Many parents have amazing memories of sharing tasty cupcakes with classmates to celebrate their birthday at school. It was always an exciting moment when our mom was walking through the classroom with treats. Nowadays, you can do the same for your kids! Below we share simple steps you need to do in order to celebrate birthdays at school.

Talk with the Classroom Teacher

If the school permits celebrating birthdays, talk with the teacher before you organize anything. Find out what time she/he feels you can throw your little party. You don’t want to interfere with work or with the teaching process.

The teacher might ask you to celebrate at the end of the day when kids are tired. Or, the teacher might ask you to arrive in the morning, or after lunch. Note that nowadays, many schools do not allow foods brought from off-campus because of the lack of nutritional value of unhealthy treats.

Many schools now have Local Wellness Policies, which also affects birthdays. You can ask for the list of healthy treats that you can bring to the school. You can also bring something else, such as stickers. If your school allows cupcakes, awesome! Make something simple. You should also ask the teacher if any child is allergic to anything.

Bring Party Favors

While party favors can be avoided, some parents love to give them. Just don’t bring candies without asking permission. You can get age-appropriate toys or school supplies. Kids love these and you can buy four-packs and divide them among everyone.

Keep these cheap and simple. Kids often care about getting a gift rather than they care about the actual item.

What to do if Cupcakes are not Allowed?

If you cannot bring food to the school, think of something else. For example, you can bring balloons or streamers. You can also buy party hats that add fun to the celebration. Bring a special hat for the birthday kid.

Sing-A-Long & Play a Quick Game

Talk with the teacher about organizing an art project that will be interesting for children. The birthday kid can choose the project. In the Fall, you can glue leaves you have collected to paper. For Springtime, you can bring flower seeds that children can pot and bring home. If the party is near a holiday, you can plan a fun activity around it.

If your child is young, you can arrive with interesting books and let kids choose which one they want to read. Then gather in a circle and let the birthday child be in the center.

Whatever You Do, It Should Be Short

You should always discuss with the teacher how long you can stay. And don’t make the party any longer. Factor in time to clean the mess and pack up; you can even encourage kids to help you clean the classroom – but don’t expect the teacher or children do this instead of you.

You should also call or email the teacher that evening, or write her a thank you note for letting you have your child’s birthday party at school with the classmates.