I used to decorate my friend's apartments for Christmas when I was in college with snowflakes. All's you need is a wad of computer paper and curling ribbon for presents. Cut the flakes, attach the curled ribbon and dangle from certain spots on the ceiling.. obviously if the ceiling is 20 ft high, this isn't very effective.. but lower ceiling areas like in a lobby or near halls... It's simple, inexpensive, but a bit enchanting.. so I like to think!
I like the idea of a photo area...you could make a gazebo type area with plastic sheeting and faerie lights...the two together make it look like ice. Ask a local nursery if you could borrow large plants for the evening and decorate them with lights also. White tableclothes, evergreen (trimmed from someone's bushes...read: free ), sparkling Christmas balls in bowls, confetti, ribbon...these all are cheap yet magical when strewn across a table. Throw in some door prizes every 15-30 minutes: a basket with cocoa mix & cookies, Christmas CD & notepaper, novelties, anything a kid would like. Groupings of white and lt. blue balloons also add to a winter decor. Ask some of the teachers to learn group dances that they could teach the kids at the dance. Anything from country line dances to the hustle or let them invent one called the "Santa Salsa" or the "Reindeer Ragtime". We do Salsa dancing as a group and the kids love it...done in a group you look just as silly as the next person! Good luck! :cool:
Maybe you could have a photo taking area, where the kids could pose, with friends? At that age, I guess it's hard to have a "formal" type dance without pushing them to be couples. Which I imagine you don't want to do [img]smile.gif[/img]
We have Christmas dances for the 6-7-8th graders. We thought we would make it a little more formal than the 'wear jeans and eat snacks' night they're used to. We thought the kids could dress up a bit, have a little buffet dinner, keep the dj, etc. Does anyone have any simple ideas to make the kids feel like they're somewhere special for the evening? Thanks
), sparkling Christmas balls in bowls, confetti, ribbon...these all are cheap yet magical when strewn across a table. Throw in some door prizes every 15-30 minutes: a basket with cocoa mix & cookies, Christmas CD & notepaper, novelties, anything a kid would like. Groupings of white and lt. blue balloons also add to a winter decor. Ask some of the teachers to learn group dances that they could teach the kids at the dance. Anything from country line dances to the hustle or let them invent one called the "Santa Salsa" or the "Reindeer Ragtime". We do Salsa dancing as a group and the kids love it...done in a group you look just as silly as the next person! Good luck! :cool: 
