Your child's class will enjoy celebrating his birthday.
Birthdays are meant to be celebrated--just ask any kid. Celebrating a birthday in school is a pretty big deal to most grade school kids, which means that parents are tasked with throwing a school birthday party that offers sufficient celebration without completely disrupting the class. Working with your child's teacher, you can create a safe celebration that doesn't overwhelm the classroom. Does this Spark an idea?
Store Bought
Although it goes against almost everything you have ever thought or been told about birthday cakes, the simple fact is that, when celebrating your child's birthday at school, it is safer to buy a cake or cupcake from the store. Be sure that it has an ingredient label affixed, so that the teacher can scout out any ingredients that the students might have allergies to. The last thing you want is for a child to go into anaphylactic shock because he is allergic to nuts, and your cake had peanut butter on it.
Not Too Sweet
Schools across the nation are looking for ways to improve the overall nutrition of the meals they serve. Many schools have policies that forbid sugary snacks from class. Check with your child's teacher prior to bringing in birthday treats, so that you will know what her individual guidelines are. In addition to cake or cookies, offer a healthy option, such as fruit or baby carrots with ranch dip. Providing both options ensures that kids don't just fill up on sweets, but also have a healthy snack.
Timing
Most students eat lunch in the late morning or midday, so plan to bring in your birthday treat in the early afternoon or at the end of the school day. Although the anticipation may be all your child can handle, his teacher will appreciate not having to get the class to settle down and learn after the excitement of the party. Another option is to bring your child's birthday treat to class as a morning snack. Donuts or muffins work well for this and are less sugary than cake. The students will appreciate the break from routine, and the teacher will be thankful that the party was not too disruptive.
Coordinate with Teacher
More important than the cake is your presence in the classroom. Your child will enjoy having you there to celebrate her big day. Talk to her teacher ahead of time, and figure out a way you can celebrate in the classroom without derailing the lesson. Ask if you can read a story, or incorporate a math topic they are learning. For instance, if they are working on fractions, use pre-frosted cookies and a cookie decorating pen to shade in different portions of the tops of the cookie. Have the children identify 1/2-, 1/3- or 3/4-iced cookies before eating them.
Tags: your child, birthday school, birthday treat, bring your, child birthday, child teacher