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Doesn't it feel like school was JUST getting out for summer? Summer vacation never seems like it's long enough when you're a kid, but hey, it can't last forever. But, this just means it's time for back-to-school shopping (who doesn't love new kicks and the aroma of a fresh box of crayons) and of course, an unforgettable back-to-school bash. If you aren't quite sure how to throw a back-to-school party, don't worry—you're not alone! Our team of experts put on their party hats and are ready to share everything you need to know about throwing an end-of-summer party your kid (and their friends) will love.
How to throw a back-to-school party 101
- Decide when you want to throw the party (will it be an end-of-summer party or a school's-back-in-session party?).
- Choose a fun back-to-school party theme.
- Plan some activities and games for the party.
- Find a great location/venue.
- Shop for party decor and supplies.
- Create a kid-friendly menu.
- Send out your back-to-school party invitations!
When to host a back-to-school party
Deciding on the right timing for your back-to-school party really depends on 1. When your child is going back to school and 2. Do you want to host an end-of-summer party or more of a "welcome back to school!" celebration?
Most schools typically start in August or early September, so hosting a back-to-school bash a few weeks (or even the weekend) before their first day back is perfect. Many families may be out of town on family vacations leading up to their child's return to the classroom, so this is one time when throwing a party closer to the big day is actually preferable.
If you're having a back-to-school party after their first day back, aim for a date that allows everyone to settle into the school routine while still holding onto the excitement of a fresh start. Consider hosting the party within the first few weeks of school, on a weekend when schedules are typically less hectic. By this time, they've likely made a new friend or two so it can be a great way to strengthen their friendship early on!
Back-to-school party themes
Between the classic summer party activities and new ideas for this generation, there's no shortage of epic party themes that even the coolest of kids will love. Here are our top 20 back-to-school party themes:
- Pool party
- Adventures in science
- Art extravaganza
- Disco party
- Superhero academy
- Outdoor explorer
- Movie night
- Beach day
- Space explorer
- Sports spectacular
- A day at the carnival
- Backyard campout
- Game night
- Classic BBQ or picnic
- Neon party
- Dance party
- Retro arcade & games
- Animal kingdom
- Candyland-inspired adventure
- Pajama party
Back-to-school party games & activities
No party is complete without games and activities—especially when kids are involved. A few of our favorite party games and activities include:
- Field day: Set up a mini sports competition with classic schoolyard games like sack races, three-legged races and tug-of-war.
- Scavenger hunt: Hide little trinkets (including school supplies) and books throughout the area and watch the kids race around trying to find these treasures.
- DIY crafts: Set up a crafting station where guests can create personalized pencil cases, bookmarks or school-themed decorations.
- Dance-off: Clear a space for a dance floor and let the music inspire epic dance battles and moves. Bonus points if you have some cool lighting to set the tone.
- Backyard games: Offer classic backyard games like cornhole, ladder toss or giant Jenga for some friendly competition.
Back-to-school party venue ideas
Location, location, location, amirite? But seriously, this does not need to be an OTT party with a venue out of Vogue. This party is all about celebrating the end of summer and the start of a new school year, so an open space (especially outdoors) is perfect for mixing, mingling, running, jumping and playing!
- Your backyard: Why lug everything to another location if you have a backyard? If you have a pool, this is a fantastic option, but even if you don't, you can set up a grill and water sprinkler during the day to get those summer vibes. If your kids are older, a campout complete with a backyard movie screening is another fab option.
- Community park: Reserve a picnic area in a local park and enjoy the open space and natural surroundings. Many come with picnic tables so your seating is taken care of!
- Community center: Prefer an indoor location? Many community centers offer party spaces you can decorate to suit your back-to-school theme.
- Local recreation center: Check if your local recreation center has facilities available for private events. These are also very popular for birthday parties (which are in full swing at this time of the year) so make sure to book ahead of time.
- The beach or lake: If you're lucky enough to live near a body of water, consider hosting an end-of-summer beach day or a trip to the lake.
- A public pool: If your kid has their heart set on a pool party, look for a public or rentable pool location to host your party at.
Back-to-school party menu ideas
The #1 rule for planning a kids' party menu is this: keep it simple. Kids have simple palates and are perfectly happy to munch on their usual faves with their friends. Feel free to get a little creative with the presentation, though!
- Apple cupcakes: Cupcakes are always a winner. Bake apple-themed cupcakes with red frosting and green fondant leaves for a sweet nod to the start of the school year.
- Lunch box favorites: Prepare mini versions of classic lunch box treats like mini sandwiches, fruit cups and individually wrapped snacks.
- A colorful fruit-based charcuterie board: It might sound fancy and be totally Instagrammable, but this juicy fruit-laden charcuterie board from Aliza J. Sokolow offers a fresh, irresistible twist on the classic grazing board. And yes, kids love it!
- Rice Krispie Treats: Shape Rice Krispie treats into school-related designs using cookie cutters and decorate them with colorful icing.
