5 Booths to Have at Your Open House
Open House (and Back to School Night) are like annual rites of passage for parents to re-visit - or visit for the first time - their child's school; they get to hear from the school-parent group, receive information about the year's events and meet the teacher. If your school-parent group is planning your Open House, make sure to include these 5 booths for success:
1. Social Booth:
Designate an area in the opening where parents enter and exit for Open House night where you can display posters with the school's twitter and Instagram handles and facebook and pinterest pages. Also include links to the school and parent group websites and collect email addresses for parents who want to receive email newsletters. Bonus: Post a QR code that parents can scan with their smartphone to go to a page with all the school's web and social info, how to here.
2. Volunteer Sign-Up Booth:
Put down the clipboards and break out the iPads! Ditch long lines and paper sign-ups for digital, online (free) volunteer scheduling tools from VolunteerSpot. Use the "Clipboard" iPad app to virtually sign parents up on the spot (capturing their email and other info), download it here. Or post a list of available volunteer opportunities coming up and let parents know they'll receive signup links via email in the near future.
3. Photo Booth:
A FUN activity booth is a great way to engage parents and get them to open up with one another. Photo booths are easy DIY fun - simply grab a colorful sheet and hang it as a background, collect funky props like over-sized sunglasses, fake mustaches, you name it and recruit a volunteer to take pictures with a smart phone or digital camera. Photos can be posted on the school website or onto the school Flikr account for parents to view.
4. School Spirit Booth:
Open House is a great time to sell spirit wear and other school items to eager families new and old. It also helps your school parent group get a jump on fundraising for the year. Recruit smiling, friendly volunteers to staff this booth and encourage them to not just sell, but talk to and get to know the parents - encouraging them to check out other booths before the parent group presentation.
Related: 20 Back to School Night Ice Breakers
Whether you're collecting dues, handing out school calendars, giving directions around the school, you name it, staff your question and comment booth with friendly volunteers who know their stuff.
For school parents with questions for the parent-group leaders, have a shoebox and index cards for parents to write down their questions and drop them in. The school-parent group President can read and answer them at the end of their presentation.