Class Party Supply List for 24 Kids (and How to Scale It)

By The I Survived Room Parent Team

The teacher says "just keep it simple." Then you count the class, the teacher, the aide, the student teacher nobody mentioned, and the kid who drops a plate in minute two. Simple, sure.

This is the supply list we wish someone had handed us before our first class party. It's built for 24 kids, because that's a very normal class size, and it scales up or down with one line of math. It works for any party on the calendar: fall, winter, Valentine's, end of year, or "the teacher said we could do a little something."

One rule before any of it: only what the teacher and school allow. Some schools allow no food at all, and some only allow store-bought. Ask first, then shop.

Quick math

Here's the whole formula:

Kids + 2 grown-ups + 10% spares, rounded up. Then buy whole packs.

For 24 kids:

• 24 kids + the teacher + an aide = 26 people

• 10% of 26 is 2.6, so round up to 3 spares

• 26 + 3 = 29

So you plan for 29 plates, 29 drinks and 29 snacks. Then round up to the pack size. Plates come in 20s, so 29 means 2 packs. You'll have 11 left over, and they'll keep until the next party.

Treat bags and craft kits are for the kids only, so skip the grown-ups: 24 + 10% (2.4, round up to 3) = 27.

Napkins get doubled. Two per person, every time. Nobody has ever stood in a classroom thinking "wow, too many napkins."

The supply list for 24 kids

Here's everything for a 24-kid party, with what you need and what to buy:

• Plates: need 29, buy 2 packs of 20

• Napkins: need 58 (2 each), buy 2 packs of 50

• Cups: need 29, buy 2 packs of 20. Skip them if drinks are juice boxes or bottled water.

• Juice boxes or water: need 29, buy 3 ten-packs (or 4 eight-packs)

• Wrapped snacks: need 29 of each snack item, buy 3 boxes of 12

• Treat bags: need 27, buy 3 packs of 12

• Craft kits: need 27, buy 3 packs of 12. The extras cover the sample you make at home first.

Pack sizes vary from store to store, so shop by the "need" number and round up from there.

How to scale it: 15, 20, 24 and 30 kids

Same formula, different class:

Drinks in 8-packs instead: 3 for 15 kids, 4 for 20 or 24 kids, 5 for 30 kids.

If you'd rather have it on paper, the free Class Party Supply Checklist: How Much Do I Need? has this whole table on one page, plus a blank column for your class.

What to put on the signup (and what to buy yourself)

Most class parties work best with one of each: a main, fruit, a snack, a dessert, drinks, plus paper goods and craft supplies. Put those on the signup with an amount and a drop-off time for every slot, so nobody has to guess what "some napkins" means.

Food wording that saves you a lot of back-and-forth:

• Snacks: store-bought, sealed with label, or individual packs OK

• Fruit: prepackaged apple slices

• Store brand is always OK

Check every label against the classroom allergy list before anything gets opened. If you need ideas that work for everyone, start with our allergy-friendly class party snacks. And if the rules feel different from last year's party, holiday party vs class party food rules explains why.

Ready-made signup: the class party signup sheet template. Running it online? Our SignUpGenius tips for class parties will save you a few rounds of "wait, who's bringing cups?"

Stuff nobody signs up for

These never make it onto a signup, so put them in your own party bag:

• Wipes and paper towels

• Two extra trash bags

• Serving utensils and gloves

• Tape and scissors

• A pen for labeling whose cup is whose

The spares in the math cover the dropped plate. This bag covers everything else.

Paying for it

If families are chipping in for supplies, keep it optional and quiet, and keep it the same for every child. Our guide to collecting class money has the wording. A more affordable party with the same plate for every kid beats a fancy one where half the class gets left out.

Want the whole party planned?

The free Halloween Class Party Survival Kit has a checklist, a parent note, a signup sheet and kid activity pages, all in one PDF. For any other party, the all-season class party checklist takes you from "wait, when is it?" to "we survived." Need ideas? Start with class party ideas for room parents.

Count once, add 10%, round up, and you're done shopping. Then go answer the group text.