Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Need Non-food Ideas For A Birthday With The School Class


cruelshoes

Recommended Posts

cruelshoes Enthusiast

My son's birthday is coming up later in the month. He is turning 9. It is pretty much expected that when it is your birthday, you have to bring in some kind of treat to share with the class. If it is a treat of food, it cannot be homemade. Last year we took in Mi-del chocolate chip cookies. This went over like a lead balloon, since a few of the more vocal kids pronounced them


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Lisa Mentor

I was sitting here thinking about what my kids really liked at that age......WHOOPY CUSHIONS!

Twenty-four Whoopy Cushions would most certainly be a hit that could not be undone! :lol::P

OK, I'll think of something a little more subtle. <_<

cruelshoes Enthusiast
WHOOPY CUSHIONS!

That would definitely be memorable. :)

angel-jd1 Community Regular

I know you said you are wanting to avoid the food.....but I say do an icecream sundae party.

Big bucket of ice cream

Whipped Cream

Sprinkles

Cherries

spoons and bowls

enjoy!!

If not, then

-if they have lockers (lots of elementaries do these days) you can do magnets for their lockers.

-glow sticks (light up in the dark)

-wierd yo-yo noodle ball things (look like a plastic sea urchin)

-trading cards (baseball, dinosours, harry potter etc.)

-hats

-some sort of craft or art project that you could do with the class, decorate hats or small bags with things

I hope your kiddo has a great b-day!!

-Jessica :rolleyes:

missy'smom Collaborator

My son's b'day treat last year was a flop too so I'd like to do better this year. I made Namaste chocolate cupcakes and homemade frosting and decorated them beautifully but the frosting tasted funny, I think my vanilla separated and mostly alcohol ended up in the frosting. Plus knowing my son, he probably announced that they were gluten-free like it was the yummiest thing in the world and the thought alone was enough to turn some off I'm sure.

I'm not the most creative. Have you checked Oriental Trading Co. for ideas? DS loves the sticky hands.

My son's 9 and just discovered whoopie cushions(he would really go for that idea!) although he seems not to need one as he can replicate the sound quite well on his own :rolleyes:

When I worked in a pre-school some moms brought in fruit salad and spray can with whipped cream instead of the sugary stuff.

gfpaperdoll Rookie

Full size hershey bar wrapped with the birthday boy's name

a themed party favor bag - in a nice bag like a denim bag or a canvas bag...

a small paper bag with the top folded over & fastened with a large paper clip with each childs name written on the bag filled with chocolate kisses or other chocolate candies & include some plastic animals etc...

a coupon to McDonalds...

A little pricier but one time I gave the grandson's class a whole art set in a holder - got them about this time of year at Target for about $5.00 each. Some of the kids were not from well to do homes & my dil said that they were so appreciative when she handed them out. (grandson's BD is in Dec)

or you could just invite the whole class to the movies for the party favor...

ask the teacher for suggestions?...

ShayBraMom Apprentice

Check out the dollar Store or the 99 cent store, ours has a huge selection of things that are cool for kids! Waterballons are loved by kids of all ages. I'm not sure where you are from, but if it is in a colder region of ciurse the idea is not so good, but if you are like me from Arizona, it is still very wamr most fo the days and Waterballons are absdolutely cvool! I found the magnet diea someone had pretty good!

Full size hershey bar wrapped with the birthday boy's name

a themed party favor bag - in a nice bag like a denim bag or a canvas bag...

a small paper bag with the top folded over & fastened with a large paper clip with each childs name written on the bag filled with chocolate kisses or other chocolate candies & include some plastic animals etc...

a coupon to McDonalds...

A little pricier but one time I gave the grandson's class a whole art set in a holder - got them about this time of year at Target for about $5.00 each. Some of the kids were not from well to do homes & my dil said that they were so appreciative when she handed them out. (grandson's BD is in Dec)

or you could just invite the whole class to the movies for the party favor...

ask the teacher for suggestions?...


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



taweavmo3 Enthusiast

I also wanted to recommend Oriental Trading company...they have an online catalog, and sometimes free shipping. I absolutely love their catalog, they are super cheap and you can get a ton of little gadgets and crafts for the whole class.

I plan on ordering stuff from them for my dd's class party this year, stocking stuffers for Christmas, and Halloween next year. Emmie got sick from something this Halloween, so I think next year I'll buy a bit of candy, and throw the rest out. I'm just over the whole Halloween candy bit, she always manages to get sick somehow. So, next year it's toys, lol.

Cheri A Contributor

I love the ice cream party idea! I may have to do that for my dd's birthday in January. I'm thinking maybe root beer floats, though.