- Nuggets, hot dogs and pizza: Like we said—kids like simple foods! The great thing about all of these kid-food staples is that you can find vegan/vegetarian/gluten-free options readily available in most places so everyone can enjoy these party faves.
- Chips, pretzels and crackers: Gotta have some savory snack options on hand for kids to munch on. If you want to take them a step further, Dini Klein has several quick and easy simple snack ideas.
- Juice boxes: Our Real Parties series will back us up here—parents and kids love the ease and options juice boxes provide.
- Ice pops and ice cream: No description needed here!
Remember, back-to-school parties are also an excellent opportunity to involve parents and encourage potluck-style contributions. Ask attendees to bring their favorite school-themed dish or snack for everyone to enjoy. Not only is this a great way to ensure a full spread without doing it all on your own, but it's a fun way to swap recipes and bond with your fellow parents!
Easy back-to-school party decorations
If you have your heart already on a certain theme, that will help guide your back-to-school party decor, but you can also keep it simple with some quintessential decor options.
- Balloons: Using their school colors is a nice touch, but a school supply-shaped Mylar balloon display or selection of colorful balloons they can take home will definitely get attention too.
- Chalkboard signs: Make your own using chalkboard paint, or buy some mini signs and write fun messages or draw doodles that fit the back-to-school theme.
- Streamers and confetti: Streamers are an easy, budget-friendly way to add some pizzazz to the party, while a confetti toss at the end to celebrate the start of the new year makes for a great photo op (these no-mess confetti streamers are great for outdoor parties).
- DIY banner: Create a personalized banner for this momentous occasion. Write phrases like "Ready for Grade __" or "Welcome Back to School!" on it, or keep it simple with a rainbow felt pennant banner (how cute would this be with a little personalization added to it?). You can also find plenty of pre-made banners if DIY isn't on the cards, like this classic pencil-shaped banner.
- Cups, plates and napkins that match the theme: One of the most practical ways to get into the school spirit (parties need dinnerware, after all). Our faves: this 96-piece plate, napkin, and fork set, these science- and art-themed plates, and these yellow pencil paper cups.
Send back-to-school party invitations
Now that you have some A+ party ideas to bring to life, it's time to let everyone know! Evite makes it easy to invite everyone by offering digital back-to-school party invitations with text, email, or shareable link delivery, free RSVP tracking, a private message board for your guests, and tons of playful designs to choose from. You can also upgrade any free invitation template to enjoy Premium features like customizable envelopes, stamps, stickers and backgrounds, or upload your own design!
Another useful feature Evite invitations offer: crowdfunding. If you're looking to raise funds for your child's teacher's classroom or extracurricular school activities, you can create and add a crowdfunding campaign right to your event. You can also opt to add a class registry if you already have a list of school supplies your child's classroom needs. Some back-to-school invitations to consider pairing with your chosen theme:
Browse All Back-to-School Invitations
More back-to-school party etiquette & suggestions
Who should you invite to a back-to-school party?
While you can keep your celebration small with close friends and family, you can also use your back-to-school party to bring your child's class together. This is very much a "more the merrier" party, so invite everyone in your child's class that they get along with or haven't yet met along with their parents. You'll likely see a lot of them over the coming school year, so this is a thoughtful and fun way to break the ice and get to know them better.
Should you enlist the help of a co-host for your back-to-school party?
Absolutely! Teaming up with a fellow parent is beyond helpful when juggling multiple responsibilities. A co-host can help with planning, coordinating activities and managing the event, and you can also collaborate on ideas and bring different perspectives to the party.
If you use a back-to-school party invitation from Evite, it's super easy to add a co-host—when you're on Step 2 of the invitation creation process, you'll see an "Add Co-Host" button right below your name. Just add your co-host's name and email address, and we'll let them know they're on Team Back-to-School Party with you!
What should you do after the party is over?
Even after the confetti is cleaned up, there are still tons of ways to keep the school spirit going. Our back-to-school checklist can help you plan out which school supplies to get, how to answer your child's most common questions and other ways to get them excited about school. Once school is back in session, let your child's new teacher know how much you value them by sending a teacher appreciation card or help plan school events for both parents and kids!
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What makes Evite SignUp Sheets different from other signup tools?
Developed hand-in-hand with community organizers, PTA presidents, parents and teachers, Evite's signup sheets are designed to make organizing volunteers a breeze. Here are a few ways SignUp Sheets are different than other signup tools:
- 100% free: SignUp Sheets are free to use.
- Ad-free: No popup ads ever! Our signup sheets remain clutter-free, keeping your volunteers focused on signing up.
- No extra login required: Seamlessly use your Evite account to create and manage your signup sheets, keeping all your events in one convenient location.
- Automatic reminders and notifications: Stay on top of your event with automated reminders and notifications for you and your participants. Perfect for busy parents, teachers and anyone juggling multiple commitments.
- Customization options: Tailor your signup sheets to your specific event, whether it's a school fundraiser, potluck, volunteer opportunity or team activity. Add custom tasks, time slots and requirements for smooth coordination.
