It often can be difficult to build family involvement in a school community. Getting parents whose own schedules are often frantic and overworked to commit to additional volunteer time at the school is challenging.

And yet this involvement is crucial not only in the the process of educating children, but also in finding staff for volunteer functions. Moreover, it has been shown that strong communities usually center around local schools and are essential in the healthy development of children. 

  So it is desirable to enlist parents in school functions. One proven method of doing so successfully is through a family night. Many schools host family nights around meals but it is usually helpful to also add some form of entertainment in order to entice families to attend. School assembly programs can be of great assistance in this area as these programs are usually just as entertaining to parents and families as they are to students during the school day. Most presenters and companies that offer such programs also offer versions of their programs that are tailored to the needs of Family Nights.

  We have found great success with all of our programs at such events, but two in particular have been extremely successful in not just entertaining audiences but also in getting parents to attend.

  Sky Dome Planetarium, a portable, inflatable planetarium has been the center piece of many wonderful family nights. Sky Dome is a show which truly does appeal to all ages and works very well in this setting. Showing the stars to an audience of parents and children at night has the added benefit of allowing the participants to immediately view the real stars in the night sky upon the completion of the evenings events.

  Another program which has enjoyed tremendous success as a family night entertainment is Young Authors Day. Schools have had this program at the school during the day already, and the students have participated in a writing process and then seen their stories performed by a classical mime in the afternoon. They have had a great time and leave the school in the afternoon fully energized and excited by the writing process. The knowledge that the same presenter will be back that evening to present more of their stories, with the added enticement that the stories presented that evening may be the ones they themselves wrote, motivates kids to run home and demand that their parents return with them to view the evenings entertainment. And, it has been our experience that most parents will bow to the demands and cheerfully attend in order to see what their kids have created. High turnout for such evenings is the norm, so if you are seeking an idea to boost parent involvement, Young Authors Day is an excellent tool to consider.