Parent Engagement Ideas for your Preschool Program

Parent Engagement Ideas for your Preschool Program

Are you looking for some fun ways to involve your family in your preschool program?  Engaging parents in their child’s preschool education is a key factor in creating a successful learning environment. Not only does it strengthen the relationship between home and school, but it also enhances children’s academic, social, and emotional development. In this blog post, we’ll share some fun and creative ideas for fostering parent involvement in your preschool program.

What is Parent Engagement?

Parent engagement refers to the active participation of parents in their children’s education. According to the CDC, it’s about parents and school staff working together to improve children’s learning, development, and health. This partnership plays an essential role in creating a positive educational experience for young children. (2).

Early Education experts, and many quality assurance agencies emphasize how important parent engagement is during this day and age.

Why Is Parent Engagement Important?

Research has consistently shown that when parents are involved in their children’s education, the benefits are far-reaching. Engaged parents help foster a stronger academic foundation, support positive behaviors, and improve social skills in children. In fact, children whose parents are involved tend to perform better academically, display fewer behavioral issues, and engage more successfully with their peers (4).

How to Involve Parents in Your Preschool Program

When it comes to parent involvement, it’s important to offer diverse opportunities and let parents choose how they’d like to participate. Here are some ideas for involving families in your program:

• Host an Open House: Encourage parents to meet the teachers, tour the classroom, and engage in team-building activities together.
• Create a Parent Board: Display important program updates, events, reminders, and volunteer opportunities, on your Parent Bulletin Board.
• Monthly Newsletter Section: Dedicate a part of your newsletter to keep parents informed on how they can get involved in the program each month.
• Request Volunteers: Encourage parents to contribute their time or donate items needed for classroom activities or events. Set up a Wishlist or Donation Request form.
• Plan Family Events & Activities: Organize creative parent events, projects, and activities throughout the year that invite families to join in on the fun and learning.
  

Tips for Increasing Parent Engagement

The CDC offers a helpful framework for building and maintaining strong parent engagement:

1. Connect with Parents: Start by building a positive relationship and clearly communicate the school’s vision. Establish trust by emphasizing that parents are partners in their child’s learning and health.
2. Engage Parents: Provide frequent opportunities for involvement, such as volunteering, attending events, supporting learning at home, and participating in decision-making.
3. Sustain Engagement: Overcome common challenges like scheduling conflicts or transportation barriers. Create a welcoming environment, support teachers in building relationships with families, and continue to provide meaningful opportunities for engagement.
   

Communication: Keeping Parents Informed

Clear and consistent communication is key to keeping parents engaged. With busy schedules, face-to-face communication may not always be possible, but there are still many ways to stay connected. Begin the year by surveying parents about their preferred communication methods (phone, text, email). Be sure to personalize messages when you can and maintain consistency.
Here are some communication ideas to consider:

• Video Messages: Send personalized video messages to share updates or highlight achievements.
• Photo Updates: Include pictures of students celebrating milestones or participating in activities.
• Newsletters: Keep parents informed with regular newsletters or monthly communication.
  
• Communication Center: Set up a designated area in the classroom for parents to access important information on upcoming events, schedules, and closures.
  

Creative Parent Engagement Ideas

Host an Art Exhibit

Showcase the children’s artwork by hosting an art exhibit. Not only does this highlight their creativity, but it’s also a wonderful opportunity for parents to get involved and connect with the community. For example, Patty T. from Pumpkin Patch Preschool shared her annual art exhibit, which included creative installations like one featuring loose parts. You can check out more of her exhibit photos for inspiration!

Patty shared so my wonderful installations including this one featuring loose parts. You can see more from her exhibit here.

Organize a Fun Contest

Every year Laurie C of Laurie's Childcare has a Sunflower contest. She sends home Sunflower seeds for the kids to grow at home and whoever wins gets bragging rights and a blue ribbon! What a fun way to celebrate Summer!

Plan a Family Engagement Project/Event

Gloria C. shared photos from her engaging “Gingerbread Man Sightings Event” where parents (and even extended family) sent in letters about spotting the gingerbread man. The program tracked these sightings on a map, which was both exciting and educational for the children.

Send Home Take-Home Activities

Take home activities are so fun! You can send a traveling toy, stuffed Animal, an Activity Calendar, or even a printable monthly engagement activity for parents and students to participate in together.  Parents and students can play games, cook together, or complete other fun learning activities with their students. Send a traveling journal with your toys. When they return, you can read the journal entry to your group. Students love learning about the adventures the toy went on at their friends house!

Raise Money for a Cause

Encourage families to get involved by hosting events like school garage sales or bake sales to raise money for a charitable cause. Alternatively, consider organizing food or toy drives to give back to the community. You can also involve parents and children in a local community service project, such as a park cleanup, food drive, or helping at an animal shelter. This teaches children the value of giving back while also bonding families over a shared cause.

Host a get together

Celebrate special occasions like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, or the first day of a new season by hosting a gathering. Dedicate a day to celebrating parents and their support. You can have activities such as thank-you notes from children, a special breakfast, or a small performance by the children. It’s a great way to show gratitude for their involvement. Parents can also volunteer to help coordinate the event, making it a fun and collaborative way to bring the community together.

Make a Classroom Recipe Book

Invite families to contribute their favorite recipes to create a classroom recipe book. This is a great way to celebrate cultural diversity and allow families to share something personal. At the end of the year, you could host a potluck where families bring their featured dishes. If you are a Pre-K Printables Club Member, you can download this Member Exclusive Editable Recipe Book here! E

Host a Family Talent Show

Encourage parents and children to showcase their talents in a fun and supportive environment. It could be singing, dancing, storytelling, or any other special skill. This is a great way to celebrate family diversity and build a sense of community.

Create a Family Resource Library

Set up a space where parents can borrow books, educational materials, and resources about child development, parenting, and family activities. This could be a physical library or a digital one, offering useful guides for navigating early childhood education.

Storytelling Sessions

Invite parents to share stories with the class, whether they are reading a book, telling a family tale, or recounting personal experiences. This encourages literacy and strengthens the connection between parents and children.

Collaborative Garden Project

Set up a small garden at the preschool and invite parents to help plant and care for it. Parents can teach their children about gardening, nature, and responsibility, while also contributing to the school’s outdoor space.

Parent-Teacher Conferences with a Twist

Instead of traditional one-on-one meetings, host parent-teacher conferences that include interactive activities. For example, parents and teachers can work together to create an educational activity or game that aligns with their child's learning goals.

Create a Family Art Wall

Have families contribute to a collaborative art project, such as a mural or a wall of family photos and drawings. This can be an ongoing project that evolves over the year, fostering a sense of ownership and pride in the school community.

Do you have a parent engagement Idea?

Parent engagement is crucial to the success of any preschool program. By offering a variety of opportunities for parents to participate and communicate, you create a positive and collaborative learning environment that benefits both children and their families. We hope these ideas inspire you to strengthen parent engagement in your preschool program!

Do you have any parent engagement ideas that have worked for you? Feel free to share them in the comments below!