Celebrations

Celebrations are exciting! They are also great opportunities to promote a healthy lifestyle, have fun, be creative and generate excitement around nutritious choices. Celebrations can have a non-food focus, offering opportunities for active games, music, dance, and other fun activities. When food is part of a special event, offer a variety of healthy options including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and water.

Healthy Celebration Ideas:

• Classroom Celebrations Starter Kit, including downloadable resources for celebrating birthdays and other holidays
• Ideas for Healthy Celebrations by Month
• Healthy Celebrations Survey to gather student ideas for healthy celebrations
• Healthy Snack List to guide parent contributions to parties

Additional Resources:

• Start a conversation about healthy parties with the Re-imagining Classroom Celebrations presentation.
• Use the Healthy Celebrations letter as a template to share your classroom celebration policy with parents.
• Share 10 Tips for Hosting Healthy Celebrations or 5 Steps to Healthier Celebrations, and with administrators, teachers, classroom parents, and others involved in celebration decision-making.

Wellness Policy

Check your school district’s wellness policy for guidelines on classroom celebrations. If necessary, work with your administrators to clarify what is allowed at parties, potentially limiting party foods to fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and water. And don’t forget the physical activity!