With the holidays and end of the year quickly approaching, your parent teacher group may be getting anxious about holiday plans and COVID-19. As the world continues to slowly recover, it’s not unlikely the usually festive time of year with get-togethers of friends and family will not be the norm in 2020. AIM’s 2020 Holiday Get-together and Fundraising Guide is here to give your group ideas on socially distant events, virtual events, and opportunities for year-end fundraising.
Social Distance Holiday Events for Parent Teacher Groups
If your parent teacher group wants to involve students in holiday festivities, it’s a good idea to consider a socially distant event. This is extremely important as students and adults may be traveling and visiting extended family over Thanksgiving and the upcoming winter break.
Put a December Spin on Valentine’s Day
With the traditional holiday party potentially off the table as a parent teacher event, consider co-opting the classroom Valentine’s Day tradition of student cards and candy exchange. Students can purchase or create festive winter cards to share with their classmates and include packaged chocolates, cocoa mix, or candy canes.
Winter Traditions Fair
The passing of winter is celebrated by cultures around the world in different ways. This holiday event can be an opportunity for students to learn about different cultures. By separating exhibits and controlling group size and movement, your parent teacher group can decrease health risks while providing an entertaining and educational experience for students.
Ugly Sweater Day
The ugly sweater is a new holiday event tradition people really enjoy. Encourage students, staff, and parents to celebrate the holiday spirit by showing off the most ridiculous piece of clothing they own. For added fun, consider running an ugly sweater contest with a panel of judges.
Virtual Holiday Events for Parent Teacher Groups
Not all students and staff are attending in-person classes and you don’t want to leave them out of the holiday fun. Your PTA, PTO, or booster club can create exciting holiday events that include virtual merry-makers.
Gingerbread Decorating
Your parent teacher group can create gingerbread decorating kits to share. For this holiday event, in-person and virtual students can get together and decorate their personal gingerbread creations. You can also add a fundraiser angle to the event by selling gingerbread decorating kits.
Virtual Pictionary
With a prompt and digital whiteboard functionality, students and staff can play virtual Pictionary. For an extra bit of holiday event fun, have the students submit winter-themed prompts to use in the game.
Virtual Holiday Bingo
Create winter season themed bingo boards for students. This is a fun and festive holiday event to get all students playing together, regardless of distance. For an extra nudge of participation your parent teacher group can come up with Bingo prizes to give away to the winners!
Holiday Fundraising Ideas for Parent Teacher Groups
How are your group’s funds? With the strange and challenging year it’s been, many parent teacher groups haven’t had the fundraising success of prior years. The holidays offer opportunity to help your group’s coffers for the coming Spring semester. Here are a few holiday fundraising ideas for your group.
Candy Cane Candy Gram
Candy grams are a simple, parent teacher group fundraiser that can be done throughout the year. For a great cause parents, teachers, and students can have a candy cane delivered to their favorite friends. It’s a quick and easy holiday fundraiser to gain some funds at the end of the year.
Gift Wrapping Service
Does your parent teacher group have any gift-wrapping pros? Ask them to dedicate their time and expertise as a holiday fundraiser. Parents, teachers, and students can bring their new, unwrapped gifts and for a small price, have them wrapped by your gift-giving professionals.
Cozy Gift Basket Raffle
Hot chocolate, Insulated tumblers, and a fleece blanket is a great beginning to a cozy winter gift basket. As a holiday fundraiser, your PTA, PTO, or booster club can raffle off one or more tidy, winter-themed gift baskets to raise funds.
Protect Your Parent Teacher Group Funds This Holiday Season
There is often a spike in embezzlement activity around the holidays. With a challenging year and gifts to buy, your PTA, PTO, or booster club’s funds are enticing. Year end holiday expenditures can be an opportunity for someone to quietly embezzle funds. Protect your parent teacher group’s funds with AIM’s Embezzlement Insurance. Click HERE for more information.