Class parties might seem overwhelming for some and it was a little overwhelming at the beginning when I first volunteered to be a room mom five years ago. I had no idea what being a “room mom” actually meant but I knew that I was going to have permission to be in class with my child and I wanted to take every opportunity I could to be with him. 🙌 If you’re like me and you struggle with infertility, if it takes you 7 years just to have your first miracle baby, you might add your name to every single signup sheet you see the first year your kid goes to school, and I did! Plus, I really do love parties and texting peeps.
Fast forward 5 years later and I’m still volunteering to be the room mom. 5th year in a row! (I did have a co-room mom once and she was super helpful!) Of course, this does not surprise my husband at all. LOL He knows the first thing I look for when it is "back to school night" or "meet the teacher night" is all the sign-up sheets. I feel like a famous actress or something, just signing my name on all the papers! I actually like being the room mom, and it's not because I'm "controlling" and let me tell you why.
Over the past 5yrs, I’ve learned that being a room mom does not mean I do everything. LOL thank you, parents! It actually means I just send out a bunch of text messages, take pics and show appreciation afterward.
The Parent Sign-up Sheet
At the beginning of the year, (during meet the teacher or back to School Night) teachers set out their sign-up sheets (if they don't do this you need to get your teachers to do this!) and parents fill in their details if they are willing to help throughout the year. Then they give me a copy of this list and a couple of weeks before the class parties, I contact the parents on the list and find out who’s still available and willing to help for that party.Google Doc Spreadsheet Managing Contacts
I collect the form the teachers get and type it up in a Google Docs spreadsheet (see link) with the parent information like name, cell phone number, email address, parties parents signed up to help with, if they are willing to help with something else, and language. Our school has a language immersion program, so I also like to keep track of which parents speak the other language and which speak English. And our teachers not only teach the normal number of kids like 30 kids but 60 kids because they rotate throughout each day half day English and half day the other language. Our teachers are amazing!!!!! Definitely takes a special teacher to teach that amount of kids and try to do language immersion half the time.
Parents ROCK!
So that being said, Our class parents are amazing and always volunteer to help with every party. YOU CAN NOT DO THESE PARTIES WITHOUT THEM! I get at least 4-5 volunteers every party! I’m going to include the text message wording that I send out every time we have a party and show you how easy it really is to be a room mom.Our Class Party Time = 1 hour
We have 1 hour to have a class party. We like to break it up into four stations which rotate about every 12 minutes with two minutes in between and then clean up the last 3 to 5 minutes. Every station has about 8 kids. It can for sure be less if you have less in your class. We also combine their desks to make three long stations and try to clear one area that could be used for a game to get the kids moving.- 4 Stations: 2 Games, 1 Craft & Story w/Treat.
- 12 min each station.
- 8 kids in each station
- 2 minutes in between each to rotate to the next.
- 3 min clean-up.
It works out really well and the teachers love it.
Text to Parents 1: (who've volunteered to help for this specific class party)
You can copy and paste this into your Notes App and edit it to your liking. This one is sent to parents who did volunteer to help with a class party. Send this out 2-3 weeks before the class party! At least in the same month as the party because too soon, peeps will think you're crazy to plan before it's even that holiday's month, no matter how "organized" you think that might make you look.Hi 👻SPOOK-tacular Party 🎃Parents! Happy Fall 🍂Break!!!
Our Halloween class party in ___th Grade _____’s Class is:
Wed. Oct. 31st @ 12pm-1pm
Here's our Station line-up! We will give the kids about 12 min at each station, and give them like 2 min in between to rotate stations. 8 kids in each rotation.
🎲Game 1:
🎲Game 2:
🎨Craft:
📚Story w/ 🍪Treat:
🚪Door Decorator:
Thank you again for investing your resources & time to help with the class party and making it awesome for our kids!!! 🙌
Please LMK what you’d love to be in charge of, either: game, craft, story w/ treat or door decor. 😉
Thanks all! _______ (_____'s Mom)
Text to Parents 2: (who've not yet volunteered)
You can copy and paste this into your Notes App and edit it to your liking. This text is to reach out to parents who haven't yet signed up to help with a party but you have their contact info.
Hi 👻SPOOK-tacular 🎃 Parents! Happy Fall 🍂Break!!!
Our Halloween class party in ____th Grade ____'s Class is:
Wed. Oct. 31st @ 12pm-1pm
I hate to ask when I know you're all so busy but we still need a couple more parent helpers for our class party and wanted to see if you're available.
