Keeping our children healthy, having a healthier school environment and raising healthier children are goals shared by parents, teachers and school administrators.

Hosting healthier school parties help teach children to enjoy celebrations that do not always involved a lot of sweet treats.

It also promotes positive lifestyle choices and reinforces good habits such as eating healthy food and being active.

Don’t misunderstand me there is nothing wrong with an occasional treat, it’s just that unhealthy food choices have become more the norm than the exception when it comes to school celebrations.

With a bit of creative planning and following some simple ideas, it is still possible for us parents to throw fun and healthy school celebrations, for our kids, throughout the school year.

Keep this in mind when planning a school celebration; have the celebration focus on an activity instead of focusing on sweet treats.

List of Ideas (and growing):

• Bring party games.

• Let the kids create something with art supplies.

• Let the birthday kid be the teacher’s special helper for the day and wear a special crown or sash. The birthday child can sit in a special birthday chair and visit the principal for a birthday surprise (card, pencil, sticker, coupon).

• Let the birthday student choose and lead an activity.

• Instead of food purchase a book for the classroom or school library in the birthday student’s name and read it to the class.

• Host a scavenger hunt.

Remember school is a place to learn and we want to teach our children healthy eating habits.

P.S. Send me your healthy recipes and ideas for activities, games, and crafts for school parties. I will compile these ideas into an “ Ideas To Host Healthier School Celebrations” book that we all can use when planning school celebrations.

Thank you,

Donna Ricketts-Ajike

PTA Board Member Health/Nutrition

ajikes@sbcglobal.net