OntheGoPTO.. I laughed out loud when I read how you have sent the invites.. and NOW you have to come up with a plan for what WILL the Great Food and Great Activities be.. that sounds JUST LIKE US You are thinking.. ok, it's in print now, now we have to deliver !!

what does the other Principal think about it? Did he have a change of heart?

OK, on the food and activities.. I have lots of ideas.. but a few questions.. how long is the event? dinnertime? budget??


As far as what to do.. is DDR ( Dance Dance Revolution) big in your area?? The DJ may have access to a professional quality DDR mat .. the kids LOVE that....


Tug of war?? They make 4 way tug of war ropes that look like spiders so 4 teams can pull at once.. $150.. and you have a rope your PE teacher can use the rest of the year

hula hoop contest

more ideas when i see how long, meal time or just snacks, and budget..

At our school, I've run numerous dances for our K-6 graders. A big hit each and every time is face painting. Even with the older kids..the girls usually get something pretty on their faces, while the boys usually get something on their arms. We use craft paints which wash3w off easily and are inexpensive to purchase. We also always have one or two craft projects for the kids to make. You can also do a tattoo station.

Another idea we did when my company merged with another one was that each person wrote down three things about themselves. All the papers were put into a big bowl. Everyone then picked one of the papers, read the three things about someone else, and then had to walk around trying to find the person who matched the three things on the paper. Perhaps you can incorporate something of this sort into your activity. It's a good way for all the kids to meet each other.

Your DJ should be able to provide different activities incorporated into the dance music.

Another possibility is to have all the kids work together to make a huge Goodbye 6th Grade....Hello 7th Grade banner. Simple arts and crafts items can be used to decorate it and all the kids can sign it. Maybe you share it with both schools and each hang it in the halls for a period of time.

So many great ideas, so much useful advice!
Here's an update.....
Our event is 3 weeks from tonight. We are inviting the students from the other elementary school's 6th grade. We are inviting chaperones/volunteers from both schools. We are calling it the 6th grade spring social. We're doing all we can to be sure folks know that while there will likely be dancing, it is NOT the focus but rather FUN in the focus. Here's some of the wording from the invitation:

GREAT MUSIC
GREAT FOOD
GREAT ACTIVITIES
GREAT FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TICKETS $3.00

A fun night is planned to get together with friends and even make some new ones as we celebrate the end of elementary school and get ready to head off to middle school together in the Fall.

So we've promised food, music and activities. We're hiring a DJ that has worked at other youth events in the area and is great with kids. Now we're a little stumped. Any ideas for the Great Food and Great Activities portion of the evening?????

Oddly enough, our school dance is tonight. Our school is k-6. We invite all of our families to attend and we hold the dance outside on our basketball court. In places where it might rain this can be difficult, but when it's outside the atmosphere is very casual and friendly. We sell pizza, drinks, have a bake sale and maybe a raffle. This is not a fundraiser. We pretty much just sell our food and drinks to break even. I have input from all of our students about the songs they want to hear and then I make custom disks. We use our school's sound system and the kids love the music because they've chosen it all. Not only does this save the expense of a dj but I know that all of the music is age-appropriate. I purchase and download songs on line to make the cds. In particular the 6th graders get into this. I've even had students call me at home to let me know what songs they want to hear!

We set up chairs all around the basketball court and a lot of parents sit and socialize while the kids dance (or just chat with their frineds). The principal frequently leads the kinder kids in dances and many times older siblings will dance with younger siblings. I think when the whole family comes the pressure isn't there like it might be with a group of only 6th graders. And since we're outside, kids sometimes play with frisbees or soft footballs. The do this at the beginning and it seems to serve as an ice-breaker because sooner or later they all make it to the dance floor. This year I'm bringing fun, but cheap, bubble toys. I'm always surprised how often the kids (and parents!) dance. Having the principal lead a salsa type line is always a big hit. Last year the 5th & 6th graders recreated scenes from High School Musical when we played songs from that soundtrack. The boys also had a chance to show off their moves.

If you're looking to mingle the two schools, this might be an easier way to socialize and will be more comfortable for the other middle school. Plus families will get to meet other familes and it might make everyone feel more comfortable with the merge. Hope this helps!

I say drop the dance idea, and make it more of a "game" day. Where you can intermingle the 2 schools by creating mixed groups of several teams. They will have to learn to work together to accomplish a goal. Approaching the other school from a different angle than a dance would be more apporpriate, since they are correct in that you will have lots of wall flowers, NOT FUN!

Molly, have a great time at your dance and good luck next year at middle school.