Published on June 14, 2022

10 Ways To Celebrate the Start of the School Year

It's time to go back to school and nothing lifts the mood like a party to meet up with old friends and make some new ones. Use this list as inspiration to make your own events and don’t forget to customize them to fit your community!
10 Ways To Celebrate the Start of the School Year

PTAs, PTOs, and volunteers across the country power their fundraising campaigns with FutureFund. 100% of all funds raised go directly to your school!

See how FutureFund works or book a demo to see how it can work for you.

It’s time to go back to school and nothing lifts the mood like a party to meet up with old friends and make some new ones. Use this list as inspiration to make your own events and don’t forget to customize them to fit your community!

kids coloring

Doodle Stations

Set up several stations as part of a bigger event where students go from station to station and color pictures that describe them. While the event is going on, everyone gets a chance to meet new friends and share their pictures with their family!

Back To School Barbeque

Host a cookout for your students and their families. The PTO/PTA may wish to provide sides while the families do their own grilling or you may want to provide all the food and just create a space where families can come, enjoy good food, and socialize with one another. 

Escape Room 

A staple school-compatible fundraising idea, pair this event with a food centered event and turn the gym or a few classrooms into an escape room. Then let a few students and their parents try their best for an hour to crack the codes. 

If you have several classrooms set up at once and allow the students to do it in groups of 5-10 then everyone should get to try their hand within a few hours.

a projector

Pool Party/Dive In Movie

Close out the summer with a pool party extravaganza. Depending on the duration and time of day for the pool party, invite a few food trucks to feed your guests and provide some tables and chairs for students and their families to sit while eating. Then allow them to head back into the water for a movie or more fun.

Movie Night/Dinner and a Movie

Pick a popular movie to show your students and their parents as a reintroduction to the school grind. You can either provide dinner, heavy hors d’oeuvres, or movie snacks for the watchers to munch on while enjoying the movie.

family celebration

Pizza Night 

Give mom and dad a break during the chaos of adjusting to the new school year by taking one night of dinner off of their hands! Host a pizza night where the families can come and enjoy a meal that they don’t have to cook or clean up after. The kids get extra time to socialize with their friends, the parents get to mingle and get to know each other and the PTO can start putting out feelers for new volunteers.

Breakfast Bar 

Host a back to school breakfast bar with the community’s favorite breakfast items. Hold the breakfast event during the morning of one of the first days of school or have the event a few days before the students are set to return to get them used to their new environment.

kid getting eye exam

Back to School Bash & Health Fair

Host a big back to school party for your new students! Have plenty of games, food, and most importantly, health care professionals on hand to provide wellness checks including blood sugar screenings, blood pressure screenings, mammograms, vaccines, HIV/AIDS testing, and dental and eye screenings. 

This is also an excellent opportunity to pass out any school supplies that have been donated for underprivileged students whose families can’t afford their own supplies.

Back to School Tailgate

Section off a space in the parking lot for parents to bring drinks, games, and grill burgers in celebration of the new school year. The PTO/PTA can supply some additional booths with other activities or just provide the space and let the parents do the rest!

kids photo shoot

First Day Photoshoots 

Commiserate your student’s first day back by hiring a photographer and providing props for them to take silly first day of school photos with their friends. Not only will this be a fun way for students to get back in the school groove, it’ll be a really nice keepsake for the parents to look back on and remember their school days.

Use FutureFund for Free

See what other parents and schools are saying about us!

Recent Posts

10 Incredible Parent Engagement Ideas

10 Incredible Parent Engagement Ideas

Improve your PTA’s parent engagement by holding fun events, organizing projects that serve the community, and leveraging technology that makes it easier to communicate and organize! FutureFund is here with 10 ideas to help you get started.

10 Exciting Back to School Fundraiser Ideas

10 Exciting Back to School Fundraiser Ideas

Sell school supplies, hold a welcome-back breakfast, and more with FutureFund’s powerful fundraising tools. We’ll show you 10 ideas that are perfect for the start of the school year and give you tips on running them effectively with our platform.

Surviving a PTA Audit: A Guide for Treasurers

Surviving a PTA Audit: A Guide for Treasurers

As Treasurer for your PTA, an audit shouldn’t stress you out. Make sure you know when to expect audits, what documents to have ready, and what steps to take with this guide to audit survival from the team at FutureFund.

The Complete PTA Treasurer Transition Kit

The Complete PTA Treasurer Transition Kit

What documents will you need to hand off to your PTA’s incoming Treasurer before you leave the role? What tools should they know how to use? Use this complete kit from Future Fund to help new Treasurers transition smoothly and keep your organization’s finances in capable hands.

Related Posts

10 Incredible Parent Engagement Ideas

10 Incredible Parent Engagement Ideas

Improve your PTA’s parent engagement by holding fun events, organizing projects that serve the community, and leveraging technology that makes it easier to communicate and organize! FutureFund is here with 10 ideas to help you get started.

read more
10 Exciting Back to School Fundraiser Ideas

10 Exciting Back to School Fundraiser Ideas

Sell school supplies, hold a welcome-back breakfast, and more with FutureFund’s powerful fundraising tools. We’ll show you 10 ideas that are perfect for the start of the school year and give you tips on running them effectively with our platform.

read more