It’s time to PARTY!!

I mean, sort of.

Does anyone else get bogged down by the fast, heavy pace of a school year? I love learning but after teaching middle school for 10 years, one thing I recognized was how SERIOUS it could all get.

That ish is HEAVY man…for teachers AND for students.

We need some LIGHT in our life. We need some FUN.

What we need is some time to RELAX and CONNECT! Time that isn’t governed by state testing goals, report cards, or the endless to do list of whoever is leading the charge this year 😉

Before I hop into a list of HOW we can create this type of thing, I want to throw a couple of suggestions your way. When it comes to these celebrations, I encourage you to:

1. ASK YOUR STUDENTS: See what THEY enjoy doing! Poll the class, send out a survey, have them brainstorm in small groups. What does celebrating look like to THEM? How would THEY feel more rested and connected? What lights them up? What fills their cups?
2. DON’T MAKE IT GOAL-BASED: I know, I know. This probably sounds crazy, but hear me out. EVERYTHING these days is goal-focused. We don’t give ourselves “good things” until we’ve met some goal, completed some task, or achieved some milestone. What ever happened to celebrating JUST BECAUSE? Don’t we deserve some good, some rest, some fun simply because we’re human beings?
3. BUILD A WISHLIST: If you’re school does not provide funds for this type of thing (if yours does, please let me know if they have any job openings), set up a Go Fund Me, an Amazon Wishlist, a Donor’s Choose, or some other type of fundraising page. You’d be amazed by how many people out there REALLY DO WANT TO SUPPORT our classrooms!

Alright, now that I’ve provided you with such sage advice ;). Let’s dig into some ideas.

Arts & Crafts

This to me is probably a standard, but if you’re not an art teacher, this type of day can really provide a break from the norm! Think outside the box…or inside the box. Both provide benefits.

This day could be as simply as coloring. Print a selection of pages you have found OR check in with students to see what their interests are. There are so many FREE coloring pages out there these days. The options are endless!

Making bracelets, painting rocks, crocheting, paint by numbers, color by numbers, bejeweling by numbers or are all things that could be started and sent home with students to complete if they don’t finish it in class. Another great resource for guided art is the youtube channel Art for Kids Hub. These videos are filled with all sorts of fun drawings and are done in a step by step way that makes them accessible for students from K-12!

One last type of art that I personally love is something I’ve been shown but I honestly don’t know the name of (art teachers help me out here)! You can approach it in two ways. The first way is by taking a pen and just drawing lines all over the page. Then, the rest of the time is spent coloring in or making patterns in whatever shapes were made as these lines crossed each other. The second way is by using watercolors. You take the same approach. Start by filling a page with dots, paint strokes, etc. with watercolor. After letting it dry, you take a pen and trace the shapes that were left behind.

These last two can be great ways to a more meditative, stress-reducing celebration day. Perfect to throw in around testing season or other stressful times of the year!

Glow Party

I don’t know about you, but I LOVE me some glow in the dark stuff. Glasses, bracelets, necklaces, tattoos, stickers, fidgets, slime, paint, chalk – you name it. I dig it…and so do students :).

Gather up some of these trinkets and turn off the lights. Add some music and just hang out for a bit. If your admin is super supportive, you might even be able to get access to a gym or something and play glow tag!

Origami Party

This is another more chill option and requires very little in terms of resources. Basically all you need is some origami paper…technically you could even use regular paper, but the process will be easier and turn out better if you have the correct type of paper.

Just as I said in the Arts & Crafts section, there are SO MANY how-to videos out there for making your own origami creations. Make it a classroom challenge. Have everyone do the same one and see who is most successful. Provide student choice. Gather a bunch of different types of paper and let them use their own devices to guide them through an origami style of their choice!

Check with your media center or art teachers. They may have some resources, specifically in the form of books, that students could also use as guides for this activity.

Be a Host

Check in with your families and surrounding community. Often we are unaware of the resources that surround us. Look at what opportunities are provided through your community centers. What artists, creators, or business owners might also be willing to pop into your classroom for a couple of hours to add more excitement and joy to your classroom celebrations.

