Anonymous
Post 09/02/2016 18:33     Subject: Re:how to celebrate kids birthday in the classroom
Jello cups are allergy-free and kids love them. Bring plastic spoons.
Anonymous
Post 09/02/2016 18:28     Subject: how to celebrate kids birthday in the classroom
I can't believe there's a big debate on this. Doesn't your school have a written policy? Every school my kids have been in have a written policy on what you can/can't bring and when it can/can't be distributed. Just follow that.
Anonymous
Post 09/02/2016 18:23     Subject: Re:how to celebrate kids birthday in the classroom
Anonymous wrote:My child's first grade teacher invites the birthday child's parents to class to read a book that they then donate to the classroom library. That seems like a lovely and appropriate tradition.


Don't know if you're in my kid's school, but that's what we do - no food treats allowed. I usually do that and bring in party hats, and the kids love it. My kid is so jazzed to have his mom in the room and be sung to.
Anonymous
Post 09/02/2016 17:58     Subject: how to celebrate kids birthday in the classroom
We have done birthdays at school a couple of times, alternating years with bigger, invite-the-whole-class off site parties...Basically I took time off work, brought in cupcakes or a birthday cake made of cupcakes (Safeway in Petworth has good prices on customized cakes and cupcakes!), plates, punch etc. Covered a table and decorated with a few things, did the candle etc. You could have a game or two if the teacher is cool with it.
Anonymous
Post 09/02/2016 13:10     Subject: how to celebrate kids birthday in the classroom
My kid's birthday is always the first week of school. I send in store-bought cupcakes and napkins. School policy is that parents can come in and distribute at lunch (I can't do that because of work), or teachers will distribute in class at the end of the day. I always check with the teachers during the "meet the teacher" event before school starts to be sure it's okay. It's worked out fine, the kids are happy, and I figure it can't hurt in helping my kid make friends with her new classmates!
Anonymous
Post 09/02/2016 13:06     Subject: Re:how to celebrate kids birthday in the classroom
Anonymous wrote:You are over thinking. Go buy something preface that you know it nut free. The candy is fine if nut free.

...unless there are kids with milk allergies. Please, no food unless you are 100% certain that there are no kids with food allergies in the class. If you do plan on bringing in a treat, the parents of kids with food allergies really appreciate a heads up so that they can send in something for their kid to eat.

Mini-doodle books ($1 something on Amazon), magic scratch boards, multi-color pens, etc
Anonymous
Post 09/02/2016 12:33     Subject: how to celebrate kids birthday in the classroom
Don't give bubbles. I HATE bubbles. Most of the mini bubble things don't even work. Also, the erasers don't work either unless you buy the boring erasers that actually work. As for pencils, I have dozens of them. The ones with the cool designs are also cheap, unless you buy the boring Ticonderoga ones.

Sorry. I'm being honest.
Anonymous
Post 09/02/2016 12:07     Subject: how to celebrate kids birthday in the classroom
Last year, the class had 4 birthday celebrations. One in Oct for all the fall birthdays, another for all the winter birthdays, etc.
Anonymous
Post 09/02/2016 10:51     Subject: how to celebrate kids birthday in the classroom
Anonymous wrote:My DS has one of the earliest birthdays every year in his classroom, so we can never "lift" any good ideas from the other kids' parents!

I asked his teacher what the policy is this year. She told me that the policy is to not allow anything homemade, only labelled food that is individually packaged. What would you send into the school for his birthday?

He has a favorite candy bar. I was thinking about buying the snack size of that and putting a happy birthday sticker on it?

OR would you do a nonfood thing? We did that last year but he told me that the kids preferred the times that they got candy or a cookie compared to the birthdays when they got pencils or stickers...


I see a lot of people saying to make sure the candy bar is nut free - I"m not an allergy parent but had a girl with anaphalaxis to tree nuts in a group I led for a while. Be aware that the snack size items aren't generally individually labelled about allergies, and are often packaged in different facilities than the "full size" items. So, for instance, if the full size candy bar isn't processed in a facility with nuts, the "snack size" item could be. Couple that with the non individual marking, and chances are any kid with food allergies won't eat your treat anyway. Personally, I'd go with a non-food pinterest idea.
Anonymous
Post 09/02/2016 09:17     Subject: Re:how to celebrate kids birthday in the classroom
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I've got kids ES to HS. I don't ever recall anyone having a party at school. Parents typically send in a treat to be passed out and consumed during lunch. If DH or I can't deliver AT lunch, we drop them off in the morning in the office with our kid's name/grade/teacher on container. Of course, we always clear it with the teacher first. It's not disruptive, the kids love getting a treat, my kid loves passing them out and one cupcake isn't going to wreck anyone's healthy lifestyle.




Interrupting class 25 times a year to have cake isn't disruptive?

Ooooooookay.


Read, fool. Lunchtime. That is pretty typical.
Anonymous
Post 09/02/2016 09:06     Subject: Re:how to celebrate kids birthday in the classroom
Our does not do any in-school birthday celebrations with treats provided by parents. The birthday is announced in the morning announcements, little kids get a birthday crown and I think across all the grades DD got a pencil or other small gift from the teacher.

I do like the parent reading/donate a book to the library tradition a PP mentioned.
Anonymous
Post 09/02/2016 08:20     Subject: Re:how to celebrate kids birthday in the classroom
No need to celebrate your little snowflake's birthday in class. Plan a party for outside of class time.
Anonymous
Post 09/02/2016 08:18     Subject: Re:how to celebrate kids birthday in the classroom
Anonymous wrote:Once your child hits elementary school, please don't celebrate his birthday in the classroom.


This.
Anonymous
Post 09/01/2016 23:18     Subject: Re:how to celebrate kids birthday in the classroom
You are over thinking. Go buy something preface that you know it nut free. The candy is fine if nut free.