Workshop Tips

Networking Tips

  • Make connections with community partners that can help you identify and contact parents in your target group. Public Health, WIC, Unemployment services, etc. Leave brochures around town at the different locations for parents to pick up and/or to be given out. Download our brochure from the Additional Resource page.
  • Make a connection with your local public library. Ask your librarian to suggest books for different ages. Compile the list and print.
  • Identify nurturing teachers who like to work with adults and their children.

Preparing Materials

  • Make welcome signs & classroom designation signs.
  • Print registration and parent evaluation sheets.
  • The first time (each school year) that a family attends a Family Activity Night they are given an ELM bag with books and general activities for each of their children. The bags are created to fit the interests and developmental needs of each age group. (0-12 mos, 1 year olds, 2 year olds etc…)  If they attend again the next school year they are given a new bag for the new age group.
  • Collect gently-used books and other informational resources to give away.  At the end of every activity night we give the families a small goodie bag of simple activities to do with their children at home. We give each family a copy of the main story that we highlighted and each child can also choose a book from our general book table.
  • Decide if you are going to offer breakfast, lunch or snacks. Be sure that if you are serving food, that your selections are offering healthy choices. Be sure to have baby food, spoons and bibs available.
  • Purchase/download/create all the materials needed for the workshops. Purchase plastic storage containers (the under-the-bed size works great for us.) Fill tubs for each workshop that contains all the materials that the class will need.

Workshop Steps

  • Have pens ready so parents can fill out the registration sheets.
  • Have all items for workshops in each room.
  • Set up area for give-away items such as informational procures, gently-used books, etc. (We do this during the activities.)
  • At the end of each workshop, give parents an evaluation sheet to fill out. Ask them to place them face-down when they leave.
  • Make sure parents know the dates for the next workshops.
  • We do workshops on the first Tuesday of month (October- April)
  • We offer workshops seven times a year, each one focuses on a different theme;  we try to incorporate literacy, fine motor and numeracy into all of the workshops. We have moved towards a whole family setting.

Post Workshop Steps

  • Check materials (list of what was used up and needs to be replaced for next activity night and/or year)
  • Thank you note cards sent to the families who attended (reminding them of the next date). I usually send them out the week before the next Family Activity Night.