Arts and Enrichment Archive

From field trips to science programs to music and plays, we know parent groups support all sorts of activities to make learning more exciting for kids. You'll find tons of enrichment ideas in the articles below. When you're done reading, head over to our Message Boards to connect with other leaders thinking about the same issues.

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• 36 Ideas for Arts and Science Enrichment - School performers, assemblies, and cultural events can excite students and bring new perspectives. Get started with our list of memorable activities.
• Field Trips: Getting Organized - School-led educational outings are primarily the domain of teachers, but parent groups can still play a role in making them fun and successful.
• How To Choose School Performers - Enrichment activities and school performers bring fresh insight and perspectives. Find the best fit for your school.
• How PTOs Foster Reading Skills - Parent groups can play an effective role in helping schools improve reading and writing achievement.
• How PTOs Foster Math Skills - Creative approaches to help schools focus on achievement in math and to improve math literacy.
• How PTOs Foster Science Skills - The No Child Left Behind Act places a strong emphasis on test scores and achievement in certain curriculum areas. This story examines how parent groups can help schools focus on achievement in science.
• An Author Visit From the Author's Eyes - An award-winning children's author and speaker shares his best ideas for maximizing the value of your next arts and enrichment performer.
• PTO Publishes Student Writers - A literacy program gets kids writing essays and poetry, with some parent involvement along the way.
• Organizing an Author Visit - Don't be overwhelmed by the thought of choosing an author and planning an event. A few simple guidelines will help you do it successfully.
• Bringing Art Appreciation to Students - "Meet the Masters," an art education program founded and sponsored by the Kings Road School PTO in New Jersey, has been tying art appreciation to the curriculum since the 1980s.
• Auction Gold: Student Art Projects - Keepsakes created by students make extremely popular auction items. Here's how one group with a slew of creative ideas cashed in.
• Permission Slips That Work - Permission slips are often sent home with kids for school activities, but most of them don't provide any legal protection for the school or the parent group.
• Learning About Ellis Island - This simulation of the Ellis Island immigration experience taught kids and engaged parents in a dynamic way.
• Science Comes Alive on Discovery Day - Local scientists performed engaging experiments for elementary school students in this excellent one-day enrichment program.
• Murals Teach Art, History -  More than just a pretty wall, murals help bring lessons alive and instill a sense of community pride.
• Knitting Club's a Ball - Kids eagerly choose "indoor recess" to learn a new craft.
• A Play's the Thing - One parent group has turned its annual musical performance into a major fundraiser—and a major way to build community involvement.
• School Performers: Preparing an Orientation Packet - Tips to make the most of a school visit by arts and enrichment performers.
• Teaching Kids About Character - When respect, kindness, generosity, and other positive traits are covered at school, students gain strong values.
• School Store Stocked for Success - Students learn money management behind the counter of a cafeteria store filled with school supplies and other goodies.
• PTO Goes Green at School - It's Earth Day every day for a group of students, teachers, parents, and administrators in Dover, Mass.
• School Spirit in the Spotlight - Hundreds of students, parents, and alumni take part in planning or performing in a major variety show event.
• Science Night, CSI Style - Science is fun when students have to figure out “Whodunit?”
• Higher Fuel Costs Mean Fewer Field Trips - Rising costs are a problem for most school districts, survey finds.
• Field Trip Fees Banned in Iowa - According to the state department of education, schools cannot ask parents to pay field trip costs directly, although PTOs can fundraise for that purpose.
• How PTOs Are Making Schools Green - PTOs and PTAs are increasingly playing a key role in school efforts related to recycling, composting, and reducing energy use.
• Yearlong Travel Theme Makes Learning Fun - Parent group leaders and teachers tied a “world tour” theme to all parts of the curriculum, making it a year to remember for the entire school community.
• Bringing History to Life - Ancient Egypt becomes real again through a month of activities for the whole school.
• Make It an A+ Year! - PTOs can make even more of a difference for schools with good planning, good communication, and a focus on building student achievement.
• Reading Challenge Achieves Results - When a PTO matches elementary readers with NASA astronauts, literacy scores soar.
• Family Event: Crafts Night With a Conscience - PTO Today's 2009 Parent Group of the Year for Outstanding Family Event combined a focus on fun with environmental awareness.
• Major Project: Edible Garden Enriches Students and Learning - The 2009 Parent Group of the Year for Outstanding Job on a Completed Major Project created a green space for students with the support of families and teachers as well as school staff.
• Stepping Up to Family Fitness Challenge - A PTA encourages its school families to walk a combined 1 million steps to better health.
• Start a Parent-Child Book Club - A book club for 1st graders and their parents sparks excitement and shares the joy of reading.
• Academics and Animals - One school's 5th grade curriculum uses community service activities related to cats, dogs, and zoo animals to teach kids science.