Back-to-School Night lays the foundation for the entire school year and allows you to introduce yourself, connect with your new students and their families, and make everyone feel welcome. You want to make it a night to remember— but how? Use these 11 simple and fun back-to-school night ideas to help students and their families leave feeling excited and informed about what’s to come!
Research consistently shows the benefits of strong school and home partnerships, and Back-to-School Night is the perfect opportunity to start building these connections.
This night is not just ANY school event though— it’s a chance to begin collaborative partnerships with the families of your new students. It’s worth your time and effort to make this Back to School Night stand out!
Set the night up for success by using a customized slide show and creating 10 fun stations for families and students to enjoy!
A back-to-school night slide show allows you to introduce yourself, answer important questions for families, and help students feel welcome.
These editable back-to-school slides will help parents leave the event feeling welcomed, informed, and excited about the upcoming school year.
Personalize the experience for your families and students even more by creating slides in multiple languages!
Check out even more helpful tips in the Back to School Slides Teacher Guide!
Next, use stations!
Unlike traditional school events where families sit and listen, back-to-school night stations are designed to help families be a part of the classroom! There are activities for the whole family— including students, siblings, and adults.
Involving everyone in Back to School Night ensures everyone feels welcome and excited about the new school year!
After your presentation, invite families to explore the classroom by visiting your 10 stations:
“10 stations…can I really do that?!” YES, yes you can!
Setting up these stations is low-prep and makes a big impact as families and students feel welcome in your classroom.
Here’s how to easily set up your Back-to-School Night Stations:
First, the sign-in station. Set up this station right outside the classroom door. Allow families to sign in before they enter— saving time and ensuring everyone makes it to this important station!
Choose different forms depending on what your school calls this special night:
Allow students to sign in too! This creates a positive and memorable first interaction with you and your classroom.
Once inside your classroom, families can collect important forms OR fill out the information you need at the information station.
If you have a lot of papers to distribute, consider preparing a folder for each family.
Also, give families a back-to-school survey that helps you get to know their child while helping build a stronger home-to-school connection!
Next, families can drop off student and classroom supplies at the supplies station.
At this station, families can choose one or more things to donate to your classroom.
What You Need:
Use a pocket chart to hold the cards or tape them to your board so families can easily take one or two with them.
When choosing the items to display, be mindful of different budgets and select items ranging from very inexpensive to more costly so everyone feels like they can help.
Next is the photo station— families can take memorable pictures of their children or a fun family selfie here. This station is perfect to place in a corner of your classroom or right outside your classroom in the hallway!
Tape signs to a ruler or popsicle stick to make them easy for little hands to hold. To go the extra mile, hand colorful wrapping paper or craft paper on the wall to create a fun photo backdrop.
At the snack station, sit out a small treat or let your students make their own snack mix. This is an easy (& yummy!) way to make everyone feel welcome.
*Be sure to have enough supplies for your students’ siblings too!
If you have information about student allergies before the Back to School Night, choose your ingredients accordingly so everyone can participate. Save packaging for parents to review in case they have questions.
At this station, children can create something to take with them or display in the classroom for the First Day of School.
This station can be as simple as a coloring page or more involved like a craft– depending on how long your Back to School Night event is and if you have extra hands to help or not.
*If you decide on a craft, have a completed example at the station for reference!
At the STEM station, children can try out some of your classroom materials. This is a hands-on way for them to feel comfortable and get excited about returning to school on the first day.
Choose 1 or 2 materials and place them in a defined area like a tabletop or a small rug for easy containment and clean-up.
At the family station, families work together to build a tower before the timer goes off. This quick activity invites families to be a part of their child’s learning experience!
At the final station, children help create a class poster that shows what they want to learn this year.
Hang the poster low enough for students to reach and add your own ideas first as an easy reference!
Find all of these back-to-school night resources in the editable Back-to-School Night Bundle!
Check out these FREE first day of school lesson plans and 60 essential classroom routines checklist to make your back-to-school planning a breeze!
Use these simple and fun back-to-school night ideas to engage families from the start and show them how much you value their involvement in their child’s academic and school journey. It’s going to be a great year!
I’m a teacher who believes in creating a classroom kids love and activities that keep them engaged all day!
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