Here's our Station line-up! We will give the kids about 12 min at each station, and give them like 2 min in between to rotate stations.
🎲Game 1: ?
🎲Game 2: ?
🎨Craft: Parent Helper
📚Story w/ 🍪Treat: Parent Helper
🚪Door Decorator: ?
Thanks again for investing your resources & time to help with the class party and making it awesome for our kids!!! 🙌
Please LMK how you can help.
Thanks all! Your Name (_____'s Mom)
Text to Parents 3: Thank you!
You can copy and paste this into your Notes App and edit it to your liking. After you get everyone's response and got helpers committed, be sure to send a thank you text!!!!Thank you SO much for volunteering to help make our kid's Halloween class party 👻SPOOK-tacular 🎃! They are going to be so excited. Here's our volunteer line-up.
🎲Game 1: 1st Parent Helper Name
🎲Game 2: 2nd Parent Helper Name
🎨Craft: 3rd Parent Helper Name
📚Story w/ 🍪Treat: 4th Parent Helper Name
🚪Door Decorator: 5th Parent Helper Name
I'll send a reminder text as we get closer to the party. If you need ideas Pinterest.com is my fave or if you have questions LMK.
After the parent's volunteer, I send the list of parent helpers to the teacher so that the teacher knows who’s coming to help during the class party.
Text to Parents 4: 1-2 Days before Class Party
You can copy and paste this into your Notes App and edit it to your liking. Because you know we all need reminders! I follow up with the parents a day or 2 before to make sure they have all of their supplies that they need for their game or their story or their treat or whatever. Your parents should show up 10 min before class if they need time to set up otherwise they can show up 5 min early and just give them their space.
Hi 👻SPOOK-tacular Halloween Party 🎃Parents! Tomorrow is our class party in _____'s Class.
She'd like us to start at 12pm-1pm and clean up for 5 min. Please come at 11:50pm to setup your station.
Here's our Station line-up! We will give the kids about 12 min at each station, and give them like 2 min in between to rotate stations. About 8 kids to each station.
🎲Game 1: 1st Parent Helper Name
🎲Game 2: 2nd Parent Helper Name
🎨Craft: 3rd Parent Helper Name
📚Story w/ 🍪Treat: 4th Parent Helper Name
🚪Door Decorator: 5th Parent Helper Name
Please LMK what games, craft or story you're choosing to be sure we don't have duplicates or in case the teacher has already read the story. Also, I'm going to the store tonight, please LMK if you need me to pick up any supplies for your station.
Text to Parents 5: Morning of Class Party
Copy and paste this into your Notes App and edit it to your liking.
Hi 👻SPOOK-tacular 🎃Parents! Today is our class party in _____'s Class. See you today at 11:50am. LMK if you need anything for your stations.
What if a Parent can't think of a game or get supplies?
If a parent was not able to select a game or craft in time but they are still willing & available to do it, thats still awesome. I tell them, I'll look an idea up on Pinterest get the supplies and show up with the supplies give the parent the instructions for the station and let them own it. 💪 It’s really no big deal to get supplies and just have them ready for the parent to help manage the game. Games can range from a couple bucks to more, but really last minute games are still easy enough to put together in a few min. We really only give them a couple of weeks so that they can plan. But really us procrastinators know the best kind of motivation is the last minute and we can whip up a class party in less than an hour if we had to. ;) What's awesome is their kid still gets to have them there with them and you get to have a helper manage a station. You can't do it without them!Room Mom Responsibilities Day of:
- Get their Early
- Move Desks together (make 3 long tables)
- Table Covers
- Table Decor
- Balloons (optional)
- Camera
- Timer (set it for every 12 min and rotate 4 times)
I usually end up just bringing some table covers, decorations, I get to take pictures for the yearbook, and help the kids move along in their stations to be sure everyone is getting their stuff done and having fun. That’s it! Pictures mainly because I’m also the yearbook committee, don’t ask. LOL
Remember, these wonderful parent helpers were the ones who brought ALL OF THEIR OWN SUPPLIES for their own stations. I only decorated the tables and took the pics, and helped a couple of kids with their crafts.
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| Story and Treat Station is a must! |
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| Game Station #1: Skeleton Toss |
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| Craft Station! Pretzel Witch Brooms |
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| Game Station #2 - Monster Mash Game |
How did your class party go? Did you get some helpers?
We had loads of fun, and can't do anything without the help of other parents!
