Spring/Summer Social Events for School Meet-Ups

[nanette0269]

I've been tasked with trying to identify some ideas for social events for the adults and/or students during the spring semester and over the summer.  This is very important to this school since all the children live a fair distance away, so playdates are harder to arrange.  Keeping the kids connected over the summer allows them reengage when school starts again.  Events can be adults-only, or family-centric.  The school has about 120 families. 

A random smattering of thoughts/ideas/suggestions would be appreciated!

[mattemma04]

Some things our school does are pizza/movie night,science event(with professional hired),clean up and planting event,ice cream social.Potluck on the evening of thanks event. There is a family that does a potluck pool party over the summer.

[ollyoxenfree]

Well, it may be a bigger project than you or anyone else had in mind, but what about a school community garden?

You can plant in the spring while school is still going on and the kids can do some curriculum-related activities (science - plant growth, genetics, helpful and harmful insects and insect life cycles etc. etc.). Set up a weekly schedule for tending the garden, with everyone sharing in garden duties over the course of the summer. Then meet every 2 or 4 weeks to harvest the crops and enjoy a BBQ, with dishes made from your harvest. 

Mid-summer, you could even plant some fall harvest crops, so that when school returns, you can still enjoy the benefits. 

[nanette0269]

thanks for the thought olly.  unfortunately, this is florida....nothing grows here in the summer.  down here, we have two crops.  one is usually planted in aug/sept, and the other in feb/mar.  fortunately, the school has several gardens that they plant throughout the school year and they use the food in the school lunch program :)  love the idea though!

matte, i've added those to the list.  thanks!

[ollyoxenfree]

Well, a season-long gardening project is probably more than many school communities will undertake anyway. 

How about an outdoor film festival? If you can find or rent a projector (the school may already own one), you can create an inexpensive screen with canvas drop cloths. I recently came across this blog post with some how-to's. 

Again, if you want to tie it to curriculum, it can be done pretty easily. Each class can write up a script and film it. Fiction, documentary, school or community news reports, school sports coverage, computer or stop-motion animation.....endless possibilities. You can screen the short films once or twice a month, before screening a longer family friendly movie. 

[oceanbaby]

Bingo night is always hugely popular with kids and adults, especially if it is coupled with something like a spaghetti dinner and byo wine.  :)

[annethcz]

Our school has family fun nights during the school year.  Sometimes there's a theme like reading night or science night.  Other times it's very casual.  Kids are encouraged to bring roller blades/skates and skate around the gym.  They set up a stereo system.  It's mostly free skate, but they also do the limbo, hokey pokey, etc. Chairs are set up around he perimeter of the gym for the parents to sit on.  There's also a corner with blocks and other toys for younger siblings.

We also do a carnival in the spring (usually held in the gym), and a community gathering (similar to a carnival with games, concessions, & a live band) in the summer. 

[lindberg99]

Game night. Have people bring a game and a snack to share. We also do a carnival and it is fun for the kids. Not so much fun for the adults though, esp. the one who has to round up 80 volunteers to work the games. 

[HollyBearsMom]

We had a bowling night recently and got a huge turnout.  It was blast!!  the lanes were booked in advance and divided up by age groups.

I know you said Fla in summer (hot!!) but what about late afternoon picnic at the school playground?  We do this in late August as chance for the kids to re-acquainted after the long summer.  The families all bring a cold picnic supper and then we arrange for ice cream truck to come by towards the end.

I hosted a "friday night movie in the barn" for my sons grade last year.  We taped up a big white sheet and used a projector to play a movie.  All the moms split up to make popcorn and bring drinks and snacks. You can do it anywhere you can hang a sheet.