Events and Programs Archive

We know planning great family events is a big part of what your group does. There are tons of ideas in the articles below for new and better ways to connect with parents. When you're done reading, head over to the Message Boards to connect with other leaders.

Articles with a plus sign () are available to PTO Today Plus members only.

• 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.
• National Runner-up: Eagle Project Really Soared - A combined literacy and community service project to save the bald eagle really took off for PTO Today's 2007 Parent Group of the Year national runner-up.
• How To Choose School Performers - Enrichment activities and school performers bring fresh insight and perspectives. Find the best fit for your school.
• Auction Action Plan - Secrets the pros use to turn even small auctions into highly profitable big-dollar fundraisers.
• Book Fairs: Tips for Success - Organization, communication, and a dash of fun will make your book fair an event to remember.
• Spring Family Event Ideas - Put down the fundraising checklist; forget the next round of school testing. It's time for school fun! Here's a sampling of PTO spring traditions from around the country. What will you do to celebrate your school community this season?
• Family Event: Details Make a Winning Night - A nice family night became a terrific school event thanks to a focus on making sure everyone could participate. That focus made this night PTO Today's 2005 Parent Group of the Year winner for Outstanding Family Event.
• How PTOs Foster Reading Skills - Parent groups can play an effective role in helping schools improve reading and writing achievement.
• 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.
• Make Your Family Night a Winner - Fun family nights are a great way to build involvement. Get started with these ideas and tips for success.
• Giant Games, Huge Involvement - Oversize Twister, Yahtzee, Scrabble, and others put a popular twist on a PTO’s family board game night.
• Fundraiser Goes Into the Woods - An annual trail race through the town forest uses local resources to raise money while abiding by a policy that prohibits sales by students.
• Family Events Better With Bunco - Faced with parents’ lack of interest, one PTO risked it all on a throw of the dice—with positive results.
• 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.
• 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.
• The Power of the "Big Idea" - A high-profile goal or signature event will rally your school community and build excitement.
• Learning About Ellis Island - This simulation of the Ellis Island immigration experience taught kids and engaged parents in a dynamic way.
• Mother-Son Dance: Jammin' Fun - A twist on the traditional father-daughter dance offers music, activities, door prizes, and a chance for parents and kids to bond.
• Family Event: Low Cost, High Profile - PTO Today's 2007 Parent Group of the Year for Outstanding Family Event brings parents and students together with a camping night that's inexpensive, easy to plan, and one of the most popular events of the year.
• 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.
• TV Turned Off, Fun Tuned In - A week of activities scheduled for TV Turnoff Week generated lots of excitement for one PTO.
• Pool Party's a Splash - A back-to-school pool party sets the tone by emphasizing involvement and providing a relaxed setting for parents to interact.
• Game Show Night Is a Winner - School-themed knockoffs of popular game shows create fun for parents, students, and teachers alike.
• Come Vote, and Bring the Family - A school's election-day carnival has become a community event.
• A Literacy Event for Halloween - Pumpkins and poems make an eerily successful combination for a Halloween celebration.
• Connect With Immigrant Parents - One group's innovative event to help immigrant parents adapt to U.S. school culture provides lots of lessons for reaching out to families.
• School Snacks Under Attack - Federal law has some districts limiting the kinds of foods available to students. We talk about what it means and how it might affect your group.
• Score With a Golf Fundraiser - If you have the resources to get started, running a golf tournament can really pay off.
• Holiday Shops: Kids Love 'Em - Holiday shops, also known as Santa shops, are popular with kids and parents, and volunteers often enjoy helping children make their choices. But running a shop takes planning and organization.
• Carnival Success Story - One school's longtime carnival tradition brings the right blend of fundraising and family fun to the entire community.
• House Tour Raises Big Cash - How a Capitol Hill school raised $40,000 with a "nosy neighbor" tour of recently renovated homes.
