I’m going to have a Holiday Party in a couple of weeks because we have to, and because it’s fun, and because we have to.
I always have five centers. Because I have five table groups. A room parent (or two) usually organizes the party, and I just put my stamp of approval on the different ideas, but generally it goes something like this:
- Craft of some sort
- Game of some sort
- Bingo
- Decorate a cookie or a cupcake or make an ice cream sundae or something delicious that I always have to decline as if I’m a health nut and leading by example, but then I end up being “convinced” to partake in the yummy goodness
- Another game or craft
The kids rotate through the centers and we I set a timer for the EXACT AMOUNT OF TIME we have for the party divided by FIVE CENTERS.
Hello, OCD. Hello, Controlling Teacher. Hello, Chaos Coordinator.
THE TIMER MAKES ME FEEL BETTER.
And yet.
I hate it.
I hate it WITH A PASSION.
Usually, I’m in charge of the timer. Refer back to the OCD, Controlling Teacher, Chaos Coordinator section of this post.
And I really don’t WANT to be in charge of it, but I have this incessant NEED to be in charge of it so I cannot help it.
The biggest problem with the timer is that some of the centers do not take the allotted time, such as twelve exact minutes, which means after about seven minutes, let’s say, I’ll have a group of six antsy kids ready to move on.
But they can’t move on. The timer hasn’t rung yet. I didn’t hear a timer. Did you?
On the other hand, a center might be a craft that takes TOO long. So the timer will be ringing, and it’s time to rotate, but I’ll have one or two or all the kids in that center NOT MOVING WHATSOEVER AT ALL because they’re still working and they’re INTO IT. Meanwhile, the antsy kids from the other center that didn’t fill up the allotted time (the horror!) are now telling the lurkers to MOVE, I WANT TO SIT DOWN, MOVE OVER, DON’T YOU HEAR THE TIMER?
I’m telling you, I HATE THE TIMER.
Again, I don’t want to use the timer, but I feel the NEED to use the timer. Much in the same way I feel the need to silently count to twenty as I clean each of my contact lenses.
I’m fine.
What?
Stop looking at me like that.
My teammate, Heather, does NOT use a timer at all. She quit the timer a few years ago.
It’s like she is a HIPPIE!
It’s like she doesn’t have a care in the world!
It’s like SHE’S DRIVING HER CAR WITHOUT HER SEATBELT ON!
Every year, every party – she does NOT use a timer. Not even for her Valentine’s Day Party.
Nope.
And not even for her End of the Year Party.
I KNOW!
Should we commit her? Do you think it’s in her best interest that we commit her? I’m worried about this girl.
Every year, as we get closer and closer to our party days, I ask her are you using a timer?
And she says NO.
And then she follows it up with oh my gosh, I love not using a timer. It’s the best thing ever.
Her party is usually like this:
7 – 10 centers
Kids can go wherever they want, stay as long as they want, or move on. If it’s a game, they can go back to it if they want to. She tells the kids they only get to make ONE craft at the craft stations, and they can only decorate ONE cupcake or cookie, but the games and Bingo and whatever else is available are just OPEN.
And every year, I think okay, I’m going to run my party Heather’s way. It just sounds way more fun, a lot easier, and free flowing.
And every year, I CHICKEN OUT.
I’m a big ole chicken.
However.
THIS YEAR SHALL BE DIFFERENT.
I spoke to my room mom and we decided we are going for it. We are going to be HIPPIES and we are going to be WILD AND FREE.
In other words, the KIDS are going to be wild and free, but that’s neither here nor there.
But we are doing it!
I’m FREAKING out, but whatever, it’s an hour and a half of my life, I can handle it, right?
RIGHT?
Plus, if it goes horribly wrong, I’ll just know NEVER EVER EVER to do it again.
So my question for you is . . .
Do you use a timer or are you a hippie?
Please let me know! And EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWER if possible.
THANK YOU, FAITHFUL BLOG READERS OF MINE.
🙂
I use a timer. I can’t help it!
No timer. The kids are wild no matter what so I just go with it. It’s so much better for my well-being and for the kids to be able to do what they choose. Try it!!!
What? No timer?! I didn’t know such a thing existed! Next you will be wearing tie dye!
Yes I use a timer but now I’m thinking maybe not. I guess I’ll decide how nutty they’re the day of the party.
I don’t use a timer on free/fun choice rotations. I let the kids choose what they want and they can go there multiple times. If I put out paint with water colors I do limit them to one paper. And if someone has been in one place for awhile I encourage them to try something else.
No timer, and it’s so freeing! Just make sure you have plenty to do, a coloring packet for those fast kiddos, and go for it!
No timer! It feels much more like a party and less like centers or rotations! Play music too! Let us know how it goes.
I’m a structured hippie with several desirable holiday-themed coloring/activity pages ready for those who are finished early or are waiting to go to their last center, but the center is full. I “assign” them their first center, but when they are done I tell them to look for a center with an empty chair. I do limit how many students can go to a center at a time by removing extra chairs. If we are running out of time, I slide an extra seat or two back in, and make it work. The most important thing to make this smooth, I feel, is having enough helpers so I don’t have to run a center myself. I am just traffic control/problem solver/photo taker. My centers sound like yours, but the second craft is usually some sort of a free art station. “Make a card” or “Make a holiday picture,” I have stickers, foamies…all the fun stuff. That center runs itself.
Hippie all the way here! It is going to be a crazy day no matter what so I just embrace the crazy and join in the fun with my kiddos!
It depends on the party. For Halloween, no timer. I have two or three games and they can do whichever one they want as many times as they want, after we eat snacks. Christmas and Valentine’s Day I have done both with or without a timer. The difference is, my Christmas and Valentine games are usually geared more whole group ( aversion of “hot potato” with a gift-wrapped box, for example. So a timer works well. My Halloween games (pin the heart on the skeleton is one) are more of an individual/wait your turn thing, a timer isn’t necessary. And end of the year party — I am SUCH a hippy! The kids bring games from home, I pull games out of my rainy day closet, we don’t even use the tables except to hold the snacks. Everybody lolls around on the floor and they bounce from game to game like ping pong balls. They get to eat as much popcorn and fruit as they want, they can drink more than one juice box, and I put on the Pandora kids’ station for background noise. It’s awesome!
I don’t use a timer. We usually have 5 centers and the kids rotate, but if they finish early we have them work at their seats. They can read, or do an early finisher activity. However, I volunteer in my sons class and she does not have a timer, or assigned centers. She lets them choose and go to whatever center they want. I was shocked that there were absolutely no problems. And my son is in preppy k. It was so peaceful and the kids were great.
I use a timer, but run into all the same problems you mentioned in your post. I think this year I’ll try without!