How to Organize and Run a Preschool Open House

Open houses are not just a fun and effective way to showcase your preschool’s programs and facilities—they’re essential for boosting enrollment. These events pose a great opportunity for parents to connect with you, connect with your staff, and hopefully become long-term customers following their positive experience. A well-organized open house sets you up to leave a lasting impression on visitors.

Here’s a step-by-step guide, complete with preschool open house ideas for organizing and running the perfect event.

Plan your event

Planning a great preschool or daycare open house is a group effort, so don’t forget to recruit your teachers to help out. They’ll bring a personal touch, and it’s a lot easier to pull off a great event with extra hands. Parents will also want to hear directly from the teachers who will be looking after their kids.

Set the agenda

A good plan keeps everything running smoothly and impresses visitors. Here’s a framework:

Guided tours: Walk families through your facility; showcase classrooms, play areas, and any standout features (like that amazing art wall or sensory station).
Q&A session: Block off time for a sit-down with teachers and administrators. This is your chance to answer burning questions about your curriculum, tuition, or “what makes this place different?”
Activities for kids: Remember, the kids are part of your audience. Set up a storytime corner, craft station, or another activity to get the kids excited too.

Think about timing

Choosing the right time can make or break your turnout. An evening or weekend event might work best to accommodate working parents. Early afternoon might appeal to stay-at-home parents. Either way, make it easy for families to fit the open house into their busy schedules. If the weekend isn’t an option, consider a Zoom session for working parents that can’t make it but might have questions.

Prepare talking points

Get all staff members on the same page before the big day. Everyone should feel confident talking about the school’s philosophy, programs, and daily schedule. You could even prep a few go-to responses for common questions, like “how do you handle discipline?” or “what’s the teacher-to-student ratio?”

Set up your event

Once your plan is in place, roll up your sleeves and get your facility in top-notch shape. A thoughtfully decorated space can make all the difference for families attending your preschool open house.

Optimize the layout

Start by giving your classrooms and common areas a little extra love. Arrange furniture to make it easy for families to explore, and highlight the details that show how organized and child-focused your daycare is—like labeled cubbies. Touches from the kids like colorful artwork or seasonal crafts can showcase your preschool’s warmth and creativity.

Provide materials for parents

You’ll want parents to leave your event with more than just warm and fuzzy feelings—they should have practical information too and feel confident that they’re ready to make the right choice. Prepare a packet or that includes:

Example lesson plans
A daily schedule
Testimonials
Photos of activities

Create interactive experiences

Show, don’t tell. Set up demo stations where kids can get into hands-on activities. Arts and crafts, a simple science experiment, or a small sensory play area are all options. These give parents a better idea of your teaching approach.

Offer refreshments

Don’t underestimate the power of a snack table—drinks like coffee, water, or juice, paired with light snacks, can make families feel more welcome. Happy parents and kids are more likely to stay engaged and ask questions.

Promote and market your event

Your preschool open house won’t fill up unless you get the word out. With a bit of strategy and the right tools, you can make sure every spot is filled. Here are some ideas to market your event to success:

Put your CRM tool to work

Send a personalized email and text invitations to families on your waitlist and prospects in the enrollment funnel. Something like “We’d love to see you at our Open House on [date]—RSVP today!” will do the trick.

Then set automated reminders leading up to the event to keep it on everyone’s radar. The right CRM tool will make it easy with scheduled messages, so you can send a “looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!” note to everyone who’s registered without lifting a finger.

Put your childcare marketing and enrollment communication on autopilot with Playground's new CRM tool. Want a demo? Let's chat.

Here’s a step-by-step guide, complete with preschool open house ideas for organizing and running the perfect event.

Plan your event

Set the agenda

A good plan keeps everything running smoothly and impresses visitors. Here’s a framework:

Guided tours: Walk families through your facility; showcase classrooms, play areas, and any standout features (like that amazing art wall or sensory station).
Q&A session: Block off time for a sit-down with teachers and administrators. This is your chance to answer burning questions about your curriculum, tuition, or “what makes this place different?”
Activities for kids: Remember, the kids are part of your audience. Set up a storytime corner, craft station, or another activity to get the kids excited too.

Think about timing

Prepare talking points

Set up your event

Once your plan is in place, roll up your sleeves and get your facility in top-notch shape. A thoughtfully decorated space can make all the difference for families attending your preschool open house.

Optimize the layout

Provide materials for parents

Example lesson plans
A daily schedule
Testimonials
Photos of activities

Create interactive experiences

Offer refreshments

Promote and market your event

Put your CRM tool to work

Put your childcare marketing and enrollment communication on autopilot with Playground's new CRM tool. Want a demo? Let's chat.

Child Care Resource

Use social media

Social media is your digital megaphone. Post-event announcements on your preschool’s Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok pages, and don’t forget to share in local parenting groups. Use Playground to track RSVPs from social referrals and see which platforms are bringing in the most attention.

Encourage referrals

Parents trust other parents, so don’t be shy about asking your current families to bring a friend to the open house. Offer an incentive like a discount on tuition for referrals.

Post-event follow up

A preschool open house doesn’t end when families head home The post-event follow-up is your golden opportunity to turn interested visitors into enrolled families. Here’s how to follow up effectively:

Send personalized thank you messages

Gratitude goes a long way. After the open house, use your CRM tool to send personalized thank you emails and text messages to every family that attended. A simple note like:

“Thank you for joining us at our Open House! It was such a pleasure meeting you and [child’s name]. We’re excited about the possibility of having you join our preschool family”

Share next steps

In your thank-you message, include clear next steps to make it easy for families to take action. Invite them to schedule a one-on-one meeting, complete an enrollment form, or sign up for a follow-up tour. With Playground’s CRM, you can automate reminders and track who’s engaging with next steps, so no one slips through the cracks.

Offer an incentive to enroll

Give a little nudge to the parents who are slower to take the next step toward enrollment by offering a waived registration fee or a discounted first month of tuition. You can set up email campaigns targeting attendees and track who takes advantage of the deal.

Collect feedback to improve

Feedback is a gift, especially for improving future open houses. Send a quick follow-up survey asking families about their experience. Ask questions like, were there areas where we can improve? What stood out to you the most?

Keep the connection alive

Even if a family isn’t ready to enroll right away, add them to your mailing list and continue sending updates about your programs, events, and success stories. Playground’s CRM tool makes it easy to segment your audience and keep these families in the loop with relevant, engaging content.

A preschool open house is your opportunity to connect with families, build trust, and showcase the incredible things that your program has to offer. By planning thoughtfully, setting up an inviting space, engaging both kids and parents, and following up, you can turn curious visitors into long-term clients and enrolled students.

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Photo of a smiling child care teacher holding a tablet

Daniel McDonnell

Marketing Manager

Daniel is passionate about helping child care providers grow through clear, practical education. He is dedicated to creating helpful resources that make complex topics like enrollment, billing, operations, and child care management software easier to understand—so center leaders can make smarter decisions and build stronger businesses.

Date created

Nov 26, 2024