Hello, I am trying to plan a series of family fun nights: reading, bingo and games. I was planning on having these nights on Fridays. I just recieved notification that the powers that be would like the nights to be on another night. While I feel any night is fine for reading...as for game night and bingo, it seems they will bomb if not on a friday, when the kiddies can stay up. This is an elementary school. Please let me know what you think?
Jenn

We hold our Family Fun Nights normally on a Thrusday. We also hold them on nights that another event is happening at the school. Ex. Conferences,We have held a sock hop with a book fair. Pick up for fundraisers, We held our fall festival or our craft night. We have had really good turn outs at these events. Are numbers go up every event.

We mix and match our nights. If we're going to have a magic show(1-2 hours long) we would do it on a Wed. or Thurs. night. If its Bingo(usually takes hours) we plan it for a Friday night. If you're holding the event outside of the school like skating, we like to do that on a half day or holiday. Swim night we like to hold on a Saturday night in the winter at the YMCA.

Like wdaj said (hi debbie) we have our events hooked to another function, we have found from learning the hard way that pick up for fundraisers go better if there is a free family event as well. The family stays a couple of hours and then pick up their stuff and leave. this prevents alot of leftover pickups.we have family events on conference nights, parents can go to their conference knowing that their kids are in a safe place, once they get done they come and join the kids(usually 20 minutes).Conference days are usually followed by a half day of school or no school the next day. I have found that Friday nights are not good for our families, and truth be known the staff really does not want to participate in anything on Friday night. The only event we do on Friday night is the parent/staff volleyball. Thursday works best for us...

Our turnout was not good when we offered Family Nights on Fridays. That may have been unique to our community, but it always seemed like Thursdays were the nights to do it. A Saturday night movie night brought half the people a Thursday night movie brought, and I don't know whether everyone forgot, or if it was just a heavy night for other activities.

Good luck in planning your nights!