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If we all look back to our formable years as children, most of us can remember our classroom parties! They were days filled with goofing off, games, and best of all…SNACKS! Parents brought the gambit of cookies, brownies, popcorn balls, rice crispy treats, and the list goes on and on. Not to mention the snack bags to take home! Those were filled not only with a snack but those awesome little whistles that our parents secretly got rid of in our absence.
While the restrictions on food and how snacks have to be prepared and handed out have changed insurmountably, schools continue to have special days where these things can still happen. School party snack ideas with all of the different restrictions seem much more difficult. Going back to school has its challenges, then also, throw in a pandemic and school parties, and the giving out of school party snacks becomes even more challenging…but not impossible.
Are There Restrictions?
Even with all of the government regulations on snacks, the many different dietary restrictions, and now Covid, there are still all kinds of great ideas that you can use to make your child’s class event one that will be remembered. Before we get too far into the snacks part, there are a few things that you should do before looking at any school party snack ideas or making any snacks for your child’s class.
1 . Call the School
Always call the school before making any school party snacks for a class to see if the school has any specific regulations that need to be followed. It would stink to spend a lot of time whipping up something special for a school party to share it with a class.
2 . Verify Any State or Federal Standards
Every school nutrition program has to adhere to strict state and federal standards. Much, if not all of a public school’s nutrition funding comes from making sure these regulations are adhered to regularly. This includes the times food is served, what types of foods are served, and whether those foods adhere to specific nutritional guidelines. Long story short, the healthier you can go, the better. If your child is having a school party, snack ideas that include healthy school snacks are always the best option for kids.
3 . Check and See When the Free Food Days Are
Because there are so many regulations from higher authorities in the school food programs, there are so many days allowed per school year that can be used as “free food days.” Means, things such as Holiday parties and special school events can serve all of those fun treats students do not get during the normal school year.
The Best School Party Snack Ideas!
Ok, here we go! Whether you’re on the PTO or just a parent that wants to contribute to your child’s special snack day, this is the school party snacks list for you. The school party snack ideas listed here help provide options for individual packaging of food. Besides looking at Pinterest (which is where I get most of my ideas), we have a whole bunch here for you to choose from for any school parties!
1 . Pre-Packaged Veggie Cups
I know, I know…I am starting with vegetables. However, I did say the healthier you go, the better (this is coming from a teacher!). These school party snacks are so straightforward, and you would be surprised how many students love their vegetable cups. Pack these full of chopped broccoli, cauliflower, and baby carrots, then place the individual ranch dipping inside each one. Wrap with cellophane and place a bow around the top.
Worried about how to transfer this to the school? Don’t worry about it. Place all of these items in a cooler and either talk to the office about putting the cooler upfront with them or drop them off with the teacher directly.
What you need:
- Clear disposable cups
- Vegetable of your choice
- Ranch dipping of your choice
- Cellophane wrap
- Paper ribbon
2 . Go Bananas!
Bananas are so incredibly versatile when it comes to making snacks! Most kids love bananas because of their sweet flavor and the cool natural packaging that they come in. Even better is that bananas are always a healthy snack and don’t require any other type of sanitary packaging as their peel does a fine job all on its own. So how do we spruce up the banana to make it fun for a classroom party?
Just get out a permanent marker and get to drawing. Of course, you aren’t just limited to drawing silly faces on each banana, but add some fun googley eyes for effect or even a cupcake cup upside down as a cute dress for your banana.
What you need:
- Bananas
- Permanent marker
- Cupcake cups (dress for your banana)
Want to go a little extra and take that banana out of the peel? You can do that too! Cut bananas into thirds and dip them in chocolate. Place a short skewer into each one and individually wrap it with cellophane to keep the banana from turning brown. Also, make sure to keep them refrigerated until the time of the event. These are bound to be a classroom favorite!
What you need:
- Chocolate
- Bananas
- Cellophane wrap
- Natural bamboo skewers
3 . Do You Want to Build a Snowman?
Do you need school party snack ideas for your child’s upcoming holiday party, and do you want to do something extraordinary and fun as a treat? Look no further than this classic “build your own snowman” package. In a small plastic treat bag or even a snack size ziplock, place three large marshmallows, a few pretzel sticks for arms, and putting large marshmallows together, and whatever items you want the kids to be able to use is a face for the snowman (like mini chocolate chips). Want the snowman to have a scarf? Add a few strings of Twizzlers to the mix.
Next, create a business card-sized printout that says, “Do you want to build a snowman?”. If you don’t feel creative enough to get on a computer and design a label, there are many available to print out online for FREE. So win-win Staple your label to the baggie and, viola…each child has their sweet treat that they can build a snowman with. Possibly, you can include a little recipe card on the back of their label as well.
What you need:
- Snack-size ziplock
- Large marshmallows (snowman body)
- Mini chocolate chips (face)
- Pretzel sticks (arms)
- Twizzlers (scarf)
- Paper tags
4 . Boo!
Typically one of the most fun times of the year is the Halloween kick-off of fall, the cooler weather, and the getting to dress up like something scary and fun. But most of all, the sweet treats that come with this wickedly enjoyable day can make any sweet tooth hurt. For Halloween, snack ideas are plenty! If your child has a class party for Halloween, consider some healthy snacks since they will have so much candy flying their way soon.
One great idea for a Halloween school party snack is to take those cute little cups of mandarin oranges and hot glue a green pipe cleaner for the stem. Then, with a black permanent marker, draw different jack-o-latten faces on each one of the cups. Kids will love these naturally sweet treats that are not only good for them but are healthy and taste great.
What you need:
5 . The Perfect Happy Birthday Class Party
Ice Cream Cone Cupcake
While we always think going healthy is a great option, certain occasions call for something a little sweeter. Cupcakes are always a fun option for those classroom birthday parties, but if you want to kick up the traditional cupcakes or cookies a little more, read on! One great idea is to make your cupcakes in ice cream cone cups. Doing this makes the entire thing more portable, and kids can enjoy the entire treat with less trash.
What you need:
- Ice cream cone cups
- Ingredients for a cupcake of your choice
Birthday Cookies
Want to do something a little different and don’t have the time to bake. Order some gourmet decorated birthday cookies and have them individually wrapped for each student. While this isn’t a healthy option, it is perfect for a low-key celebration that kids will enjoy.
What you need:
6 . Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow…
As a teacher, I know the last day of school is typically always going to be a free day when it comes to food. I love to give my students a sweet treat before they leave that they wouldn’t normally get every day during the school year or even over the summer. The end-of-the-school-year parties are ones that the kids (and teachers) look forward to each year to enjoy celebrating time with one another.
On this last day, throw an ice cream bar party complete with all of the toppings. Have some chocolate chips, marshmallows, chocolate sauce, and other healthy snack toppers (like fruit) to make the ultimate sundae bar. Teachers and kids will love celebrating the start of summer together with this classic, favorite treat.
What you need:
- Ice cream bar party decoration
- Chocolate chips
- Marshmallows
- Chocolate sauce
- Healthy snack toppers (like fruit)
Final Thoughts
Whatever you choose for your child or students will be the highlight of the party. Be sure to include recipe cards for other parents for the kids to take home or to share at the next national “take your parents to school day“. While we don’t necessarily want popcorn, cookies, candy, and other sugar-filled treats in our children’s diets regularly, these special school parties are a time for guards to be down and kids to enjoy the company of their peers and teachers.
Hopefully, 2022 doesn’t throw any more curve balls that can put the kibosh on school parties. However, we hope these snack ideas can help you out for the next school party!
