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Healthy Celebrations
Promoting a Healthy School Environment
Birthday parties and holiday celebrations at school provide a unique opportunity to
help make healthful eating fun and exciting for children. Schools can take advantage
of classroom celebrations to serve food that tastes good, is nutritious, and provides
students with an opportunity for nutrition education experiences.
But It’s Just a Cupcake...
Typically, foods for school celebrations include cupcakes, candy, cookies and soda. So what’s the harm? There is
nothing wrong with an occasional treat, but unhealthy choices have become the norm rather than the exception.
Parties, treats used as classroom rewards, food fundraisers, vending machines, snacks and school stores constantly
expose children to high-fat, high-sugar, low-nutrient choices.
Overall, our children’s eating habits are poor. Only two percent of children meet all Food Pyramid recommendations.
Most children do not eat enough fruits, vegetables or whole grains. Obesity rates among children are on the rise, with
serious health consequences. Constant exposure to low-nutrient foods makes it difficult for children to learn how to
make healthy food choices. By providing students with nutritious choices wherever food is available (including the
classroom), schools can positively influence children’s eating habits.
Benefits of Healthy Celebrations
Healthy Kids Learn Better: Research clearly demonstrates
that good nutrition is linked to better behavior and academic
performance. To provide the best possible learning environment How-To’s for Happy Healthy Parties1
for children, schools must also provide an environment that
supports healthy behaviors. z Variety is the “spice of life” and the “life of the party.”
Plan several contrasting activities – active and quiet,
Provides Consistent Messages: Providing healthy classroom
indoor and outdoor, individual and group.
celebrations demonstrates a school commitment to promoting
healthy behaviors. It supports the classroom lessons students z Try something new. Children like adventure. In addition
are learning about health, instead of contradicting them. to familiar games and foods, offer something different.
Healthy celebrations promote positive lifestyle choices to reduce z Plan creative experiences such as art, music and
student health risks and improve learning. cooking.
Promotes a Healthy School Environment: In order to postively z Involve children in planning and preparing the party.
change eating behaviors, students need to receive consistent, Let them make decorations and favors.
reliable health information and ample opportunity to use it.
z Put food in its proper place. Refreshments should
Healthy celebrations are an important part of providing a
compliment the fun, not become the “main event.”
healthy school environment.
z Be sure that each child receives a prize or favor, if such
Creates Excitement About Nutrition: Children are excited awards are given.
about new and different things, including fun party activities
and healthy snacks (see back for ideas). School staff and z Don’t use food as rewards or prizes.
parents need not worry that children will be disappointed if z Choose foods for fun, good taste and
typical party foods aren’t served in the classroom. Holiday health. Parties that feature healthful
treats and traditional birthday parties with cake will still be foods provide opportunities for
available at home. children to practice making wise food choices.
Protects Children with Food Allergies: When parents send in 1
Printed with permission from Let’s Party: Party Ideas for School
food, it is difficult to ensure the safety of children with food and Home. West Virginia Department of Education, 1994.
allergies. Schools can protect food allergic children by Ordering information at:
http://wvde.state.wv.us/ctrc/materials.html.
providing nonfood celebrations or, if food is served, obtaining it
from known sources such as the school food service program.
What Schools Can Do
Ideas for Healthy Celebrations
Schools can help promote a positive learning environment by providing healthy celebrations that shift the focus from the
food to the child. Choose a variety of activities, games and crafts that children enjoy. When food is served, make it count
with healthy choices! Parties can even incorporate a fun nutrition lesson by involving children in the planning and pre-
paration of healthy snacks. Try these ideas for fun activities and healthy foods at school parties and other celebrations.