I wanted to do really cool non-food treats for my dd's birthday the last two years and she just flipped out. She wanted to be like everyone else, and everyone else brings food. There are other kids with allergies in her class so its not a big deal to be eating a different treat, though. Is there a candy that he could bring? Or, could you buy the store-bought cupcakes for everyone else and he gets his cupcake that you made?

Darn210 Enthusiast

I think a good "food" is fruit roll ups or fruit by the foot . . . it's ever so slightly better than candy with its vitamin C :lol: Also, we gave out the small/individual microwave popcorn one year at halloween and I was surprised by how many kids liked that.

Non food thing . . . my kids LOVE silly putty. Times 24, that can still be too much, but maybe you can find it in bulk somewhere.

buffettbride Enthusiast

I love the whoopie cushion idea! I say go for it!

If not, the ice cream sundae idea is great too, even though it is a food idea.

I like the glow sticks (they also come in bracelets or necklaces, etc).

gfgypsyqueen Enthusiast

Although the teacher may hate you, go with the Whoopie Cushions in a goodie bag of candy (main stream candy of course). The kids will love it...even the girls. It'll be a huge hit and lots of laughing and fun. If you want a really cool bday at school, that's it! (Maybe a sympathy present for the teacher...a few really good chocolates)

Hope he has a great bday!

angel-jd1 Community Regular

I was just curious what you ended up doing for the b-day party??

-Jessica :rolleyes:

cruelshoes Enthusiast
I was just curious what you ended up doing for the b-day party??

:) His birthday isn't until the 19th, so we still have a lottle more time. I asked him, and he said he would rather to treat bags than food. I think he is still stinging a little from last year.

I looked into Silly Putty, and even on Ebay it was more than I could afford. Good suggestion, though. I am going to check out the dollar store this week to see what I can find. Oriental trading has lots off good ideas too. My head is swiming there are so many! I wonder if they sell whoopy cushions in bulk? :)

Thanks for all the great ideas. I'm going to see what I can bring together. Hopefully something that will dazzle the ungratefull little brats with it's awesomeness!

brendygirl Community Regular

I teach fourth grade and my students love:

popcorn, pencils, ice cream, toys from Oriental Trading Company

I also think a GREAT idea would be to order the CUSTOM M&Ms with cool colors of your son's favorite sports team or his name or age or something.

ALSO

Those SMELLY PENCILS that come in the long tube. SMENCILS? You order them online and my students LOVE them like no tomorrow. They smell like root beer and stuff.

I also got COOL cell phone replica calculators at the 99cent store one time. Big HIT!

mcsteffi Rookie
My son's birthday is coming up later in the month. He is turning 9. It is pretty much expected that when it is your birthday, you have to bring in some kind of treat to share with the class. If it is a treat of food, it cannot be homemade. Last year we took in Mi-del chocolate chip cookies. This went over like a lead balloon, since a few of the more vocal kids pronounced them
Juliebove Rising Star
I think a good "food" is fruit roll ups or fruit by the foot . . . it's ever so slightly better than candy with its vitamin C :lol: Also, we gave out the small/individual microwave popcorn one year at halloween and I was surprised by how many kids liked that.

Non food thing . . . my kids LOVE silly putty. Times 24, that can still be too much, but maybe you can find it in bulk somewhere.

My daughter took fruit snacks last year. The kids liked them.

Pencils are another good thing. Kids can always use those. Get whimsical ones.

Sarah8793 Enthusiast
Check with your grocery store bakery and see if their icing is gluten free... most of it is. Get them to make a just icing cupcake to match the "regular" cupcakes and take that. I get them to put it in a container by its self so crumbs from the "regular" ones dont get all over the icing one. My 3 year old only eats the icing anyway so thats where I got the idea. Then they all have something that looks the same. But trying to get non celiac kids to eat gluten free is like serving them a bunch of veggies for treats.

stephanie

I like this idea. We had ds's party at our house in Sept. and I made cupcakes with frosting and the kids took one or two bites and left the rest. Sometimes I wonder if it might just be excitement because I know at other gluten parties, kids do the same things. I have wanted to see if I could get a bakery to decorate my cake or cupcakes but haven't found one. I wonder if I got just an icing cupcake if it could somehow be transferred onto my ds's cupcake while the others get the full store bought version. Don't know if this would work or look hokey.

mcsteffi Rookie
I like this idea. We had ds's party at our house in Sept. and I made cupcakes with frosting and the kids took one or two bites and left the rest. Sometimes I wonder if it might just be excitement because I know at other gluten parties, kids do the same things. I have wanted to see if I could get a bakery to decorate my cake or cupcakes but haven't found one. I wonder if I got just an icing cupcake if it could somehow be transferred onto my ds's cupcake while the others get the full store bought version. Don't know if this would work or look hokey.

