Winter is the perfect time for celebrations at school. Celebrations can take place in one classroom or involve the entire school. When planning schoolwide celebrations be sure to include the school wellness committee students, parents, the cafeteria staff, administration, school nurse and.
Here are some winter celebrations that can easily be celebrated in a healthy way:
December – Consider hosting a healthy food drive to support community Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and other holiday celebrations.
December – Winter Holiday Party Ideas (Healthy School Celebrations from Action for Healthy Kids -See page 9)
December – Celebrate Holiday Meals across Cultures with these activities that can be adapted for classroom celebrations.
New Year’s Day (celebrate new beginnings by trying a new food or recipe during the first week in January)
Frosty Fun (Let’s Party Booklet from WV Department of Education – See page 47)
Medieval Merriment (Let’s Party Booklet from WV Department of Education – See page 37)
January – National Bean Day (6th)
January – Martin Luther King Jr. (16th)
January – Family Fitness Month
January – National Carrot Month (wear orange and taste test different types)
February – Super Bowl Party
February – Ground Hog Day on the 2nd
February – 100th Day of School (ask the class to name 100 fruits and vegetables)
February – Valentine’s Day – Celebrate with Healthy Treats or a healthy activity.
STEM Activities for Valentines Day
February – President’s Day (Talk about past Presidents’ favorite foods)
February – American Heart Month
We Love AfterSchool Toolkit
Other possible events to celebrate during different months of the year.
FSNE educators and teachers could use these events as opportunities to craft a multi-layered SEM intervention at FSNE schools.
Remember to take pictures of students participating in classroom celebrations to share on the school Facebook or website pages and on the classroom bulletin board. This allows other students, parents and the general community to see the wonderful educational activities happening at your school.
Curricular Connections: Extending classroom-based nutrition education into the cafeteria helps students connect the information they’ve learned to the choices available in the lunchroom. Many winter celebrations can include cafeteria items served schoolwide. See our section on the Cafeteria Classroom connection.
Healthy Food Ideas:
- FSNE Healthy Celebrations Newsletter
- FSNE Healthy Snack List
- Healthy Celebrations (Action for Healthy Kids)
Connect with Parents:
- FSNE Newsletters: (English)
- Recipes: select recipes that feature food items from the school menu or items tasted in class
- DHS Fliers
- Share our EatSmart Blog on Healthy Classroom Celebrations
General Resources:
Team Nutrition Popular Events Idea Booklet