4 Tips for the Easiest Halloween Party Ever
I’m honestly the WORST at celebrating anything in the classroom. I’m that teacher who loves the idea of elaborate parties, crafts and activities, but does not love the time, money, and energy that it takes. So, I decided to make class parties as simple as possible. My students still have a great time, but I don’t feel burnt out and broke. Here’s what I do to make class parties a breeze! (I mean, mostly! It;s never a breeze. Sigh. Okay here we go!)
#1 Ask for Help
Now is the time to ask for volunteers! I use the free version of Sign Up Genius to ask for volunteers for the day of the party. One year I had over ten volunteers (honestly, too many) and another year I had four.
I even ask parent volunteers to come in a little early (while my students are at recess) to help decorate and set up. I have never decorated my classroom for Halloween…I’ve ALWAYS had parents willing to do it for me! You’ll never know unless you ask.
Most of the time, your parent volunteers will also help you clean up! You really can’t beat that.
Wait, never mind, you can beat that. Sometimes you might get a parent willing to plan the whole thing for you. If that’s your situation…I envy you!
#2 Ask for Materials
I have spent a total of $0 on classroom parties. I know every school is different, so you may not be able to or willing to ask for donations. If you do feel comfortable asking, ask! Since I make my classroom parties simple, I usually don’t need to ask for very many materials. I also use Sign Up Genius to ask for donations. Even if you only get a few, it’s better than none!
#3 Use Rotations
I will never do a class party without rotations! Seriously, never.
I simply come up with four short activities (10-15 minutes), split my class into four groups, and go through four rotations, just like you would for reading or math! This helps to keep students entertained and out of trouble. They know exactly where to go, what to do, and if they get bored they know they will get to try something new in a few minutes.
This also helps me to be able to enjoy the party! I make sure at least one parent is at each station, which means I get to walk around the room and spend time at each station!
In the past I’ve done these four stations.
Station #1 Cookie Decorating: I get donations for sugar cookies, frosting, and sprinkles. This is definitely the most involved station, so if you want to go even more simple…I’d change this one!
Station #2 STEM: In this station, I literally put out our morning bin materials (that we use every single day) and told them to build a monster trap. Laziest station planning ever, but they loved it!
Station #3: Craft: I have changed up the craft, but I make it super simple! A monster made out of construction paper or a skeleton made out of cotton swabs are a hit!
Station #4: BINGO: Search for a free Halloween themed bingo resource on TpT, print, and done! So easy.
#4 Don’t Play the Comparison Game
Maybe the teacher down the hall has fake spider webs covering her room and cut out ghosts hanging from the ceiling and a cauldron with a homemade juice concoction. Cool. That’s amazing! It doesn’t mean you have to do any of it! I keep my decorations super simple. Heck, you don’t have to do any decorating!! It’s not a contest.
Party Planning FREEBIE!
Interested in trying rotations for your class party? Grab this free planning page! Click the image to start planning the easiest Halloween party ever!
