The start of the new school year is a high energy and stressful time of the year for Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) volunteer leaders
So the thought of planing a PTO back to school party as a kickoff event may seem like it’s a bad idea.
It’s actually just the opposite and is a fantastic idea to give students and families a concrete experience of just what your PTO does.
I’m going to break down how you can plan a new school year party with a few volunteers and an even smaller budget.
A fun and low stress PTO sponsored back to school party can set the perfect tone for a fantastic school year that gets parents and students hyped for the rest of the PTO’s plans for the year.
Let’s get to the back to school bash planning!
Start With the Back to School Party Format That Actually Works
We called our PTO’s back to school party the Black Top Bash.
As you may have guessed, we set everything up right on the school playground, as a totally casual, no pressure event.
That casual part matters more than you’d think.
Families are already juggling a hundred new school year logistics.
The last thing they need is an event that feels like one more thing to prepare for.
Instead, follow my lead and plan an event that just requires them to show up, hang out, go home.
Have a Backup Plan in Case of Inclement Weather
This event works rain or shine as long as you have an indoor space to regroup in if it rains.
The second year my PTO held the back to school party it rained, but we were able to quickly shift inside because we’d planned for rain.
When you fill out your school use permit, make sure to note that you’d like access to the school gym in case of rain and the playground too.
This way you’ll be able to shift if the weather does.
Works for All Age Sets
I’ve run this event for our elementary school PTO more than once now and it doesn’t take a big budget or a huge committee, but you could easily run it for any grade level.
A little planning and a parking lot and some borrowed playground equipment is all it takes.
Don’t count out the big kids for wanting to play like they did in Kindergarten!
They’re still kids at heart.
Give People a Reason to Meet Each Other
Here’s the thing nobody tells new PTO leaders.
The activities aren’t really the point.
The meeting is the point.
And this back to school party styled as a kickoff event for your PTO gives students and families a perfect excuse to come together and meet.
Don’t let it be a free for all or your shiest attendees may never connect with anyone.
We combatted this possibility by posting signs around the playground for each grade level.
Not because kids needed a designated spot to play, but because it gave parents a natural place to cluster and start talking to each other.
A new kindergarten mom standing near the K sign is going to end up chatting with three other kindergarten moms within ten minutes.
Provide Structure and Activities
Be sure to add a bit of structure to the event with loose activities, all while keeping the event simple and casual.
Borrow playground equipment from the school itself (balls, cones, jump ropes and the like).
Let things happen organically.
At our first back to school party, a parent spontaneously organized a kickball game and it was one of the best parts of the night!
Another no-budget-required activity is calling your city and ask if a fire truck or police car can stop by for a “meet the machines” moment.
Kids lose their minds over this and it costs you nothing but a phone call.
Big bang with a cost every PTO can afford.
Put a Friendly Face at the Membership Table
Set up a PTO membership table right near the entrance.
Not tucked in a corner, not an afterthought.
Front and center with information and answers.
Staff it with someone genuinely warm and approachable, not anyone with a clipboard and a stern look.
This is where curious parents sign up to be members, ask their questions, and get a feel for whether this PTO thing is something they want to be part of.
A lot of your future volunteers meet the PTO for the first time at that table.
Make it count!
Provide Food
Be sure to have food at your back to school party kickoff event.
In our case, the PTO covered pizza, plates, napkins, and cups for water (we filled up our huge water jugs with ice and water).
Total cost for the whole event was around $150 (counting the very nice discount our local pizza place gave us), so this first family fun event of the school year was not a budget buster.
Here’s a guide to help you figure out how much pizza you’ll need to feed your crowd.
For everything else, we assigned families to bring something based on their child’s grade level to round out the meal:
- Kindergarten: dessert
- 1st grade: a side dish
- 2nd grade: an appetizer
- 3rd grade: juice boxes
Be specific about this.Â
If you just say “bring something to share,” you will end up with a table of forty desserts next to the pizza.
Delicious, sure.
Not exactly a balanced spread.
Assigning categories by grade keeps the food table varied and keeps any one family from feeling like they have to bring a ton.
Don’t Skip These Two Things
Two details make or break this event and they’re not glamorous.
First, bathroom access.
Know exactly where families can go and make sure it’s easy to find, especially if you’re stationed as a group outside.
Second, advance notice
Send notice home early and remind often in morning announcements and social media posts.
Families need real lead time to plan around a weeknight event.
The earlier they know, the better your turnout.
The Real Reason This Event Works
Wanna know what I did the first time I planned a PTO back to school party kickoff event?
I basically just carved out the time and the space on the school and PTO calendar, and let people do the rest.
Parents want to connect during back to school season.
They want to know what’s happening, and they want to meet the families who’ve already been through it, the ones who can tell them what the school newsletter won’t.
That’s honestly one of the best parts of being involved in a PTO.
You don’t have to figure out every single thing on your own.
Somebody two grades ahead of you already learned the hard lesson so you don’t have to.
So set out the pizza, hang up your grade level signs, and open the gates.
They’ll come.
Resources to Grow Your PTO’s Member and Volunteer Base
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