How Do I Plan a Holiday Classroom Party for 3Rd Graders?

I always plan the party with 3-4 game/craft stations and rotate the kids through. It's so much easier to work with 5-6 elementary kids compared with 20ish.

I would definitely not try to do the activities as a class. Might be just me, but that sounds like it could be very chaotic.

My oldest is in 3rd grade, and I'm pretty sure his class is going to be rotating in groups. In 1st grade, each child was given a card with all the stations listed. They were allowed to do each station once, but they could go to any of them any time, as long as there was room. I thought that worked really well. They could stay longer at any station if they chose it, and they didn't have to stay too long at a station that wasn't their favorite.

When each child came to our station we crossed off our station on their card so we and they knew which stations they could still go to.

Definitely crafts at separate stations with rotation at specific times -- X minutes per station, then maybe ring a "jingle bell" and that's a signal to change. Keep the activities simple so that kids don't get frustrated at not being able, for instance, to complete a craft in the time alllotted. At similar parties, we had, maybe, two stations of different crafts and two stations of short games ("winter bingo" is great and you probably can find it online -- bingo cards have symbols rather than spelling Bingo--snowflake, snowman, mitten, steaming cup of cocoa, etc. Easy to make if you can't find it. Have small, donated prizes for the bingo and other game! Pencils with winter themes are perfect prizes.)

Also, snack at the end is best; it's less mess (because kids are not carrying the snack around as they go to stations) and it provides a pretty clear ending event.

You are the only classroom parent but please do not try to run this entire party yourself! Send out a call for volunteers and be kind of firm, if your class tends to have uninvolved parents. Do you have a parent e-mail list? I sure hope so (if not, get one after this -- you should have help!). If you do, go to Sign Up Genius website -- it's FREE -- and create a sign up list to help with this party. Have one parent donate the plates, another the cups, put in several slots for donations of X or Y craft materials, etc. Is there a class fund collected at the start of the year, to pay for food and other supplies?

Most important of all, have a sign up genius slot for volunteers -- you need at LEAST five adults including you, so you can have an adult at or near each of your four stations plus one to "float" and maybe prep the food as the kids are doing stations. I hope you don't have to remind parents that without parent volunteers, their children's party will have to be smaller and have fewer activities! You can do this with maybe three volunteers, but don't say that -- ask for four besides you, and do not expect the teacher to lift a finger; this should be a break for the teacher who should be able to leave the room and let parents run it all! I hope it goes well, and it will, but be sure to let parents know early and clearly that volunteers are essential if their own kids are going to have parties and events.

Next time there's a party, enlist at least one other parent to help you plan it, too. That makes other parents feel involved -- and it means you don't have all the work on you.

One of mine did this this past week. There were 4 activities - mostly crafts at theirs. They had 3 moms in and the teacher. I saw pictures - it looked really organized and fun with each group circled around the helper. They made a clothespin ornament (painting), a glue type activity) glitter onto pinecone ornament, etc. One was a cutting activity. Worked well.
Snack after sounds good. They also had on a separate day bring your stuffie in and wear pajamas for their Christmas class movie. The teacher brought in popcorn. Hope that helps :)

I do think doing activities as a class all at once would work too - but I think it's more fun to rotate from area to area for the kids, more of a change from their regular sitting at desks.

I think that parents over do stuff like this. Seriously, the kids want to stuff their face with junk food and have fun hanging out. I would say that micro managing their time at a party is overkill and takes away the fun.

Look back to when you were a kid. Did you have every second of your parties scheduled? Were you enjoying sitting by your bestie and a mom was pulling you over to a table to do a craft you really didn't care anything about and that would probably be in the trash when you got home? Or did they let you hang out and eat stuff and have fun?

I think that you are going to rush the kids like crazy with 4 tables/activities PLUS trying to eat snacks at the same time. I think you should set the snacks up buffet style and have a couple of things they can come do when they want to.

I think rotations will work well. It gives kids the chance to get more personal attention and they will be able to focus more on each game/activity/craft. They will also probably have more fun in a smaller group because they can talk to each other while they work/play.

My son is also in third grade this year. He's in a 2/3 combo class, so he is actually doing his xmas party with the whole second grade. They do three crafts, but the whole class moves from one classroom to the next. I volunteered last year when we did the same thing. Each room had a different craft, but within the rooms, there were still smaller tables and enough parent volunteers so that the kids could easily work in smaller groups.

Craft ideas: we did a nice painting on canvas in one room (similar to the adult Paint Nite companies that are really popular right now); reindeer handprints in another, and terra cotta snowmen in the third (these are very cute; pinterest has plenty of great pictures for ideas).

I would consult the teacher. She'll know what would work and what wouldn't. I would have the other Mom's bring the finger foods/drinks for snacks.

I think structured activities with a little "free" time is a good way to go with this age group. I would suggest you come up with a way to divide up the groups to prevent arguing about who gets to be in what group. I've used holiday themed pencils, have the kids draw a pencil and the like patterns are their group. NO TRADING! The teacher will be helpful in enforcing this.

I also suggest enlisting ANY adult that comes to enjoy the party. If they are present, they can lend a hand. Don't try to do it all, you can't and you will come away frustrated. Enjoy! 3rd grade is one of my favorites!

Definitely not as a class. Too hard & it quickly becomes mayhem. I would do table rotations. Maybe 3 tables, a different craft at each table. If you don't have any parent volunteers to help you then make the crafts
easy to do. Have the cookies & punch at the end of the party. Set the snacks out as a buffet to make it
easy w/plates & napkins at the first end but keep them covered until it's time for snacks. While most
people like to have a lot of cookies, I'd balance it out w/some Golfish crackers, regular crackers & pretzels
so they don't get a stomach ache. Sice you don't have help: make things easy, make a list & don't
spread yourself too thin. Oh & the teacher would ring a bell when it was time to change stations.