Involvement by parents is among the strongest predictors of having positive experiences in preschool and higher enrollment in preschool programs. When a school cultivates meaningful and fun opportunities for parents to become involved, the news spreads quickly resulting in happier children’s outcomes, higher levels of parent-child attachment, and increased enrollment. Here is a list of fun parent engagement activities to help you get more children enrolled in preschool with your requested keywords embedded and best literary practices reflected.
The Significance of Parental Participation in Preschool
Research has shown that when children have parents involved in preschool family engagement activities, they demonstrate improved language, academic, and social skills, increased confidence at school and more positive attitudes toward learning. Parents who become involved in preschool family engagement activities then become ambassadors for the school, which helps decrease family and friends reluctance of sending their child to preschool.
Parents develop a greater understanding of the school curriculum and how preschool children learn new routines and transitions.
Children’s transitions to preschool are smoother and children are less anxious about getting ready for or separating from parents.
Preschools are developing an inclusive, supportive community.
Parent Involvement Activities that Prompt Fun and Connection
1. Family field trips
Host low-cost field trips. For example, go to the zoo, museum, or garden as a group where kids and parents experience these areas together. Families connect, children learn by watching, and the experience reinforces the home-to-school connection.
2. Parent-child art projects
Host family art days, where families create murals with finger-paint or have each child make their own collages or sculptures. The process is far more important than the actual product! This process is light-hearted, fun and provides a way for less-active parents to have that social ‘icebreaker.’
3. Service projects as a family
You can ask families to get involved in a charity food drive, help with a community clean-up, or set-up for a local festival. Working together provides shared goals, teamwork, and a way to strengthen your community and the visibility of your school.
4.“Read With Me” Storytime
Invite parents to read a favorite book to the class or host a pajama bedtime story event. This encourages literacy, gives children relaxation, and fosters parental confidence to engage, especially if they are not native English speakers.
5. Classroom Guest Experts
Invite parents to share a talent, job or family tradition (e.g., a chef brings food, a doctor brings a stethoscope, or a parent invites a relative to demonstrate a dance for a family festival). Children learn real-life connections and also learn to appreciate and respect diversity.
Preschool Community Activities That Includes Everyone
6. Open House or Back-to-School Night
At the beginning of each term invite families for a “meet and greet” where there will be art displays on walls, snacks on tables, and free play in the classroom.
During this time, teachers can address parent questions, while the parents witness first-hand, the joyfulness of our preschool community.
7. Family Banners and Displays
Families can create a collage/banner to represent their home culture, family traditions and favorite things. Banners can be posted in the classroom to show pride and incorporate children’s background into the classroom.
8. Potluck or Food Fair
Families should be encouraged to share a dish representing their tradition. Dining together helps cultivate relationships and food always attracts a crowd this is ideal for admissions events and celebratory events.
The Value of Parent Involvement in Preschool Admission
Parent involvement is not only a nice-to-have, it is also a proven admissions tactic:
- Enrolled families who have fun at events will eagerly share their experiences with others, creating more enrollment by word-of-mouth.
- Families on tours or open days will be much more likely to enroll when they see true involvement, community, and joy.
- Professional development days, a short time every month to invite parents to attend and join you on a special project has the ability to distinguish your school in a crowded marketplace.
Fun Parent-Child Activities at School and Home
9) Sensory Play Workshops
Invite parents to accompany their children at school, for example, sensory bins, water play, digging in the garden or making with clay. These “messy fun” workshop sessions are a great way to have fun together and an environment for your engagement which asks them to explore.
10) Music and movement workshop
Circle time, drum parade, or parent & child yoga offers families a time of interactivity with each other, laughing, using rhythm and enjoying relaxation as they make something together.
11) Weekly “Special Person” Days
Encourage children to invite a parent, grandparent, or special adult to school on a particular day to help with decorating, share a story or eat together. Each child will beam with pride as they share their school with someone they love.
Ideas for Increasing Parent Engagement in Preschools
Make it easy for parents to participate: Provide a variety of times for participation (for example, weekday evenings, weekends, etc.) along with considering the childcare needs of siblings when the family is attending.
Ask for feedback and ideas: When a parent helps plan a family event, they are invested in the success of their effort.
Celebrate your small successes: Photos on a newsletter and bulletin board of children’s and families’ engagement will encourage others to also participate.
Develop Traditions: something like a yearly carnival, a cultural celebration day or “bring your parent to class week” gives families the opportunity to anticipate the event in the future and gives you certainty in increasing enrollments
Digital connections: with parent approval, post photos and ideas for activities at home related to school events and provide funding for some kits so all families can feel engaged with the school experience even if they cannot attend everything.
Preschool Admissions–for Families and Schools
For families:
- Go on a school visit day or ideally a trial class before that, you don’t want to be shocked when your child is expected to attend.
- For your family- review the schedule of family events or fun play activities that parents can engage with the child while in the classroom.
- Observe how well your child and the teacher adapt to such nuances as efficiency or engagement with other people: Timeliness is key. Communication techniques such as apps, newsletter and email for updates also assist in keeping families connected outside of school.
For preschool providers/schools:
- Provide incentives/rewards for family referrals.
- Encourage families with siblings to enroll; this doesn’t need to be complex; provide a small discount for siblings enrolling.
- Real student experience is an important factor in marketing your school, and when considering whether to hand in an opt-out of your preschool, a good idea is to use testimonials and photographic evidence of events for both marketing and engagement in your school community experience.
Real Life Application Example – Parents Fuel Growth in Schools
When preschools are intentional in designing fun family engaging activities, and allowing preschools to arrange time for their educational programming, behaviours are observed to change:
- Students settle into their environment quicker, student engagement increases their outcomes.
- Families feel incredible respect and value increases which contributes to loyalty to the school.
- The reputation as a warm and inclusive quality school spreads through hearsay generates significantly increased enrollments through experiential feeling of and belonging of community.
Conclusion
Welcoming community preschools are much more than highly educated educators they are open to families, share fun activities for kids and parents and appreciate every unique parent, great or small. Each and every preschool activity, parent community activity and bonding activity that schools initiate will significantly increase child happiness, parent confidence and the numbers of enrolled children. Investing in family engagement is a win-win strategy for the successful and sustainable operation of any community preschool.
Read Also : 51 Super Fun Activities Every Kid Will Love
Twitter