Christmas Party in the classroom...what Is Acceptable These Days?

I would go ahead with the snowman and/or candy cane themes! It never snows here, but kids still love the idea of snowmen, snowflakes, sledding, etc, and ALL kids like candy! Last year my daughter's teacher gave each child a book about what snowmen do at night. My daughter has never made a snowman in her life, but she has read that book about once a week since she got it. LOL

When I was a room mom, we did cookie decorating at the class party before Christmas. It was a big hit. It will keep them busy for a while, serves as both the party craft and the party food, and dodges the whole religion question. ;)

I'm here in TX too. Last year my sons class did "snow" themed activities although there is no snow. The kids loved it. You didn't mention what grade level this was for but my sons first grade class last year decorated snow flake cookies and made snow men from funny items that each child was assigned to bring (my son was assigned yarn). They also had a snowman race where two kids were the "snowmen", they raced to see who could get dressed in boots, scarf, mittens, hat the quickest. My son loved his party and still talks about it.

I really like the Gingerbread Man idea below. Now I'm not a fan of gingerbread, but making them out of sugar cookies would be a nice idea and the kids can then decorate. I make little holiday baskets for teachers and co-workers (some who are Jewish) and I usually stick to cookie shapes like snowmen, snowflakes and mittens but if you want to avoid cold-weather things, then gingerbread people would do the trick! The outdoor/nature ideas are nice too, but I don't know if you come across many pine cones in Texas.

Also...you might want to get into the habit of calling it the "winter" or "holiday" party and not the "Christmas" party as what you're arranging isn't a Christmas party. If it's a generic holiday party, no one should feel the need to pull his or child out of school and keep them at home. We celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah and school celebrations here have always been inclusive of those two holidays plus Kwanzaa and have mentioned the winter solstice and general winter themes as well.

Here--snowmen, pine cones, snowflakes, penguins, candy canes, presents, gingerbread houses, gingerbread men & women, mittens, etc.
Look at www.orientaltrading.com and look at what they have.
They have lots of non-religious things.
What about a buttered pinecone rolled in birdseed bird feeder?
(And yes, while I'm sure some of the items I've mentioned have roots in religion, they are not overtly religious.)

One year i baked each kid a "naked" gingerbread man. I had a couple of mom's help me with the baking. Then we brought in icing and all kinds of fun candies to decorate. Yummy :)

The Teacher, should be telling you, per the school's 'rules', what is allowed or not. That is how it is, at my kids' school, per the 'Room Mom" and the planning of holiday classroom parties/activities.

You can also make ornaments. Using styrofoam balls or paper plates. Or make things related or Reindeers.
Pin the tail on a Reindeer or something.

last year we took all of the kids pictures, printed them out on 4x6, then using sticks, had the kids create picture frames.I took in festive tissue paper to wrap them up as presents.

http://www.orientaltrading.com/colorful-puzzle-piece-phot...

http://www.orientaltrading.com/western-photo-frame-magnet...

glitter pinecones
cardinals
gingerbread men
frosting round sugar cookies
decorating candles
cinnamon caches/ popouri

Do a winter party. Either keep it neutral (snow, snowmen, etc) or do something for each holiday celebrated at that time of year.

When I was in school (private school), we did a holiday party and each "center" was history and craft from the major holidays. Parents who celebrated those holidays either brought in food or came in to help at that station. It was a lot of work for the parents, but we learned so much about eachother's cultures. Do some research on each holiday and go from there.

Personally, I would stick with a Winter Wonderland theme and have the kiddos make snowmen out of styrofoam balls, etc. No matter what you celebrate (or don't), you can put up a snowman in the winter! Check out the craft section at Michael's and see what "kits" they have this year.

- decorate snowflake sugar cookies
- hot chocolate
- decorate a holiday mug (each kid can do what they want)
- find books on holiday traditions
- snowflakes out of popsicle sticks (paint and glitter)

Maybe "pot" little pine seedlings in little plastic cups, or peat pots?

Pin the bow on the present? Or pin the nose on the reindeer? (W/ double-sided tape, of course!)

If you get a large piece of butcher paper, you could draw a winter scene and let the kids color it, and if it's generic wintery enough and the teacher has a space in the hallway, perhaps, they could display it through January. Fireplaces with mantlepieces covered in pictures and knickknacks gives a lot of variety for the kids to color; a bunch of kids having a snowball fight lets them color the kids and the trees and birds and whatnot; anything you can think of that would give the kids enough variety of things to color.

