10+ Ideas for Your PTO to Keep Parents Engaged on Social Media Over Summer
Lonely school mascots (on summer vacation) unite.
Looking for easy ways your PTO or PTA can keep parents engaged on social media (Facebook, Instagram or TikTok) over summer break? We've got you covered with great (and pretty creative) ideas from our community of PTO and PTA leaders across the country.
Send your school mascot on a summer vacation
Have your school mascot hit the road this summer! Take fun photos and videos of your school mascot doing fun things around town – from reading summer reading books at the library and visiting the school resource officers at the police station to swinging in the school playground, eagerly waiting for students to return at back-to-school time. Not only is this a great way to build school spirit, it’s also a great way to keep families engaged with your community.
Help parents prep for drop off and pick up with car line "do's and don'ts"
We absolutely love (and LOL'ed at) this Instagram reel from Silver Valley PTSO that educates parents on what to do (and not do) at drop off and pick up in the car line. Consider making one for your PTO to share ahead of back-to-school. Up the ante for engagement by including outtakes and bloopers!
Have fun introducing your incoming PTO board with a TikTok or reel
Make a reel (for Facebook or Instagram) or a TikTok that introduces your board members in a fun, trendy way. We love this one from Bar Elementary (and yep, we’re all old enough 'round here to recognize that Full House theme song 😊).
PTO "myth busters"
Summer is a great time to start building your future network of volunteers. We love how this “myth busters” series breaks down common misconceptions lots of parents have about volunteering and joining the PTO. For example, "I can't volunteer or attend meetings because I work full time"...ummmmm, NOT TRUE!! Let parents know they can help out from home by photocopying flyers, designing graphics in Canva, or by joining the PTO meeting virtually. Helping out even a little bit helps a lot - many hands make light work!
"Throwback Thursdays"
Share photos and videos of all the fun stuff your PTO made possible throughout the year. Add "Fun Fact Friday" and post facts about the PTO, the school, and staff.
Share easy breezy content that's helpful to your parent community
Think summer camp hacks, free local activities, recipes that are fun to make together as a family, tax free state holidays, back-to-school supply sales, and inspirational quotes. Other things PTOs often share include:
- Free events around town
- Library events
- Kids eat free nights/days (especially for school spirit night)
- Discounted summer movies at local movie theaters
Announce fun national holidays
Share those fun national holidays - like National Root Beer Float Day (August 6) and National S'mores Day (August 10) - along with simple ways for families to celebrate. Get the full list of fun holidays to celebrate in our free school year planning calendar.
Sneak peeks of summer PTO projects
Tease any projects your PTO has been working on over the summer - from new playground installs to new school spirit wear - by sharing photos, videos and updates.
Two words: Prime Day
Remind parents about Prime Day and all the great ways they can save on back-to-school shopping. We also rounded up the must-have products (plus a few splurges) for PTO and PTA groups, according to our community, if you want to do some back-to-school shopping for your group!
Show your PTO board in action
PTO life doesn't stop just because it's summer! Show parents how your board's efforts continue through the summer as you meet (over margs + guac, maybe!?) to plan all those awesome events, fundraisers and more families will get to enjoy in the Fall.
Memes
With so many downright hilarious memes about volunteering at school, joining the PTO, or parenting in general, memes are a relatable way to catch parents' attention as they're scrolling their feeds. We even have a FREE mega bundle of 40+ funny volunteering memes for PTO and PTA groups!
Run fun contests for families
For example, if your school held a school mascot building event before summer break, encourage families to share photos of their school mascot stuffie tagging along as they have fun doing summer activities for a chance to win something.
Schedule Facebook events for back-to-school ahead of time
Give parents a sneak peek of all the school events, fundraisers and meetings your PTO is planning for back-to-school. With enough advance notice, parents can plan better and (fingers and toes crossed) accommodate their schedules to attend. Consider scheduling each semester ahead of time.
"Where in the world" are you?
One PTO shared they share a “where in world” post on social media and invite families to post photos (in the comments) showing where they are. This is a fun way to see where students are traveling to and the activities they're doing with their families!
Links to school supply lists and teacher wish lists
Once your school's supply lists are ready, share them on social media so that parents can take advantage of any back-to-school sales. It's also a great time to publicize teacher wish lists to help them stock their classrooms with supplies, snacks, and more. (P.S. If you haven't checked out our sister site, TeacherLists, now is a great time to bring this free and convenient service that allows parents at your school to shop your lists in just a few clicks!)
Get families excited for the first day of school
Share photos and video of everything your PTO and volunteers are doing to make the first day of school special for students, like Chalking the Walk.
Discover even more trending ideas for your school 👉
