I know it is time to start thinking about Open House when the back-to-school catalogs begin arriving in my mailbox. Open House is exciting for children, parents, and teachers, but it can also be stressful! Families are anxious to see the classroom and meet the teacher who will get to spend so much time with their little ones over the upcoming year. To make the event as enjoyable as possible, I always pick a fun theme. Parents appreciate being invited to special event, and children are excited about coming back to the classroom! This year, I am planning a “DONUT Forget About Open House” back-to-school event! It’s sure to be a sweet success!
When I plan my Open House, I always like to include a family friendly activity, information for the parents, a small gift for the children, a supply wishlist, and a photo booth! Planning these ideas in advance means less stress when school starts! You can even print these reminder post cards for free to get started! I will use one of my tables to create a display in the classroom. Don’t worry- you don’t need to do a whole room makeover. You can make a big impact in a small space.
During the event, I will do a small presentation to the families to introduce myself. I will also present information about our school, curriculum, schedules, homework, supplies, etc. This is the perfect time to tell families about the things they can do at Open House. I give directions for the family activity and photo booth. I also invite everyone to have a snack and check out our supply wishlist. Once the formal part of the event is over, families can move around the classroom!
The family activity ensures that everyone will have something to do while visiting the classroom. It gives me more time to speak with individual families and their children without people feeling like they are waiting in line. This year I decided to have the children make paper plate donuts. They are fun to create, but they do not make a mess! When you have a big group of visitors in your classroom, you don’t want to be cleaning up paint or glitter!
The family activity usually goes well if you prep everything in advance and you show a finished sample of the final product. To make paper plate donuts, you will need Yellow Paper Dessert Plates (vanilla) and Chocolate Paper Dessert Plates (chocolate) with holes in the middle for your “donuts.” You will also need to prep some different colors of “icing” for the top. I cut the shapes out of some colored paper I had left over from last year. I always prep extra materials. This ensures that no one has a meltdown over a mistake, and there are plenty of extras for siblings that might be tagging along.
To create their donuts, children pick a chocolate or vanilla donut and a color of icing. Children can use markers and Self-Adhesive Rhinestone Jewels to make sprinkles on their donuts. You can also use little strips of washi tape for sprinkles. When the children are done decorating, they glue the paper icing on their plates. Make sure families know if you want them to take their donuts home or leave them at school. I will be making a display with my students’ creations that say “We are a SWEET class.”
Remind families to pick up a snack while they are visiting! I think it’s a smart idea to put your important information and supply wishlist near your refreshments. Families will be stopping there to pick up a drink and a treat so it’s easy for them to grab an item from your supply wishlist too. To create this list, I took the donuts off of a Donut Party Garland. The little donuts are already so cute and colorful! I added a little supply to each donut and then put them back on the twine using clothespins. Families can take one or two donuts from the line and then send in those classroom supplies with their children.
These Donut Party Favor Boxes are perfect for the kids! I adore the little Donut Party Notepads that I placed inside each one. I picked the notepads, because I don’t mind if they bring them back to school. No teacher wants 24 donut fidget spinners making an appearance on opening day! I will also add a sharpened pencil, an eraser, and a sweet treat for later.
One of my best tips for Open House is to set up a photo booth….in the hallway! This is an excellent way to keep families moving during the event. When it’s time to wrap things up, you can remind them to visit the photo booth before they leave! Photo booths are great because there is very little to set up, and parents take their own pictures! Instead of a traditional backdrop, I hung the game mat from the Donut Party Bend Game. It’s big, durable, and really colorful! I saved the game spinner, and then I can use the game later in the year with my class!
To complete my photo booth, I blew up some Inflatable Donuts and printed some photo booth signs! You can download lots of sign designs for all grade levels here. Having the photo booth in the hall allows families from other classrooms to use the display too!
Creating a theme for your upcoming Open House event will make the night less stressful for you and more fun for families! It’s a great way to start a SWEET new year!
