We have implemented several family events this year for our families. We had a Father and Daughter Picture night, the company charged $10 for an 8x10 and if we had over 20 they gave us $2 per picture they took. We had 31 Dads that showed up to take pictures with their daughters. We also had a Father and Son basketball tournament, we charged $15 per team and that took care of the concession stand food and the trophies. We also have a Mother and Daughter Dinner and a Mother and Son Fishfry in the works. Last year it was a success we had a motivational speaker and we gave out gifts and we added a talent show with the Mother and Daughter Dinner with the participants being the Mother and Daughters. They did skits, sang, danced and read poems.
Wow! So many awesome ideas... Thanks everyone - keep them coming.
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We did a Family Dance last year... the Friday before Valentine's Day. We sold pizza and popcorn, drinks, popcorn and "brownie bites". The older sister of one of our students mixed the age-appropriate music and served as DJ for the event. We deorated in red, white and pink. There was no admission, so we only made a little bit of money on the concessions, but it was SO MUCH FUN that kids were talking about it for weeks! We are hoping this year's event will be better attended. We will have a photographer take family pictures, sell carnations for kids to give their moms, or dads to give their daughters... we also sell those cheap, colored beads (from Oriental Trading) and that is a HUGE success. Also, we require that every child attends with an adult... we have our security guy at the door to make sure no one leaves without their parents (or vice versa). So, the parents ended up having as much fun as the kids.
Tsgregory-regarding International Night-our school does a Multi-Cultural Festival every spring. We get food donations from local restaurants (Italian, Chinese, Mexican, American, Greek, etc) and parents pay a flat rate for tickets. Each meal ticket gets them a drink and small samplings of whatever they would like to try. Out in our courtyard, we have college students/parents/teachers running booths like face painting of flags from different countries (no hearts, etc... just the flags), an oragami table, coloring table (so they can pick a flag and color it) and a few more. We also have a local Tae Kwon Do school do a demonstration, plus a bag pipe group comes in and does a presentation. It is A LOT of fun. Good luck!
We're starting family fun nighs this year separated by grade level. For the youngest set pre-k - k - 1 we will do music and games with a parachute and simon says and music. It is all parent run. For 2-3 we are thinking of incorporating a giant twister board so everyone can play twister, and i-pod dj...meaning a parent is going to put together the music selection, and a game of giant charades. 4-5 is going to be a cinco di mayo festival....we are looking for ideas for that beyond music and dancing.
As a fun night we also have a teacher vs student basketball game - it goes over huge as every student loves to see the competition. Again, it is a k-8 school so the level of competition is very fun and friendly with the 5-8th graders competing against the teachers.
Another thing we are doing this year is a talent show where we have asked parents to be acts too, so they can be "gonged' off the stage. We have not had an overwhelming response on that as yet...but I remain optomistic!!!
I've gotten some great ideas from this thread! I particularly like Book Bingo and Open Gym Night, which sound so cheap and easy that I might try to get them going at our school this spring. NASA night sounds excellent too but will take a bit more preparation, so I might aim for next fall for that one if my board likes the idea.
I also hope to start something at our school next fall that a nearby elementary does, called "Boo-hoo Yahoo!". It's just coffee, juice, danishes and socializing for parents of entering kindergartners, done very early in the school year, even the first day if possible -- you know, "boo-hoo, my baby's going to school" but "yahoo! She's going to school!" It sounds to me like a great way to make parents who might be new to the school feel welcomed and part of the school community, and I'm eager to try it.
