Positive relationships

How to host an unforgettable preschool open house

Make families excited to enroll their children and join your community
Illustration of a teacher welcoming a family to their preschool open house
March 14, 2025
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6
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In a rush? Here’s a quick breakdown:

  • You’ll get top tips to help your childcare center’s open house stand out from the other providers in your neighborhood.
  • Hint: it’s about evoking emotion, creating a connection, sharing tangible memories, and providing reminders to keep your center top of mind. 
  • Plus, some fun ideas below to put these tips into action!

*Please note: parents and families are used to encompass all caretakers and primary guardians. 

Congratulations! Your center has been highly recommended by your currently enrolled families, or your neighborhood reputation is positive, or your marketing efforts are working! Either way – you’ve made your center desirable enough that a family has shown up to your open house, ready to see it all in action! 

But, you’re not off the hook yet. They still haven’t enrolled. Face-to-face interactions are invaluable, and you don’t always get the opportunity to have them. So now’s the chance to really show why your families should choose your center.

If you want to stand out amongst the other childcare providers in your neighborhood, and make families choose to enroll in your center or preschool, your open house needs to be more than a simple tour, or more than just a meet-and-greet. 

The open house at your childcare center should be an experience—one that feels welcoming, personal, and unforgettable. After all, It’s a famous saying for a reason: people don’t remember what you say, they remember how you made them feel. 

Think of it as a mix between a community gathering, a behind-the-scenes tour, and a warm family welcome. 

Here’s how to do it.

Preparing for your childcare center’s open house

Day, date, and time matter

Plan your open house on a day when working families are available and that also fits the schedule of young children, like weekends and mid-mornings to avoid typical naptimes. 

Before finalizing a date and time, poll your enrolled families to check their availability. After all, they are the best ambassadors for your center, as word-of-mouth goes a long way!

Ensure staff can attend

As you’ll see above, one aspect of creating a memorable open house is making it an engaging experience for the children giving them a chance to meet their potential new teachers. Plus, if you’re incorporating activities into the open house (more on this below), show your commitment to safety and compliance by having enough staff present to be in-ratio–even if the adults will also be participating in the activities. This will help parents feel more at ease, and show that your program is trustworthy.

Do families know about the open house event?

Do you have a marketing or promotion strategy in place? Some common marketing tactics may include posting an update on your Facebook, Instagram, or website, posting flyers in local family-friendly spots, or even providing enrolled families with a flyer to hand out to friends that they know they’re looking for childcare. Of course, a mix of all the above is the best!

Speaking of marketing…

Pamphlets, brochures, and other marketing materials are helpful to have on the day of the open house so you can them out to prospective families Some programs even offer branded “swag” like stickers, magnets, and pens as a nice token of appreciation for families who attend (more on this below!). 

Remember, if you’re going to give out any printed materials or gifts, give yourself plenty of time to order them and get them shipped to your program!

Three most important takeaways for families at your open house

1) Trust and confidence

Childcare is the first time for many parents to leave their children for an extended period of time in the hands of another adult, who is technically a stranger. This is your chance to show that you and your staff are trustworthy, and to allow parents to leave confident that your center is fully committed to safety, well-being, and emotional support, in addition to teaching and learning.

In order to provide this trust and confidence, 2) transparency and openness is essential, and your open house is a great opportunity for just that. By providing a sneak peek into the day-to-day, your early childhood curriculum, your staff, your philosophy and your values, you are putting it all out on the table. Transparency is key in building trust with prospective parents.

3) A sense of belonging and community 

Families aren’t just looking for a place to drop off their child for a couple of hours a couple days a week. They also want to feel a part of a community, with like-minded people who have similar values and dedication to teaching and supporting their little one’s social, emotional and academic growth and development.

That’s why the overall vibe and atmosphere of your center is so important. An open house allows parents to meet the staff and other families, offering a glimpse of the supportive community their child—and their family—will be part of. 

A great way to prove your commitment to fostering a strong community is showing prospective families your childcare management software that has strong parent engagement features, like photos, videos, billing reminders, activity logs, calendar of events and all other updates. Plus, parents love how software like Famly can be accessed on a mobile app, and not only on a computer, so they can get the latest updates and those adorable photos no matter where they are! 

Ok, so how do you throw an open house that allows families to trust you, be confident in your quality of care, and feel a sense of belonging? 

Here are some top tips.

The big ideas

Top tips for an open house that will boost your enrollment

1. The first minutes are the most important

Families will form an opinion about your center within the first few minutes. Make those minutes count!

  • Be easy to find: If your center is around the corner, or a part of a church, make sure your front door is easy to find. If needed, have some staff directing families where to go. 
  • Welcome crew: Have your friendliest staff members greeting families at the door with warm smiles. Bonus points if you have a little welcome station with name tags and a fun icebreaker for kids.
  • Showcase “who” your center is: Do you have a play-based curriculum? Put up some balloons and maybe play some music. Are you more professional and academically-rigorous? Maybe you focus more on displaying children’s work and activities than more festive decorations.
  • Make it personal: If families registered ahead of time, greet them by name. A simple “Hi, Sarah! We’re so excited to meet you and Olivia today!” makes a world of difference.

Remember to make sure to get names and contact information for the families that arrive who haven’t registered ahead of time. You can upload their information directly into Famly so it’s digitally stored and you won’t need to worry about losing track of a sticky note!