I would do snowmen, and gingerbread men or houses (U can make small houses using graham crackers rather than gingerbread). I would avoid any mention of the religious aspects. I am surprised that Santa is not allowed.

How about Gingerbread men or houses? How about wreaths? Trees? You can always do snowmen, even if it never snows in Texas! You could decorate christmassy cookies...bells, slays, pinecones, snowmen, gingerbread boys and girls, candy canes. I am sure you can buy the cookie cutters at Micheals or something. How about making clay ornaments? I am 34 and my mom still has the one that I made when I was 5 in kindergarten.
L.

Go with the "Winter" theme. Stay away from the hassles of being PC. Great snack/craft is doughnut snowman:

http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/doughnut-snowmen-684925/

Play games like: Pin the nose on the snowman, snowball fight (with rolled up pieces of paper), or make a winter themed bingo (I'd suggest 4 x 4 cards) using mini marshmallows (mini snowballs as markers so they can eat at the end).

Depending upon how much $ you have to work with, I've purchased snowflake fleece (any other pattern would work). Cut them into long rectangles and have the kids cut fringe about 5" up on each side. Then they could knot the strings and viola - a scarf they can wrap as a present.

I really like the idea of a "holidays around the world" theme. I've also seen nice multicultural celebrations done the theme of light -- Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Diwali all involve themes of light. You could have them all decorate, say, a flashlight and have a parade.

With all due respect to some of the people who have posted below, I do not think Christmas trees, Santa, ornaments, reindeer, or wreathes would be inclusive of those who do not celebrate Christmas. A lot of the other suggestions, incl. gingerbread men, sound great, though.

Talk to the teacher, but it really depends on the school. The teacher will know about her own kids, etc... I don't celebrate Christmas, but I certainly wouldn't mind if my son had the choice to make a Christmas Tree or a Menorah. I'm sure he would choose the Christmas Tree because it is different for him. LOL! But, not everyone feels as I do.

I certainly would not pull my child out of school because of a Holiday Party. And that's where I'd go... Make a General Holiday Party and include all holidays. Christmas, Chanukah and Kwanzaa. It will be a fun opportunity for the kids to learn about other traditions. I'd stay away from "religion" and focus on tradition. Christians: Christmas Trees, Wreaths, Stockings
Jews: Menorah, Dreidal, Coin Candy
Kawanzaa: Candle Holder, Fruit for Harvest, Woven Mat

Or just make party napkins or placemats and let each kid decorate any way they want for their personal holidays. Snowmen still work.

What age is your son?

I've found that Christmas trees and ornaments are pretty inclusive, especially if you can find a way to include a picture of each child in theirs. Decorating Christmas cookies are another good craft for the classroom.

"Holiday seasons around the world" is another good theme that can be inclusive of many traditions and expands the availability of craft ideas.

First off in public school you don't do a "Christmas" party you do a winter holiday party. That way it covers all probably holidays, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza etc.... I would go with doing stuff like snowflakes, snowmen etc. I would stay away from a specific religious theme. Pin the face on the snowman. And maybe just because your in texas doesn't mean you can't do snowmen. maybe you could do tumbleweed man lol.

What's the big deal? just do a winter theme. No worries.

When I was in school, we had a week of christmas celebration,. Ech day, we learned about different "Christmas characters from around the world. Saint Nick, Zuarte Pete, St Lucia, the witch (can't remember her name), Hanukkah, Kwanzaa.. it was really cool and not any specific religion or world view was the focus.

That probably wont go over any more, sadly! I would do a gingerbread house, gingerbread ornament, reindeer games, sugar cookies, make snowflake mobiles, snowman (even in Texas, kids love snowmen), snowglobes out of baby food jars and glitter!

Winter theme definitely sounds best. It works around everything, doesnt offend anyone, and because you dont ever get snow, it would be fun for the kids to pretend they do. Its something different for them.
Anything, snowy, snowmans, cookies you can have kids decorate them.

Have the kids make snowflakes, put clear or blue glitter glue on it and write their names on it and then afterwards you can hang them from the ceiling from string. It will make it look like the classroom is snowing. Always fun.

Make paper mache snowman's big or little and then glue on the rest.

Hot chocolate with marshmallows and chocolate sticks to put in them to make them look fancy.

Get a winter movie to watch after crafts and things are done, so they can relax and enjoy the coca for awhile.