Plan a talent show or recital where students can present or perform a talent that they have been practicing. Talent ideas include dancing, singing, playing an instrument, reciting a self-written poem, showing off artwork, or reading a self-written and illustrated fiction story. Teachers can host talent shows in the classroom, or the school can present a school-wide talent show or recital that includes all grade levels. Invite community members and parents to attend the show with a written invitation that states the name and description of the event, the date and times. Offering two times such as a morning and evening time accommodates parents who work various shifts in attending the show.
Host a family ice cream social, pizza party or spaghetti dinner. Send out invitations that specify the event, date, time and cost of tickets. Use money from the tickets to host another family event in the future or put it toward a booster club or student field trip. State the cause for the ticket sales in the invitations so parents know they are supporting a cause that will impact their children. Have students set their lunch tables with table cloths, place settings and name cards during the school day to prepare for the evening events. Students can welcome families at the door and serve food throughout the night.
Invite families to a movie night. Have parents and children gather in a large space such as a gymnasium or cafeteria to watch a movie on a projection screen provided or rented by the facility. Students can sell candy and popcorn to families before the movie to raise money for the school, church or community center activities.
Host a "Multiculturalism Day" or "Around the World Day" to feature the cultures of families within the surrounding communities and to highlight various ethnicities, cultures and customs around the world. Involve students and parents by having them prepare and set up projects that exemplify their own cultures. Projects can include items such as cultural artifacts, family recipes, pictures and essays that describe various customs within the culture. Allow time for a viewing session in which students and parents can walk around and visit others' projects. Present student performances in song and dance that exemplify an array of cultures. Ask volunteers from local dance studios or church choirs to perform. Ask local restaurants to sponsor your event by donating food. Set up booths in each hallway, run by parents and children, selling cultural foods.