Donuts with Dad

Hey y'all!  I have been absent for awhile, and for that I apologize.  Blogging while Momming and teaching ain't easy!  My kiddos have been busy with soccer, ju jitsu, and dance.  Now that it's almost summer, we are winding down.

You didn't think I would miss the chance for a mom-brag, did you?

Last spring, I hosted a "Muffins with Mom" in my classroom shortly after Mother's Day.  It was fantastic and I was so pleased with how smoothly everything went.  Because of that wonderful experience, I decided to try a "Donuts with Dad" this year.  Before I get into how it went, let's talk a bit about set-up.  I mimicked my "Muffins with Mom" TPT file to create the one I would use for "Donuts with Dad."  Also, because the timing I chose for my event (late April), it was bananas crazy and sadly we didn't really get a craft done for the fathers.  My teacher bestie, Kayla Pittman did get some adorable jars with building blocks done for her dads.  Click the link to see "The Seasoned Mom's" blog post where she got the idea!

We started by making the crowns and filling out the questionnaire in my unit.  We are also very fortunate to have a VeriQuest cut out maker at our school.   I used a template on the cut out maker to cut out the ties, and then just had the kiddos decorate them.  I also added their pictures onto the ties.  Decor was pretty minimal.  I just put a plastic table cloth on each table and then set out each student's work at his/her seat.  I also hung the "Welcome" banner from my unit and made a quick photo backdrop with butcher paper and a giant Sharpie.  

The morning of, I sat my students down and walked them through the instructions for the event.  I told them they would be seated at the carpet and would go and greet their guest(s) at the door and show them to their seat.  I also told them they were to serve their guest(s) first, and then come back and get their own food and/or juice.

Because I knew that some dads and grandfathers may not be able to attend, I asked my dad and another family friend to come as "stand-in" dads for my students.  This was such a life saver and the kinders whose family couldn't come still had a great time and never shed a tear!

Dad, you're the real MVP!

Just as with the "Muffins with Mom" event, I was so impressed with my students and their manners!  The event went very smoothly and every one had a wonderful time visiting with their student and letting them show them all around the classroom.  This was certainly another successful event that I can look forward to each year!