I actually got the idea from a parent in my son's class. She was going to bring in cupcakes for her twins in a mickey mouse theme and wanted my son to have something of the same look. She called me with the ingredients in the icing and the store was happy to do it. So my son had the same looking cupcake as the rest of the class. Store bought cupcakes are mostly icing anyway with the decoration on top.

Stephanie

  • 2 weeks later...
cruelshoes Enthusiast

Thanks for everyone's input. We made a trip to the dollar store this weekend, and picked up the finest they had to offer :D Sean picked all these things out - Most of them contain sugar. ;) Each kid will receive a colorful bag containing the following:

- Stickers - snakes and lizards, very boyish!

- kazoo - guaranteed to make parents go crazy! :lol:

- pixie sticks (the gluten-free tube of sugar that everyone loves)

- Smarties (gluten-free in the US, not Canada)

- Tootsie pop

- Chinese finger trap - good for hours of fun

- A plastic thingie shaped like a piece of fruit filled with fruit flavored sugar.

We did find silly putty there at the last minute, but they didn't have enouugh. :( We spent some fun time stuffing bags yesterday. Hope he has a great time giving these out in class today.

neesee Apprentice

I'm sure the kids will have fun with this stuff. My grandson is 8,will be 9 in January. I know he'd get a kick outta all those things.

Happy Birthday to Sean!

Today is dd's birthday too. She is 32 :D I feel old! lol

neesee

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Recent Activity

    1. - cristiana replied to Scatterbrain's topic in Sports and Fitness
      5

      Feel like I’m starting over

    2. - knitty kitty replied to Jmartes71's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      8

      My only proof

    3. - Wheatwacked replied to Jmartes71's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      8

      Related issues

    4. - NanceK replied to Jmartes71's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      8

