Like most of you, we are about to begin the roll into summer as each of my three kids finishes up finals, English papers, and art projects. Next up are the school parties that mark the close of the academic year, events that are often as much about cookies, chips, and soda, as they are about saying goodbye to good friends. With that in mind, I’ve pulled together 10 school party ideas that are a bit heavier on wholesome than snack bars standards.With a modicum of creativity, snacks can be just as enticing as what you’ll find inside a box of sweets, without giving your little one a tummy ache or a post-party sugar slump. Feel free to mine these ideas for healthy school party snacks and consider passing the link along to teachers, administrators and your PTA as a way to help shift the school food focus from junk food to real food.
Arrange fresh berries in cute cupcake liners
Make Caprese Skewers with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, Mozzarella balls,
basil, olives, bread cubes, and so on
Whip up or buy all-natural ranch dressing to pair with fresh veggies for dipping
Make Trail Mix Apple Stacks (use sunflower butter for classrooms with a no-nut/peanut policy)
Pop a batch of popcorn or pick up a bag of all-natural pre-popped from the market
Set up a Yogurt Sundae Bar with Greek yogurt and an ice cream scoop
Fill Dixie cups with your own trail mix: raisins, nuts, seeds, mini chocolate chips, whole grain pretzels, whole grain cereal
Make Simple Deviled Eggs
Bring a blender into the classroom and make fruit smoothies, such as banana , or apple carrot
Bake a pan of wholesome granola bars
For more information and inspiration on keeping classrooms healthy, head on over to School Bites. And if you have wholesome school party ideas of your own, I’d love to know about them, so please share in the comments section below.
Photo credits to Jennifer Martine for the Caprese Skewers