Activities to Celebrate the Child
z Plan special party games and activities. Ask parents to provide game
supplies, pencils, erasers, stickers and other small school supplies instead
of food. Healthy Food Ideas*
z Create a healthy party idea book. Ask school staff and parents to send in z Low-fat or nonfat plain or flavored milk, 100%
healthy recipes and ideas for activities, games and crafts. Compile these juice, water, flavored/sparkling water (without
ideas into a book that staff and parents can use. added sugars or sweeteners), sparkling punch
(seltzer and 100% fruit juice)
z Give children extra recess time instead of a class party. For birthdays, let
the birthday child choose and lead an active game for everyone. z Fruit smoothies (blend berries, bananas and
pineapple)
z Instead of food, ask parents to purchase a book for the classroom or
school library in the birthday child’s name. Read it to the class or invite the z Fresh fruit assortment, fruit and cheese kabobs,
child’s parents to come in and read it to the class. fruit salad, fruit with low-fat whipped topping
z Instead of a party, organize a special community service project, e.g., invite z Dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, apricots, banana
Senior Citizens in for lunch, make “curechiefs” for chemotherapy patients, chips), 100% fruit snacks
and blankets for rescue dogs. Involve parents in planning the project and z Vegetable trays with low-fat dip, celery and
providing needed materials. carrots with peanut butter and raisins
z Create a “Celebrate Me” book. Have classmates write z Whole-grain crackers with cheese cubes, string
stories or poems and draw pictures to describe what is cheese or hummus
special about the birthday child.
z Waffles or pancakes topped with fruit
z Provide special time with the principal or another adult, z Pretzels, low-fat popcorn, rice cakes, bread
such as taking a walk around the school at recess. sticks, graham crackers and animal crackers
z Create a special birthday package. The birthday child wears a sash and z Angel food cake, plain or topped with fruit
crown, sits in a special chair and visits the principal’s office for a special
birthday surprise (pencil, sticker, birthday card, etc.) z Bagel slices with peanut butter or jam, fruit or
grain muffin (low-fat), whole wheat English
z The birthday child is the teacher’s assistant for the day, and gets to do muffin, hot pretzels
special tasks like make deliveries to office, lead the line, start an activity,
and choose a game or story. z Pizza with low-fat toppings (vegetables, lean
ham, Canadian bacon), pizza dippers with
marinara sauce
Additional Resources
Alternatives to Food Rewards. Connecticut State Department of Education, 2004. z Ham, cheese or turkey sandwiches or wraps
http://www.state.ct.us/sde/deps/Student/NutritionEd/index.htm (with low-fat condiments)
Classroom Party Ideas. University of California Cooperative Extension Ventura County.
http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/filelibrary/2372/15801.pdf
z Low-fat pudding, low-fat yogurt, squeezable
Healthy Fundraising. Connecticut State Department of Education, 2005. yogurt, yogurt smoothies, yogurt parfaits or
http://www.state.ct.us/sde/deps/Student/NutritionEd/index.htm banana splits (yogurt and fruit topped with
Let’s Party: Party Ideas for School and Home. West Virginia Department of Education, 1994. cereal, granola or crushed graham crackers)
http://wvde.state.wv.us/ctrc/materials.html
z Quesadillas or bean burrito with salsa
Let’s Play: Innovative Games and Activities for Kids. West Virginia Department of Education,
2002. http://wvde.state.wv.us/ctrc/materials.html z Low-fat breakfast or granola bars
For more healthy snack resources, see the Connecticut Nutrition Resource Library catalog z Low-fat tortilla chips with salsa or bean dip
(“Cooking for Kids” section) at: http://www.state.ct.us/sde/deps/Student/NutritionEd/index.htm
z Trail/cereal mix (whole-grain, low-sugar cereals
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, mixed with dried fruit, pretzels, etc.)
national origin, gender, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply
to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternate means for communication of program information (Braille, large z Nuts and seeds
print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimi-
nation, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington,
D.C. 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
*Check for food allergies before serving.
For more information on a healthy school environment, contact Susan Fiore, MS, RD,
Nutrition Education Coordinator at susan.fiore@po.state.ct.us or (860) 807-2075.
Connecticut State Department of Education
Bureau of Health and Nutrition Services and Child/Family/School Partnerships May 2005