• Book Fair Success Story - Communitywide literacy programming is the underpinning for a PTO book fair that's grown every year.
• Million Minute Reading Challenge - One PTA's innovative program to get kids excited about books and boost reading scores.
• Figuring Finances for Events - How to build a simple cost model and estimate the start-to-finish finances for your group's new events.
• Parent Group Caters to Families - Five moms keep involvement high year-round with a series of meal-centered activities for the school community.
• Holiday Shops: Make Yours Shine - Parent groups share creative ideas that have made their seasonal stores a hit year after year.
• Do More With Fewer Resources - Parent group leaders share tips for making do when money is tight and volunteers are scarce.
• Contractor's Day Puts Parents to Work - School beautification becomes a prime involvement event.
• Make Your Events Memorable - Simple touches can transform a good event into a four-star success.
• 16 Ideas for Quick and Easy Events - With a little creativity, you can plan activities that strengthen the school community without breaking the bank or exhausting your volunteers.
• Auction Makeover - By turning its long-time auction into a more upscale, innovative event, one PTO took profits—and parent enthusiasm—through the roof.
• Reward Assembly Stirs Debate - A fundraising assembly featuring dogs doing tricks spurred months of debate in a southern California community after a mother protested excluding those students who hadn't sold anything.
• Organizing a Fun Run - Done right, a jogathon can build school spirit while also earning some big bucks.
• Create a School Tradition - Ambitious events build excitement and involvement. They make your PTO look great, too.
• PTO Wins With Tournament - Teams of students compete in a basketball tournament that has become a rallying point for the entire middle school.
• Halloween Festival Builds Community - Every October, a 140-student school in Michigan throws a party for a thousand people.
• School Spirit in the Spotlight - Hundreds of students, parents, and alumni take part in planning or performing in a major variety show event.
• A Special Day for Grandparents - Every year, grandparents and other adult friends come from across the country to share the day with students.
• The Buzz: Green Groups - Parent groups across the country are finding creative ways to conserve resources and raise environmental awareness in schools.
• Building Student Readers - Students who read books can earn great prizes from the parent group's Little Red Schoolhouse.
• Family Event: Fun and Eco-games - PTO Today’s 2008 Outstanding Family Event was a green festival that combined learning and fun, included a large number of parent volunteers, and helped strengthen the connection between the middle school and home.
• Community Service: Knitting for a Cause - PTO Today’s 2008 Outstanding Community Service Project turned a fundraiser into a heartwarming event: Students knitted hats in all sizes for patients at the local children’s hospital, then delivered them personally.
• 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.
• Big Trucks Raise PTO Bucks - Cars and trucks galore drove the enjoyment at a communitywide fair.
• Parent Group Launches a Lunch Program - Offering hot meals at a low cost nourishes students and also turns a profit.
• Summer Crafts Fest Brings Community Together - A two-day “Christmas in July” street fair brings together more than 20,000 attendees.
• 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.
• Treat Your Volunteers Right - Don’t wait for the big annual event to say thanks. We've rounded up a bunch of simple recognition and appreciation ideas that can be used year-round.
• Bringing History to Life - Ancient Egypt becomes real again through a month of activities for the whole school.
• 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.
• Fun Family Events Help Build Unity - PTO Today's 2009 Parent Group of the Year set goals to enhance student opportunities and bring together the school community.
• Bike Drive Energizes Community - By collecting and repairing bicycles for low-income families, PTO Today's 2009 Parent Group of the Year for Outstanding Community Service Project turned a simple annual event into a community-building exercise.
• Stepping Up to Family Fitness Challenge - A PTA encourages its school families to walk a combined 1 million steps to better health.
• 12 Holiday Ideas for Your PTO - The holidays are a natural time to showcase your school parent group with festive activities and events. Not sure where to begin? Here are 12 ideas to choose from.
• Academics and Animals - One school's 5th grade curriculum uses community service activities related to cats, dogs, and zoo animals to teach kids science.