Despite all classrooms being socially distanced or in a virtual learning situation, teachers can still celebrate the holidays or end of the year with their students. This post shares classroom party ideas for social distancing and virtual learning.
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I know that teachers are stressed and working SO hard right now to create the best possible learning environments for their students. Coming up with classroom party ideas for social distancing is probably the last thing you want to add to your plate.
This post shares some ideas I gathered from my time in the classroom, my post on 10 Fun and Guilt-Free Classroom Party Ideas, and other party ideas I found around the internet.
I would love to add to this list! If you have a classroom party ideas for social distancing or virtual learning, comment below and share them with me!
Classroom Party Ideas for Social Distancing
In the Year of 2020, teachers are flipping back and forth between in-person and virtual learning. Since you never know how you will be spending your last day before holiday break, I recommend having classroom party ideas for both situations- in person or virtual.
Here are some party ideas that lend themselves to the in-person teacher.
Create a Craft
My favorite craft I ever did with my students (and we did it every year!) was creating a holiday ornament. It was super simple and can lend itself very easily to a socially distanced classroom.
All you need are a few craft supplies:
- Glass ornament balls (yes…I know…glass. But I think I only ever had one break in all my years of teaching)
- Craft Paint (I purchased larger bottles and I don’t think I replaced them once in my six years of teaching.)
- Paint brushes
- Paint Pens (red, black, white if you are doing the reindeer!)
- Hand Sanitizer (DUH!)
Each student got to pick two paint colors to squirt inside the ornament. (Actually, I did it.) Then the student takes their ornament back to their desk and swirls the paint around to get the desired effect.
The paint takes a while to dry and will most likely not dry completely if you put too much in. Then, students get their thumb painted brown and place their finger on the ornament.
Be sure to have students sanitize before you paint their thumb and wash their hands immediately after.
Once that paint drys, I drew some reindeer antlers and a red nose on it. I also wrote their name on the back and the school year.
Movie and Popcorn Party
I shared this idea on the post on 10 Fun and Guilt-Free Classroom Party Ideas post. A movie and popcorn party can still happen in a socially distanced classroom.
To make the celebration even more festive, students can wear pajamas and make it a Pajama Party!
Decorate with Dodecahedrons
Dodecahedrons are another of my favorite ways to celebrate the holidays or end of the school year. I did this with my students each year during the week or two leading up to the holiday break.
A dodecahedron is a 12-sided figure. You can download the Bilingual Reading Response Dodecahedron here.
As a class we read two to three holiday books. Students chose from the books we read to create their dodecahedron. Then, we would hang them from the ceiling to decorate and celebrate.
Be sure to have a well established Classroom Management Plan in place (virtually and in-person) before celebrating with your students! Download the free Classroom Management Tips resource to get more ideas for improving your Classroom Management.
Classroom Party Ideas for Virtual Learning
If you are already teaching virtually, or think there might be a chance you will be by the time you host your classroom party, then here are some fun ideas for you!
Show and Tell
I think there is a lost art with Show and Tell. This is another fun way you can celebrate the holidays with your students virtually (or socially distanced.)
If you are celebrating the holidays, then have students share an item, story, or tradition they celebrate in their family for the holidays. If it is the end of the year, students can share about something they enjoyed from the school year or just bring an item from home they want to tell the class about.
Host a Talent Show
You can host a talent show in a socially distanced classroom or if you are doing virtual learning. A few things to keep in mind when hosting a virtual (or classroom) talent show.
- Give students a week or two to prepare for their act
- Review what students will be presenting before hand to ensure it’s appropriate
- Establish time limits
- Create a virtual backdrop students can use when they are performing
Holiday Themed Decorations
I loved the way The Applicious Teacher celebrated Halloween with her students. She did some simple, virtual, decorating to add to the fun of the day. Things like a custom banner for Google-Classroom and a holiday themed cursor. These are simple things you can do for any holiday and will add some fun to the classroom!
Virtual Games
Another easy way to celebrate the holidays or end of the year is with some simple games.
I loved this idea of Virtual Boggle from Fun in Fourth. Students change their name on Zoom to the first letter of their name. Then, the each student works to create as many words from the letters as possible.
Holiday Bingo is another fun and easy way to celebrate with the students. Here is a tutorial on how you can create your own virtual Bingo board.
Surprise Read-Alouds
This is an easy, and fun, celebration to orchestrate. Simply get some guest readers (parents, Principal, other school staff, etc.) to “pop into” your Zoom meeting and read a story to the kids.
Add some extra fun (if possible!) by having the reader dress up for the holiday or in a way that ties into the book.
In Conclusion,
Hopefully this will be the last of the socially distanced and/or virtual classroom parties happening in your classroom. Don’t let the stress and disfunction of this school year get you down. There are still a lot of fun ways you can celebrate with your students.
Quick Links
Be sure to check out the links I shared in this post for more classroom party ideas for social distancing:
- 10 Fun and Guilt-Free Classroom Party Ideas
- Holiday Celebrations in the Classroom
- Purchase the Bilingual Reading Response Dodecahedron
Related Posts
Until next time,
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