Open houses are great opportunities for schools to give families an inside look at what their students are doing. The most engaging open houses emphasize community engagement by encouraging family involvement, strengthening school pride, and forging community connections.
But how do you make your open house engaging?
By pairing it with other engaging activities!
To help get your creativity flowing, we’ve rounded up 10 of the best open house ideas for schools, whether you’re looking to engage preschoolers or graduating seniors.
What Is an “Open House” All About?
The open houses we see today grew from efforts to strengthen the connections schools have with parents and the broader community. In contrast to traditional parent-teacher conferences, open houses are designed to be less formal and school-wide opportunities to get a closer look at students’ learning environments.
The primary goals of a typical open house include:
- Give parents and guardians a look at the student experience. Open houses often showcase what happens during a typical school day.
- Give students the chance to showcase their work and accomplishments. Open houses give students an opportunity to “show off” to their families.
- Connect families with teachers, staff, and other members of the school community. Open houses allow families to connect with the faculty that interacts with their children every day.
- Strengthen the school-family partnership. Schools and families work together for student success, and open houses reaffirm this partnership.
3 Big Picture Open House Ideas for Schools of All Kinds
Now that you know the benefits of hosting an open house, it’s time to get started on your own! Here are three ideas that can work across grade levels, school sizes, and budgets.
1. Pair Your Open House with a Shoe Drive Fundraiser
One of the best ways to drive community engagement is by hosting multiple events at once. By pairing your open house with a shoe drive fundraiser, you turn your event into an opportunity to support the school while keeping gently worn, used and new shoes out of landfills!
With a partner like Funds2Orgs, you’ll have your shoe drive fundraiser up and running in no time. Here’s how it works:
- Collect gently worn, used and new shoes from your open house attendees (the more pairs you collect, the more $ your school earns).
- Funds2Orgs will pick up your shoes and then distribute them to micro-entrepreneurs around the world who will sell them in their communities.
- Your school receives a check based on the total pounds of shoes that you collected.
- You get to add the funds you raised to your school’s budget, and celebrate for having reduced landfill waste!
Plus, unlike traditional school fundraisers, families don’t have to sell products or make monetary donations. All they have to do is clear their closets and, in doing so, contribute to a cleaner and more sustainable future!
2. Hold a School Supply Drive
A school supply drive is another event that pairs well with an open house. Ask attendees to donate commonly needed classroom supplies, including:
- Tissues
- Paper towels
- Pencils
- Hand sanitizer
- Notebooks
Create a designated drop-off station near the entrance, and then watch your donations flow in!
★ Pro Tip: For the best results, consider distributing a detailed “wish list” in advance of your open house so that attendees know which supplies the school needs most!
3. Create a School-Wide Scavenger Hunt
Everyone loves a scavenger hunt! For this idea, give every student or family a scavenger hunt map or list annotated with different stations throughout the school. Some station examples include:
- Locate the principal’s office
- Find a particular book at the library
- Navigate to see student artwork
- Complete a classroom activity
- Visit the gym or music room
This idea is not only simple to organize, but a fun and engaging way to get students and families comfortable navigating the school.
★ Pro Tip: To make it extra fun, consider offering a small school-themed prize for families who complete the scavenger hunt!
Ideas for Open House Activities, By Age Group
When selecting an open house activity, choose one that is age-appropriate but still gives families insight into their students’ experiences. Here are a few open house activities that are better suited for certain age groups:
Preschool
- “All About Me” Gallery: Have your students display drawings or simple crafts that represent their interests or personalities.
- Storytime With Families: Invite parents and guardians to attend a short read-aloud with their student
- Family Art Project: Invite families to create a collaborative piece that remains on display in the classroom
Elementary School
- Student-Led Classroom Tour: Allow your students to guide their families around their classrooms, introduce them to their teacher, and explain what they’ve been learning
- Learning Stations: Create interactive stations that showcase the different subjects that students are working on. If possible, invite students to lead the stations!
- “What I Love About School” Wall: Collect notes from your students about their favorite parts of attending school! Showcase to their families when they visit.
Middle School
- Student Showcase: Display projects, artwork, and other student work for parents and guardians to see during the open house.
- Try My Elective: Give families a chance to experience a quick activity from the different electives that your school offers (art, music, cooking, etc.)
- Student Panel: Invite students to answer questions about their middle school experiences
High School
- Collect & Career Showcase: Highlight the career paths that students can pursue after graduation. If possible, invite alums to discuss their own journey.
- Student-Led Tours: Let students lead tours that visit classrooms, labs, and other areas that are important to them
- Senior Spotlight: Give your graduating seniors an opportunity to showcase their future plans or notable accomplishments!
Open The Door to a Stronger School Community
Ultimately, a successful open house should give students a chance to speak about their learning and create opportunities for meaningful interactions between families and the school community. Even one or two intentionally organized activities can make your open house more engaging and memorable!
Collecting shoes during your open house can help you raise some money while giving back. If you’re looking for an easy way to add fundraising to your open house, consider hosting a Funds2Orgs shoe drive fundraiser!
Ready to get started? Click here to learn more!
Don’t miss our webinars, eBooks, YouTube, or Facebook.
© 2026 Funds2Orgs. All Rights Reserved.