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Post by tallgirl on Nov 16, 2015 19:39:47 GMT
I am new to the Home & School committee this year. We are trying to come up with ideas for a winter-themed Fun Night. In the past we have done a family movie night and a family dance - both were well received/attended but it's time for something new. I'm wondering if anyone has ideas - have you done something similar at your school, and what worked or didn't work for you?
This event will be about a month from now, so it has to be something relatively quick to pull together.
Thanks for your help!
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wellway
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,759
Jun 25, 2014 20:50:09 GMT
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Post by wellway on Nov 16, 2015 19:46:29 GMT
Christmas Song Sing along - all types of christmas music, mince pies, mulled wine etc?
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Post by Basket1lady on Nov 16, 2015 19:55:54 GMT
Christmas Song Sing along - all types of christmas music, mince pies, mulled wine etc? We did this with a group from our squadron every year. It was loud and chaotic, but so much fun. The kids could bring instruments (kazoos, jingle bells, little drums, cymbals, etc) and we had an adult playing the piano. If you are looking for multiple activities, you could do a cookie decorating table, a hot chocolate bar, a craft. Is Family Fun magazine still around? I used a lot of simple, inexpensive crafts from there over the years. |
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Post by myboysnme on Nov 16, 2015 20:01:24 GMT
Do you have a place you can go ice skating? You can have lots of fun with this!
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Post by mymindseyedpea on Nov 16, 2015 20:38:26 GMT
What about a winter carnival.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Nov 17, 2015 11:20:14 GMT
you could do a cookie decorating table, a hot chocolate bar, a craft. Maybe the craft could be decorating an ornament? Also, a holiday coloring page station, with crayons. Photos with Santa? Maybe a family photo station, where someone could take a pic of the whole family in front of a decorative background and print it out right there? |
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MerryMom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,534 
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Post by MerryMom on Nov 17, 2015 17:58:06 GMT
Snow Cones!!!!
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Post by malibou on Nov 17, 2015 18:01:51 GMT
Be sure to include items from the 4 food groups:
Candy
Candy canes
Candy corn
Syrup
J
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Post by mikklynn on Nov 17, 2015 19:01:24 GMT
Make gingerbread houses using graham cracker squares. I used to do this for DD's birthday party. Just buy graham crackers, make or buy royal icing, and candy.
Have plastic knives available to cut the squares diagonally for the gable end of house.
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M in Carolina
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,128
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Post by M in Carolina on Nov 17, 2015 19:31:13 GMT
Warning: Have the people making Snow Cones wear old clothes because the syrup gets everywhere. Dh and I did this for a carnival for my BIL's church. Everyone LOVED the snow cones, but we were a mess. We rented the ice shaver from a local rental place and got the Cherry and Blue Raspberry syrups from a Gordon's supply store--they sell industrial sized vats of food, large quantities of plates, cups, tablecloths, sterno, etc. A school I attended in 3rd grade did a Harvest carnival. This was one of the most fun events I did as a kid. There were different booths with games like throwing darts at balloons to get a small toy, face painting, candy apples, bobbing for apples (I hate this, and it's so gross) I love Mikkilynn's idea of making the graham cracker houses with royal icing. We did this for an event in college for our society (like a sorority where we had weekly meetings and did fun stuff). We used canned vanilla frosting and had different candies. It wound up being a bunch of girls eating frosting and candy on graham crackers, but we loved it anyway) Making ornaments would also be cool. You can also decorate cheap coffee mugs with sharpies. I did custom cappuccino mugs for a gift to our graduating seniors in our college society. I used gold paint sharpies and did our society logo. Everyone loved them and thought they were much more expensive than they really were. The sharpie held up in the dishwasher. I did a test version first, and had dh use it for a week and run in through the dishwasher every night and also hand wash it and try to abuse it. The decorated mugs reminds me of a gift a teacher in my elementary school did with us. We decorated strips of thick paper that were sent away and put inside of those plastic insulated coffee mugs that were so popular in the 80s--they came with different patterns and scenes. You can get the kits to make them at home now, but they're kinda expensive. There's a lot of places that sell inexpensive white pottery mugs and dishware. Like dollar stores. In 1st and 2nd grade, we went to Old Salem on a field trip and then did crafts for a historical themed parents' night. One craft was making reproductions of the old buildings at Old Salem with the small empty milk cartons from lunch. Those were fun to do. There's a lot of these types of crafts on Pinterest. Cute paper villages and patterned holders for votive holders are pretty all winter long, not just for Christmas. You can get battery powered tea lights in packs for cheap. I'll bet they would be really cheap at Michael's on Black Friday (or on their website) Kids also love team games like musical chairs--adults like this too, but it can get kinda out of hand and a bit violent at the end. You could get inspiration by watching old reruns of Bozo the Clown and Nickelodeon's show Double Dare. I also think ice skating, roller skating, or a multi game place. There's a local place that has laser tag, an arcade, and rooms with trampolines on the floors and walls. I don't recommend those go cart tracks. My dh's work does a monthly "fun" trip with his coworkers, and they once did the go carts. The carts were super fast, slid everywhere, lots of bump ups, and all the adults were bruised and battered the next day. |
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Post by tallgirl on Nov 17, 2015 19:53:12 GMT
Oh my - lots of ideas here! I don't know where to begin. We met with the school administration last night and they have said the classrooms are each going to be assigned a country, and will have to research the holiday customs of that country and decorate the classrooms accordingly.
We started to talk about ideas for a booth/activity for our committee. Decorating gingerbread or graham cracker houses was a popular idea, as was cookie decorating. I wonder if we could also offer an ornament or craft to make so that it isn't all just about the food, wouldn't be exclusionary to kids with allergies, etc.?
A few ideas were nixed right away - one suggestion was to have a bonfire and roast marshmallows - too much liability risk with the fire.
It is shaping up to be a warm winter; I don't think we will have snow, or the temperatures needed for outdoor skating.
We got sidetracked by counting money for our poinsettia fundraiser and will have another meeting to brainstorm
More ideas for our fun night - I will give all of these some more thought - thank you!!
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MerryMom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,534
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Post by MerryMom on Nov 17, 2015 20:14:41 GMT
Maybe play a nice holiday movie in the gym?
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Post by fridaynightscrapper on Nov 18, 2015 20:24:36 GMT
We always made the graham cracker gingerbread houses at my daughter's school. Have the teachers start saving the small milk cartons from lunch at school and use that as your base. You can just use the icing to glue the crackers to the side and then you don't have to worry about the houses staying together or setting up. Less tears from little ones!
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Southern Side eyed Pea 