End of summer doesn’t have to mean end of fun. Set the tone for a great school year, with lots of positive attitudes, by celebrating the back-to-school season with a festive party. With cheerful invitations, awesome foods, and exciting games, you can be the coolest mom in the neighborhood, with only a little time and effort.
Summoning the Students Like all holiday party ideas, a back-to-school theme starts before the day of the party, when you let the guests know the details. Add a fun touch that also saves time with school bus or playground invitations from the Amy Adele website. Follow up with a reminder announcement printed with paint pens on mini chalkboards.
Setting the Scene For an indoor party, cover the tables with white paper and scatter crayons around. Encourage the guests to write predictions, impressions or hopes for the new academic year; save the tablecloth for your end-of-school party, when you can all laugh together about how close – or how very far—the predictions were. Chalkboards, erasers, rulers, pencil sharpeners, books and alphabet blocks add to the atmosphere.
Satisfying the Hungry Hordes Prepare school cafeteria favorites like sloppy joes, pizza, chili or spaghetti to keep the theme going. Serve the food in disposable trays that look like those used at school. Add some pint-sized milk cartons or juice boxes, and you’re ready to go. For dessert, serve up a bus-shaped cake, cookies shaped like pencils or books, or cupcakes topped with plastic pencil sharpeners or candy books.
Sending Them Home With Supplies Just the right party favors can cement your “cool mom” status in a hurry. Combine the entertainment with the take-home by letting guests decorate mini canvas backpacks with markers, paint, ribbons and other embellishments. Stuff them with a new chapter book, a funky pen or pencil, a shaped eraser and a pencil topper. For older kids, provide a planner/calendar, a highlighter, a fun pen, and a locker shelf or mirror.