- User-friendly experience: Our intuitive interface makes creating and sharing signup sheets simple for everyone, regardless of tech experience.
- Real-time updates: Get instant notifications whenever someone signs up or makes a change, so you always know where things stand.
Choose Evite SignUp Sheets for the easiest, most streamlined way to get volunteers and signups for your next event!
What is a SignUp Sheet?
Signup sheets are the perfect way to streamline scheduling, volunteer recruitment, class parties, snack duty, potluck organization, parent-teacher conferences and more! You can think of them as your digital assistant for coordinating events and tasks and ensuring that your event is a success.
Evite SignUp Sheets offers parents, teachers and event planners customizable online forms that organizers and volunteers can access and update effortlessly. Volunteers can choose their preferred time slots, sign up for tasks or indicate what they'll bring to the event. It only takes organizers a few minutes to create a signup sheet and send it out with a shareable link, so they can get the word out via text, email or social media—whichever way they prefer!
Long story short, SignUp Sheets save everyone involved tons of time, avoid scheduling headaches and ensure everything runs smoothly before and during the event.
How do I create a SignUp Sheet?
Creating a signup sheet has never been easier than with Evite! Here’s how to create a sheet that’s sure to make your event an absolute success:
- Go to Evite SignUp Sheets and choose the template that best fits your needs. Evite offers multiple signup sheet templates perfect for every occasion, including:
- Signup sheets for one day events (without different time slots), perfect for when you’re organizing a class party, potluck or end-of-season party.
- Signup sheets for single or multiple day events (with time slots), perfect for when you’re organizing concession stand volunteers, fundraisers, parent-teacher conferences, meal train, post-game snack duty or during appreciation week.
- After selecting your sheet template, create a title for your signup sheet and add the date, the location, the time (if applicable), who the organizer is, the organizer’s phone number or email and an optional note describing the event to your volunteers. You can also change your signup sheet background and title image if you wish!
- Next, create slots for your signup sheet. If you aren’t logged into your account, you will need to do so at this point, but luckily, you can use your existing Evite account (no need to create yet another login!). What you’ll include here will depend on what your event needs, but you can include a list of what’s needed (along with optional descriptions), how many volunteers are needed, and dates and times.
- After creating your slots, you can then add a wish list from any retailer or include supply suggestions from Evite’s retailer partners. These are to help your volunteers find and purchase supplies quickly and easily.
- Finally, review your sheet, copy your shareable link and send it out to everyone on your list! Every time a volunteer signs up for a slot on your signup sheet, Evite will email you. We will also send reminders to you and your volunteers before your event so no one will forget about it, and we’ll even let volunteers know if you remove their slot or cancel your event sheet so you don’t have to!
What information should be included on a SignUp Sheet?
When it comes to signup sheet information, there are some essentials to include regardless of what you’re organizing:
- A title for your signup sheet. Tip: Aim to keep your signup sheet title concise but clear. You want volunteers to read it and have a general understanding of what your event is about, and also make it easy for them to look for later if they need to reference your sheet again. You have the option to include a more descriptive note in a different field about your event, so save the more in-depth details for that!
- When and where the event is taking place.
- The organizer’s name and phone number.
- Slots for volunteers to choose from. Once you choose the SignUp Sheets template that fits the occasion, the slots you’ll need for your sheet will be right there and ready for you to add the relevant info, such as dates, times, items to bring and tasks to complete.
When adding your slot information, clearly define what people are signing up for, especially for a what-to-bring list or role assignments. If you want someone to bring healthy snacks for kids to enjoy after a game, specify that. You want your volunteers to feel confident in what they’re bringing and to make it easy for them to know what’s expected of them. It will save them time and stress (and you, too!). That being said, if you make your ask too specific (for example, asking for a hard-to-source item or something expensive), you may not end up with a volunteer for it. So be clear about what you expect, but also be reasonable!
Aside from providing the basic signup information, you can also add optional descriptions to both your entire signup sheet and individual slots. While not required, they can help guide your volunteers further and provide more information. You can add information about allergies, preferences and general info about the event. You can also add a wish list to make it easier for your volunteers to bring exactly what you need!
What are the benefits of using a SignUp Sheet template?
Signup sheet templates offer a ton of advantages for both organizers and volunteers and with Evite SignUp Sheets, you'll enjoy even more benefits than other digital and paper signup sheets! Some benefits our signup sheet templates offer include:
- A 100% free experience (no subscriptions required!).
- Shareable links for quick and easy sharing.
- No need to create another login—you can use your existing Evite account.
- The option to add a wish list to help your volunteers out.
- Automatic reminders—we’ll remind everyone on your behalf.
- An easy-to-use experience with eye-catching guided templates.
- Clean, modern designs with no pop-up ads.
With Evite SignUp Sheets, you can enjoy organizing and coordinating all your events with ease. Signup sheets streamline the signup process for everyone involved, ensuring that everything will go to plan on the day of your event while saving you precious time in the process.
