Most kids dread the end of summer because it means it's time to go
back to school. Turn that down time around by hosting an "End of
Summer/Back-To-School Party" and send the kids back to the
classroom with memories of a super scholastic celebration.
Invite the students "Back to School"
The kids will welcome these Straight-A report card invitations. Cut
white poster board into 5-by-8 inch rectangles and write the guests'
names at the top next to the word "Student:." Underneath, write the
party details—date, time, theme, etc. Down one side, write the
"subjects," such as "Good sport," "Likes to party," "Plays well with
others" and "Team player." Give each student straight A's in all
categories. Include a fun pencil with the invitation and mail to guests
in a padded envelope decorated with school-related stickers.
Dress Code
Ask the kids to wear their "first day back-to-school" outfit or have
them come dressed in school colors.
Create a "Classroom"
Ease the kids back to school by creating your own cheerful classroom.
- Enlarge copies of the guests' school photos. Glue them onto a
large sheet of poster board and write a clever tag underneath,
such as: "John Doe — Class Clown," "Jane Smith — Most Likely to
Become President." Hang the posters on the wall.
- Cut out leaves from green construction paper and use your
Balloon Time Helium Balloon Kit to inflate red balloons. Glue the
leaves to the top of the balloons to make apples and tie them to
the backs of the chairs and other furniture in the room.
- Inflate helium balloons in the school colors and float them on the
ceiling. For added fun, attach a large photo of each guest to a
balloon so they can "float" around the room.
- Set out fun school supplies, such as notebooks, markers and
pencil cases, as well as books, globes and apples for the teacher.
- Create your own bulletin board display and include colorful
posters featuring subjects the kids will be learning this year,
such as the alphabet, the animal kingdom or a map of the United
States.
- Set up different stations to look like different classroom
activities, such as a math station with blocks, a science station
with microscopes, a nature station with your pet hamster and a
language arts station with cool books for kids.
Classroom Games & Activities
Get the kids ready for school with some educational games and
activities.
Brainy Breakfast.
Have the kids make their own educational
placemats so they can start each school day learning something
new, such as different insects, flowers, colors, math problems,
presidents and state capitals. Just provide them with a large
sheet of paper, inexpensive books featuring the subjects they
can cut up and glue. Then laminate it or cover it with clear
contact paper.
Brainy Bingo.
Turn the placemat into a game like bingo. Once
the mat is complete, write the objects on index cards, mix them
up, and draw them one at a time from a pile. If the object
appears on the player's mat, he or she gets to cover that spot.
Five covers make a Bingo!
Are You Smarter Than Your Teacher?
Play school subject
trivia in the form of Jeopardy. Make up a Jeopardy board with
subjects the kids learned last year, then write six or eight
questions under each subject. Cover each question by taping on
an index card, then have the players take turns choosing a topic
and forming their answer into question format.
Back-To-School Book Bag.
Let the kids make personalized
school bags. Have them draw a picture on a plain canvas bag
with pencil, then color the design with crayon, pressing firmly.
Lay the bag on an ironing board, cover the design with damp
paper towels and iron until towels are dry. Peel off the towels
leaving colored design.
What I Didn't Do On My Summer Vacation.
Practice writing
your first back-to-school essay: "What I didn't do on summer
vacation"— but make it as wild and funny as possible.
What's For Lunch?
Set out school lunch supplies, such as
bread slices, peanut butter, jelly, chips, carrots, cookies, and
baggies, and have kids race to make their lunches. Then have
them eat the lunch at refreshment time.
Cafeteria Food
After you feed their minds, feed their bodies.
- Make sandwiches and cut them out using alphabet and number
cookie cutters.
- Provide juice boxes, raisins, chips, pudding cups, carrots, cheese
and crackers and cookies, and pack everything in a sack or
lunchbox.
- For dessert, make cupcakes, frost them with red icing, and stick
three green mint candy leaves at the top (or make them with
frosting), to form apples.
Back-to-School Favors and Prizes
Send them back to campus with fresh, fun school supplies.
- Markers, pencils, erasers
- Folders, notebooks, dividers
- Backpack danglers or key chains
- Magnetic letters
- Shiny red apple for the teacher
- Posters of the constellations, the insect world or dinosaurs.
Penny Warner has more than 25 years of experience as an author
and party planner. She has published more than 50 books, including 16
specific to parties. Additionally, Warner writes a weekly newspaper
column on family life, penned a column for Sesame Street Parents
magazine and has appeared on several regional and national TV morning
programs. Her latest book, HOW TO HOST A KILLER PARTY, debuted in
February 2010 from NAL/Penguin.
Balloon Time is the leading brand of consumer helium balloon kits
in North America. Balloon Time kits feature a helium-filled tank, latex
or foil balloons and ribbon, and are available at national retail
chains, party goods and grocery stores nationwide.