Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Christmas Party Handbook... free for you!

Ok. Earlier this week, I posted to ask for new ideas for Christmas parties and you all shared some GREAT ideas!

I put them together in a little party handbook, but I would really like to grow this into something awesome for all of us to share!

You can click the image to download a copy and get some great ideas for games, food, and activities. If I missed yours or you thought of something new you'd like to contribute, please please please leave me a comment and I'll compile the rest of the ideas into a complete handbook and share it with you this weekend!

I'm so excited about this... though I appear to everyone else to be very organized, I'm really not... as least I don't feel it! I tell my students on a daily basis that if I can ever find everything I need the second I need it, we'll have a party. But it will never happen so...! Anyway, I know this will be so helpful for me to have all these ideas in one place! Now it's just a matter of me keeping track of this document... HA!

17 comments:

  1. This is great! I want to try and have parents run some games instead of trying to do everything myself so this will be very handy. Thanks so much for putting this together! : )

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  2. Thanks for putting this all together.

    First Grade Delight
    imgoingfirst@gmail.com

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  3. This is fabulous!!!!! Thank you so much! I am so excited to show it to my room moms! :)
    A Teeny Tiny Teacher

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  4. This is awesome! Thank you for compiling such a great list. I'm super excited to be a part of it {though slightly embarrassed that my name showed up as my "teacher name" from my classroom blog... ha ha} ~Melissa

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  6. First of all thank you so much for compiling everyone's thoughts together..what a great idea! Now, not sure if you have ever done this before, but my students really like the game and its fun to watch them hesitate on their rights and lefts. Here's how it goes:
    I usually buy coloring books from the dollar store or use my scholastic points to get books for my students. I wrap them all up or have a parent. During the party, I have the kiddos sit in a circle while a parent or myself read T'was the Night Before Christmas...but this version. You can find it at this website...
    http://www.santalady.com/xmasgame/lftrt.htmlhttp://www.santalady.com/xmasgame/lftrt.html

    Amy

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  7. My whole "party" is the kids decorating gingerbread houses! I preglue graham crackers to two milk cartons glued together and then the day of the party the kids have at it with icing and candy! They turn out super cute and the kids have a blast!

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  8. What a great resource!

    Jodi
    fun-in-first.blogspot.com

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  9. The Jingle Bell Game: Kids sit on chairs in a circle. I start out as the sleigh driver. I walk around the center,jingling some sleigh bells. Every time I tap a child on the head they walk behind me on our pretend sleigh ride. After a few kids are following, I drop the bells and everyone has to scramble for a seat. (Kind of like hot potato, but you never remove any seats.)The person left standing is the next sleigh driver. I usually keep the game going until everyone has had a turn as the sleigh driver.We often sing Jingle Bells while the game is going on. If someone has already had a turn, I usually day, "in the spirit of Christmas, maybe you want to give someone a turn who hasn't had a turn." Simple, easy game, but the kids love it!

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  10. Hi,
    Love these ideas for the Christmas party!

    A couple things I've done in the past:

    Book gift exchange (students brought in 1 paperback......can't remember if it was gently used or not...and can't remember if they brought them in wrapped?), but I liked seeing a book in their hands!

    In England, "Pass the Parcel (Package)" was popular. I wrapped a box of treats, taped a message on it (everone sing We Wish you a Merry Christmas), wrapped it again, another message, etc. The student pass the package around in a circle to music. When the music stops, whoever has the package gets to tear off a layer of wrapping paper and read the message, etc.

    I am a new blogger and would love if you would stop by! Thanks for putting this together!

    Kelli
    Tales from a Traveling Teacher

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  11. I do a game similar to Kelli's. I have the kids buy a gift costing no more than $5. Girls buy a gift for girls and boys buy for boys. During the party, the girls sit in a circle on the rug. We start music and one of the girls' gifts is passed around the circle until the music stops. Whoever has the gift when the music stops can keep it(as long as it isn't their own). Once they have their gift, they scoot out of the circle. Then we do the boys' gifts the same way. No one opens their gift until everyone has received one. Then I count to three (really slowly) and they open their gifts at the same time. The kids love doing this game!
    Thanks for putting this together, what a great idea!
    ❋Karen❋
    farmingthefirstgradecrop@blogspot.com

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  12. Thank you! Maybe one day I can use this with grandkids as my children are past the classroom party stage.

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  13. Thanks for sharing all your great ideas. This year I have parents helping so I have lots of ideas for them to do.
    Here's a game that my students usually love. I get a few $1 store and I wrap it up. Then I wrap it up in a small box (usually with different wrapping paper. I do this a few times. I have the students play pass the present. (like hot potato) When the music stops that person gets to unwrap one layer. (At first I don't tell them there is more than 1 layer.) Play continues until someone opens the present. We do this several times since the students love this game.

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  14. Just found your blog. This is such a great booklet to share. Thank you so much. I can't wait to use it next year in my classroom.

    Jeannie

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  15. One "game" that I did with Kindergarteners was to have a feed the reindeer toss. I got a box that was rectangular and fairly good sized. I attached a large reindeer head with a large open mouth onto the box. Then I got a package of baby carrots that the kids could toss into the mouth of the reindeer. The smaller kids got a big kick out of feeding the reindeer and loved it that it was real reindeer food. I put the used carrots out for the small animals to eat in the cold when the party was over. If you wanted to it would be easy to make carrot shaped "beanbags" but the small carrots were really a fun addition and a whole lot less work!

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  16. holy, cow! Thank you so much! This is what I sat down to do right now (still at school!), and this will save an amazing amount of time!

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