students used glue dots to secure the brim, finishing off the snowman with Sharpie marker drawn-on eyes, mouth, nose, and buttons (Several years ago they did this same ornament, but used foam pieces for those parts.  Both ways look great!).  Finally, add a fleece strip of cloth around the snowman's "neck" for a scarf.

The Christmas party is one of my very favorite events of the whole school year.  It's so much fun to "treat" the students to fun activities and special memory-making times.  

After the party was over, a small group of junior high students came to the cafeteria to eat lunch.  I had some marshmallows left over, as well as some hot chocolate.  I asked them if they wanted some and they certainly did!  They were really excited about it!  One of them commented how he remembered those Christmas parties and how much fun they were.  I thanked him for sharing his thoughts with me.  That is why it's important to me for the students to have a special Christmas party each year. I want them to have those special memories, and I want them to have some special keepsakes from their childhood that they can look back at when they grow up.  I want them to know that I, and all of the others who take the time to help at the party, care about them.  

So.....all that's left from the party are the memories.....and a few sugar cookies :).  Now.....on to thinking about next year's party theme:  Gingerbread Men!