      My only proof


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,297
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Pam PA
    Newest Member
    Pam PA
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • cristiana
      Hi @Scatterbrain Thank you for your reply.   Some of these things could be weaknesses, also triggered by stress, which perhaps have come about as the result of long-term deficiencies which can take a long time to correct.   Some could be completely unrelated. If it is of help, I'll tell you some of the things that started in the first year or two, following my diagnosis - I pinned everything on coeliac disease, but it turns out I wasn't always right!  Dizziness, lightheaded - I was eventually diagnosed with cervical dizziness (worth googling, could be your issue too, also if you have neck pain?)  A few months after diagnosis I put my neck out slightly carrying my seven-year-old above my head, and never assigned any relevance to it as the pain at the time was severe but so short-lived that I'd forgotten the connection. Jaw pain - stress. Tinnitus - I think stress, but perhaps exacerbated by iron/vitamin deficiencies. Painful ribs and sacroiliac joints - no idea, bloating made the pain worse. It got really bad but then got better. Irregular heart rate - could be a coincidence but my sister (not a coeliac) and I both developed this temporarily after our second Astra Zeneca covid jabs.   Subsequent Pfizer jabs didn't affect us. Brain fog - a big thing for people with certain autoimmune issues but in my case I think possibly worse when my iron or B12 are low, but I have no proof of this. Insomnia - stress, menopause. So basically, it isn't always gluten.  It might be worth having your vitamins and mineral levels checked, and if you have deficiencies speak to your Dr about how better to address them?    
    • knitty kitty
      @NanceK, I do have Hypersensitivity Type Four reaction to Sulfa drugs, a sulfa allergy.  Benfotiamine and other forms of Thiamine do not bother me at all.  There's sulfur in all kinds of Thiamine, yet our bodies must have it as an essential nutrient to make life sustaining enzymes.  The sulfur in thiamine is in a ring which does not trigger sulfa allergy like sulfites in a chain found in pharmaceuticals.  Doctors are not given sufficient education in nutrition (nor chemistry in this case).  I studied Nutrition before earning a degree in Microbiology.  I wanted to know what vitamins were doing inside the body.   Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.   Not feeling well after starting Benfotiamine is normal.  It's called the "thiamine paradox" and is equivalent to an engine backfiring if it's not been cranked up for a while.  Mine went away in about three days.  I took a B Complex, magnesium and added molybdenum for a few weeks. It's important to add a B Complex with all eight essential B vitamins. Supplementing just one B vitamin can cause lows in some of the others and result in feeling worse, too.  Celiac Disease causes malabsorption of all the B vitamins, not just thiamine.  You need all eight.  Thiamine forms including Benfotiamine interact with each of the other B vitamins in some way.  It's important to add a magnesium glycinate or chelate supplement as well.  Forms of Thiamine including Benfotiamine need magnesium to make those life sustaining enzymes.  (Don't use magnesium oxide.  It's not absorbed well.  It pulls water into the intestines and is used to relieve constipation.)   Molybdenum is a trace mineral that helps the body utilize forms of Thiamine.   Molybdenum supplements are available over the counter.  It's not unusual to be low in molybdenum if low in thiamine.   I do hope you will add the necessary supplements and try Benfotiamine again. Science-y Explanation of Thiamine Paradox: https://hormonesmatter.com/paradoxical-reactions-with-ttfd-the-glutathione-connection/#google_vignette
    • Wheatwacked
      Your goal is not to be a good puppet, there is no gain in that. You might want to restart the ones that helped.  It sounds more like you are suffering from malnutrition.  Gluten free foods are not fortified with things like Thiamine (B1), vitamin D, Iodine, B1,2,3,5,6 and 12 as non-gluten free products are required to be. There is a Catch-22 here.  Malnutrition can cause SIBO, and SIBO can worsen malnutrition. Another possibility is side effects from any medication that are taking.  I was on Metformin 3 months before it turned me into a zombi.  I had crippling side effects from most of the BP meds tried on me, and Losartan has many of the side effects on me from my pre gluten free days. Because you have been gluten free, you can test and talk until you are blue in the face but all of your tests will be negative.  Without gluten, you will not create the antigen against gluten, no antigens to gluten, so no small intestine damage from the antigens.  You will need to do a gluten challange to test positive if you need an official diagnosis, and even then, no guaranty: 10 g of gluten per day for 6 weeks! Then a full panel of Celiac tests and biopsy. At a minimum consider vitamin D, Liquid Iodine (unless you have dermatitis herpetiformis and iodine exasperates the rash), and Liquid Geritol. Push for vitamin D testing and a consult with a nutritionist experienced with Celiack Disease.  Most blood tests don't indicate nutritional deficiencies.  Your thyroid tests can be perfect, yet not indicate iodine deficiency for example.  Thiamine   test fine, but not pick up on beriberi.  Vegans are often B12 deficient because meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy are the primary souces of B12. Here is what I take daily.  10,000 IU vitamin D3 750 mg g a b a [   ] 200 mg CoQ10 [   ] 100 mg DHEA [   ] 250 mg thiamine B1 [   ] 100 mg of B2 [   ] 500 mg B5 pantothenic acid [   ] 100 mg B6 [   ] 1000 micrograms B12 n [   ] 500 mg vitamin c [   ] 500 mg taurine [   ] 200 mg selenium   
    • NanceK
      Hi…Just a note that if you have an allergy to sulfa it’s best not to take Benfotiamine. I bought a bottle and tried one without looking into it first and didn’t feel well.  I checked with my pharmacist and he said not to take it with a known sulfa allergy. I was really bummed because I thought it would help my energy level, but I was thankful I was given this info before taking more of it. 
    • Wheatwacked
      Hello @Scatterbrain, Are you getting enough vitamins and minerals.  Gluten free food is not fortified so you may be starting to run low on B vitamins and vitamin D.   By the way you should get your mom checked for celiac disease.  You got it from your mom or dad.  Some studies show that following a gluten-free diet can stabilize or improve symptoms of dementia.  I know that for the 63 years I was eating gluten I got dumber and dumber until I started GFD and vitamin replenishment and it began to reverse.  Thiamine can get used up in a week or two.  Symptoms can come and go with daily diet.  Symptoms of beriberi due to Thiamine deficiency.   Difficulty walking. Loss of feeling (sensation) in hands and feet. Loss of muscle function or paralysis of the lower legs. Mental confusion. Pain. Speech difficulties. Strange eye movements (nystagmus) Tingling. Any change in medications? Last March I had corotid artery surgery (90 % blockage), and I started taking Losartan for blood pressure, added to the Clonidine I was taking already.  I was not recovering well and many of my pre gluten free symptoms were back  I was getting worse.  At first I thought it was caused a reaction to the anesthesia from the surgery, but that should have improved after two weeks.  Doctor thought I was just being a wimp. After three months I talked to my doctor about a break from the Losartan to see if it was causing it. It had not made any difference in my bp.  Except for clonindine, all of the previous bp meds tried had not worked to lower bp and had crippling side effects. One, I could not stand up straight; one wobbly knees, another spayed feet.  Inguinal hernia from the Lisinopril cough.  Had I contiued on those, I was destined for a wheelchair or walker. She said the symptoms were not from Losartan so I continued taking it.  Two weeks later I did not have the strength in hips and thighs to get up from sitting on the floor (Help, I can't get up😨).  I stopped AMA (not recommended).  Without the Losartan, a) bp did not change, after the 72 hour withdrawal from Losartanon, on clonidine only and b) symptoms started going away.  Improvement started in 72 hours.  After six weeks they were gone and I am getting better.  
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.