I have been Lila’s room mom for her preschool and kindergarten classes. I love it. I get to see how she interacts with other kids, meet other moms, and have an excuse to dick around on Pinterest and dabble with my creative side. If you’re thinking of volunteering to do so, do it! It’s a lot of fun and your kid will get a kick out of it. Below is a list of tips for room moms, but as new holidays approach, I’ll share what I’m doing for Lila’s class.

Partner with the teacher first. Ask them to let the parents know via email (or however your child’s teacher communicates with the parents) that you are going to be collecting their emails so that you can send out electronic sign-ups for class parties. That way, when a sign-up sheet comes across their email, they don’t think that fucking Carol from accounting is trying to get them to sign up for another damn work potluck again. Other information you’ll need from the teacher will be how many students are in the class and what time and how long the party will be. Lastly, ask the teacher if there are any allergies in the class and make sure you communicate that in your sign up to. No one wants to see poor Billy rushed off to the hospital in the middle of the Halloween party because he went fucking bananas eating peanut brittle when he’s allergic to peanuts.

Find some inspiration: Use Pinterest, craft books from the library, or any other inspiration you need to think of some class activities or crafts for the current holiday you’re celebrating. For example, for Valentine’s Day parties, I always have one of the activities be that the kids make their own valentine holder. Usually it’s a white paper bag from Michael’s or Hobby Lobby that they can decorate with stickers, markers, pipe cleaners, etc.

Include a craft (or two) and game to go along with your party theme. It’s nice to have a stationary craft the kids can do in their seats but it’s just as important to have an activity that allows them to get out of their seats and burn off some energy. It can be a simple “pin the nose on the snowman” game or a “toss the bean bag into the pumpkin basket” type of activity. But it gets them out of their seats and allows them to play with their classmates.

Have a festive snack. You don’t have to be the one to buy it, that’s what the sign up is for. I usually ask for someone to bring juice boxes, someone to bring a healthier snack like clementine oranges or string cheese, and someone to bring a sweet treat like Rice Krispie treats or cupcakes. Include in the sign up if there are any allergies so that the parents buying snacks know ahead of time. Make sure you include in the sign up the actual quantities you need. Just saying “sign up for cupcakes” is not helpful, as that parent probably won’t know the exact amount of kids in the class.

Use Sign Up Genius. They have cute, free templates, and are very user friendly. Once you create an account, click on the “Create a Sign Up” button and then click on the “Groups” icon. It will allow you to enter all the email addresses you have collected from parents so you can save the master list for the class and not have to individually type them out again when it’s time to send out the sign up. (Or when it’s time to send out sign ups for future parties.)

Call in the troops: Now that you have a sign up sheet, ask for help! I actually put in the sign up sheet itself how many volunteers I need. Ex: One parent volunteer to help run the “make your own magnet” craft. Or one parent to help run the “pin the nose on the snowman” game.

Source your supplies year-round. I get paper plates and cutlery from Dollar Tree, and buy holiday stickers and craft supplies the day after the holiday has ended so that they are half-off and I have them for the next year. I love Oriental Trading for easy crafts, especially for preschool age kids. They have great crafts like these that come pre-sorted, sealed bags so each kid just gets their own baggie and in that baggie is everything they need to make that magnet or ornament.

Be thrifty! I was hard up to think of a cheap second craft for a party last year, and my friend Katie said, “Have the kids tear up tissue paper strips and glue them to paper hearts so they look like stained glass hearts!” It was simple and easy and we already had the supplies on hand. And let the teacher know which supplies the kids will need to use that are already in the classroom. For instance, I had Lila’s class make ornaments for her “holiday party” (since we can’t say “Christmas Party.”) I let her know in advance that we were going to make ornaments and asked if she would let us use the glue sticks and markers to help make them. So utilize supplies that are already in the class!

Be clear in your sign up sheet: If you are going to rely on the other parents to supply the majority of what you need, make sure you have a clear list in the electronic sign up. For example, “22 white bags that the kids will be decorating to hold their valentines in.” Or, “22 popsicle sticks so we can make snowman puppets.” Then at least the parents know specifically what they are buying and why. I don’t like asking parents to donate cash to the cause, but Lila’s kindergarten teacher asked me to leave a couple slots for people to just donate cash. She had a point that since so many parents work, they don’t have time to shop but still want to help contribute, so sometimes sending in $5 with their kid is easier than a trip to Hobby Lobby or King Soopers for supplies.

Don’t expect to be thanked. Your teacher may thank you, but other parents have other things going on in their lives and kids are kids. So if you’re in this for the glory and praise, you’ll be sadly disappointed. Do it because you enjoy throwing parties or have extra time on your hands or just want an excuse to see your kid during their school day. And if you’re lucky like I was, you’ll make some great friends out of the deal! (Looking at you, Katie!)