Maybe a local pet shop could bring in some of their animals, maybe a local artist wants to lead a lesson in how to create their art, maybe a martial arts trainer wants to come in and teach some basic moves.

Sometimes businesses will cover costs as a way to provide marketing for their business or simply as a way to give back to the community. Bottom line, you’ll never get a YES if you never reach out and ask.

Karaoke

Ok, this one might seem a little bit crazy, but it could be super fun. Again, youtube is your friend here. If you search up a song and add karaoke in the search engine, you’ll almost definitely find a version that brings the lyrics up. Worst case scenario you can bring up the lyrics and the song separately.

Now, this idea is not for the faint of heart. I wouldn’t just plan it and thrust it on students as you might end up with a big bust that just results in chaos. Suggest it to students first, explain what it would look like, and see what the interest level is. Either they’ll hate it – in which case you just don’t do it, or they’ll love it – in which case they’ll remember it forever!

BINGO

This one is another classic. Get creative with this format by changing up the way students can win a bingo and the prizes they’d earn from winning. Kids are loving the water bottle stickers, little squishies, and fidget toys these days. Oftentimes you can buy them in bulk off of amazon.

Again, talk to your admin team to see if they have anything you could add as a prize: resources gifted from families or community, school gear, special privileges like shadowing the principal for an hour, a specific lunch spot/time, etc.

Hot Cocoa/Smoothie Bar

You pick whichever – probably depending on the time of year. Now, with this one you’ll probably have to check with your administrative team. It’s possible that any food provided in a classroom – even a drink like hot cocoa – would have to be acquired through specific pathways. Additionally, you’d want to be very aware of any food allergies your students have.

If you were able to run with this idea, it provides a lot of student choice. A hot cocoa bar could have all sorts of different flavor syrups to choose from, different types of marshmallows, and other goodies you could add to your glass. A smoothie bar could have even more options! Milk options, yogurt, fruit, veggies, chocolates, etc.

This one could get messy – but if that doesn’t scare you, then dig in!

Popcorn & Gaming

Heat up some popcorn and make sure the Wifi is strong! The gaming here could be supplied by students themselves or be as simply as running Kahoot games back to back. Students LOVE a chance to game – – especially if the topic is something they dig.

As far as the popcorn goes, you could offer pre-popped bags of various flavors, pop it fresh like movie theater popcorn, and/or even throw in some add-ons like M&Ms or sprinkles.

Cozy Reading

Ok. So this one probably seems like it wouldn’t be a winner, but for some of our students it is EXACTLY what they yearn for! Let them choose something to read – – a novel, a magazine, a graphic novel, etc. Read in pairs, read in a small group, read solo, YOU READ TO THEM. Have the librarian bring in a book cart full of options to choose from. There are truly a lot of variations for this too.

Make it cozy by allowing them to bring in a blanket, or wear pajamas, or bring in a teddy/stuffy. Even if they’re middle schoolers or high schoolers, I guarantee you they’ll enjoy it.

Dim the lights, put on a calming playlist, add a little lavender room spray and this is another celebration that is bound to reduce the stress level of your students!

Get Outside!

I saved my favorite for last. I’m convinced that NONE OF US spend enough time outside – especially when we get to the upper grades!

This is another idea where checking in with your administrative staff is likely a MUST. Figure out what options you have when it comes to going outside. Can you spend an hour taking laps around the block? Can you call dibs on a softball field and play kickball? Are there some soccer balls, footballs, volleyballs, or frisbees you can borrow from the gym teachers? Is there a park nearby you can walk to? Is there a field trip you can take? Is there a location on the school grounds you can take your students to to just hang out and catch some rays?

I think as adults we know by now the benefit of getting outdoors. This outdoor time can provide a much needed break from the monotony of an indoor-focused education system. Breathe in fresh air, breath out whatever is stressing you out.

Look at that…

A list of ten and it wasn’t even on purpose. To be honest, there are even more options out there. I’ll save that for another blog.

Bottom line: I cannot stress enough – IF YOU DON’T ASK, YOU’LL NEVER GET A YES. Ask questions. Figure out what resources you have. Make suggestions. Try things out.

Have fun.

Best of luck friends,

Here’s to celebrating ourselves JUST BECAUSE 🙂