I've never been an actual room parent before altho' I've been volunteering in my kids' classrooms weekly for 6 years. I used to do daycare but set aside every Monday for school volunteering. But now I'm just a mom and have the time to devote to being a room parent. But I need resources and ideas!! I met with the teacher today (a 1st grade teacher) and she is very willing to accept new ideas. I'm looking for new ways to arrange in-class holiday celebrations. Are there any good sites?

I'm so used to planning for preschoolers and that is what most of my info is geared for. I needed ideas for school-age children.

Thanx for any info!!!

I don't know any sites to look up. But for my two kids christmas parties, I baked tree shaped sugar cookies and mixed up red and green frosting. (make sure you add red food coloring at least 24 hours ahead or it will just be pink) I learned this the hard way.
Get your parents to all bring a different item to decorate the x-mas trees.(sprinkles, candies, etc.)
The kids loved it and it took the hassle out of passing out all that junk that doesn't get eaten and gets smooshed on the bus.
We also decorated a tree the week before. Everyone brought a book to exchange and we all sat in a circle. I read an Arthur x-mas story and everytime I said a certain word (i think it was "Arthur") they passed the book around. Whatever book you end up with at the end of the story was your gift.
Hope this helps.

A room parent's job discription depends on the teacher. In our building, each teacher has certain expectations of the room parent. The first thing we tell parents is to talk with the teacher. Find out what his/her expectations are for the party. Does your teacher have a file of ideas you can borrow? Ask your teacher if there are any allergies in the classroom. (peanut allergies?)

Our PTC parent group holds a room parent coffee in September for all of the room parents in our school. We offer ideas, tips on how to organize a party as well as basic responsibilites. We invite past room parents to share their experiences. This has been a lifesaver for our room parents.

Most parties have three components: Games, a craft and a snack. These activites can be done as a big group or in 4-5 stations in the room.

One web site that was recommended at our recent room parent coffee was www.makingfriends.com. Many parents use the Family Fun Magazines for ideas, too. If you have a budget for the party, pre-packaged crafts can be purchased through Oriental Trading. The crafts usually come in packages of 12 with directions and all of the materials to complete the craft.

On occassion, I have asked the students to make a list of snacks or games they would like at the party and the class votes for their favorite. We had "worms and dirt" pudding cups on Valentine's because the class voted for this snack. They loved it.

Good Luck!

Room parenting is fun if you have a good relationship with the teacher and he/she allows you the freedom to coordinate the parents from the classroom.

When I was a room parent in my daughter's first grade class, I found a lot of ideas at www.theideabox.com Although the site is designed for use in Early Childhood settings, many of the ideas can be easily adapted for 6-7 year olds.

Have fun with it!

MicheleC
Connecticut