2. Make it an experience for the children 

No one wants a generic walk-through with facts rattled off like a scripted presentation. Instead:

  • Let children lead the way: Offer a scavenger hunt where children can explore different areas and collect stickers or small prizes.
  • Turn classrooms into “experience stations” – Have hands-on activities that showcase what makes your center special. Think mini art projects for toddlers, sensory play for infants, or mixed-age storytime. 
  • Show, don’t just tell: Instead of saying “We have an amazing outdoor play area,” let kids run, climb, and explore it themselves.

Arts and crafts make a perfect keepsake: Make one of the classroom “experience stations” an arts and crafts activity that children can bring home with them to hang on the fridge. Every time a family member looks at it, they’ll be reminded of your center.

3. Snacks matter! 

Children can get fussy and distract families from truly experiencing the tour. Snacks are a great way to entertain kids, and make them happy when their tummies start growling.

  • Kid-friendly bites: Think fruit and berries, cheese cubes, or fun-shaped sandwiches. If one of your unique offerings is vegan or vegetarian or all-organic foods, make sure to show that here.
  • Coffee station for parents: Because caffeine = happiness. Just be sure to ensure that all hot beverages have lids to keep little ones safe.
  • A local touch: Partner with a local bakery or café to provide treats—it’s a great conversation starter and builds community connections. 

4. Make it as personal for each family as possible

Every family comes with different priorities—some are looking for a nurturing environment, others want a strong academic program. Show them how your center fits their needs. 

  • Ask questions: Instead of just talking, listen. What are they looking for in a childcare program?
  • Offer customized info: Tell them you will follow-up with an email that addresses any of their specific concerns or needs that were brought up, if you don’t have any relevant materials already printed. Make sure you have a way to take notes and remember what information to send to which family. (Pro tip! If you have Famly, you can add these notes in the Lead Management section.)
  • Introduce the right people: If a parent is curious about your curriculum, introduce them to the lead teacher. If they’re worried about separation anxiety, have them chat with a veteran parent who’s been through it.
  • Provide each family individual time with the director, assistant director or someone on the administration team: This allows them to ask more specific, personal questions and makes sure all their worries are addressed. Plus, it gives your team more of a chance to show why your center is a perfect fit for their needs. Use this time to walk them through the enrollment process and help them in any way, hope that they will make the next move towards enrollment!

5. Don’t let this be goodbye!

The goal is for families to leave feeling excited and connected to your center.  Key word: connected. So connected that they don’t want this to be goodbye, that they want to stay connected. 

  • Send them home with something special: A small branded tote bag with a handwritten note, or a discount offer for early enrollment. Maybe some stickers, or some crayons. And don’t forget the craft that the child made during the open house!
  • Follow up quickly: The next day, send a quick, but personal thank-you email. If you said you would follow up with any additional information, make sure to include it. 
  • Create a set of “nurture emails”: To keep the families engaged, you want to send two or three emails, continuing to nudge them to apply for enrollment, or to book a one-on-one tour. Anything to keep them engaged and to keep your center top of mind.
  • Put them in touch with enrolled families: Ask your families if they’d be open to talking to prospective families as questions come up and they finalize their choice of childcare program.

Putting those tips into action: preschool open house ideas

A themed event

This is a simple, but easy way to add some fun to your open house. Create a theme to use throughout the event. 

For example: 

Theme: Little Explorers!  🔍🌳🧭

Tap into curiosity, adventure, and discovery—perfect for showcasing how your preschool helps children explore the world around them!

Incorporate it in your marketing and promotion:

  • Send out invitations with a fun message, like "Pack your bags, future explorers! Join us for a journey through our preschool adventure!"
  • Use explorer-themed visuals like maps, binoculars, and compasses in flyers and social media posts.

At the event

  • Use footprints on the floor to guide families through different “learning destinations” (areas in your center) 👣
  • Staff can wear safari hats and binoculars 
  • Different activities that incorporate exploration and discovery: a sensory box, digging for toys in the sandbox, playing “I spy,” a cozy tent or fort area for reading, etc.
  • Snacks like nut-free trail mix or cookies that are decorated like a globe! 🌎
  • A themed giveaway gift: Give each child a mini magnifying glass, or an “Explorer Certificate” for participating.

After the event

  • Keep up the theme in your follow-up emails: “Thank you for exploring with us! Your child’s next great adventure starts here.”
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One final check – how simple is your childcare enrollment process?

And finally, we recommend taking a closer look at your enrollment process. 

We hope that families love your open house and are ready to apply immediately. Have you made it easy for them to enroll? A complicated process might be just enough to deter them from going through with their application. No one wants to jump through hoops just to sign up! 

A streamlined, user-friendly process with clear steps, online forms, and quick responses reduces frustration and makes a great first impression. And most importantly, when enrollment is simple, families can focus on what really matters—getting excited about joining your community!

Now, go plan an open house that families won’t stop talking about!

Please note: here at Famly we love sharing creative activities for you to try with the children at your setting, but you know them best. Take the time to consider adaptions you might need to make so these activities are accessible and developmentally appropriate for the children you work with. Just as you ordinarily would, conduct risk assessments for your children and your setting before undertaking new activities, and ensure you and your staff are following your own health and safety guidelines.

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