Preschool Open House Planning: How to Fill Tours and Build Trust in One Event

An open house is not a tour — and that is the advantage

Individual tours are important for enrollment, but they only show one family at a time what the program feels like. An open house lets multiple families experience the space together, meet staff, watch children interact, and get a feel for the community — all in one visit.

When run well, an open house does something a website or brochure cannot: it makes the program feel real.

If you are working on the broader enrollment strategy, start with the Silvermine homepage for how early education programs build better systems from first inquiry through enrollment.

Decide on the format before anything else

There are a few common formats, and the right choice depends on your center’s capacity and goals:

Drop-in window (e.g., Saturday 10 AM–1 PM)

• Families come and go at their own pace
• Lower-pressure, works well for large centers
• Harder to give each family focused attention

Scheduled sessions (e.g., three 30-minute groups)

• Smaller groups, more personal
• Easier to plan staffing and classroom access
• Requires RSVPs and a simple booking system

Themed event (e.g., “Meet the Teachers” or “Explore Our Classrooms”)

• Adds a hook that makes the event feel less transactional
• Works well for social media promotion
• Can include a brief activity for children who attend

Pick one format and plan around it. Trying to combine all three creates confusion for families and staff.

Promotion should start 3–4 weeks out

The families most likely to attend are already aware of your center — they are on the waitlist, they inquired but did not tour, or they follow you on social media. Reach them first.

Direct outreach:

• Email every family on the waitlist and inquiry list
• Text reminders one week before and the morning of the event
• Mention the open house in any ongoing parent nurture sequences

Public promotion:

• Post on your Google Business Profile (as an event)
• Share on Facebook and Instagram with a clear date, time, and RSVP link
• Add a banner or pop-up to your website
• Post flyers at pediatrician offices, libraries, and family-friendly businesses nearby

What to include in every promotion:

• Date, time, and address
• What families will see and do
• Whether children are welcome
• How to RSVP (a simple form or link)
• Parking or arrival instructions

Do not bury the logistics in a paragraph of marketing copy. Parents want the details first.

Prepare the space so it looks like its best normal day

A common mistake is over-staging the center so it looks nothing like a regular Tuesday. Parents can tell. The goal is to show the program at its real best, not a performance.

Before the event:

• Deep clean without rearranging the classroom layout
• Make sure bulletin boards, cubbies, and learning materials reflect current curriculum
• Post daily schedules and classroom routines where families can see them
• Set out sample art projects, journals, or portfolios from current students (with consent)
• Make sure outdoor areas are tidy, safe, and accessible

If there is a classroom parents should not enter (e.g., napping infants), mark it clearly and explain why.

Staff preparation is the most underrated part

Teachers are the reason families enroll. If staff are unprepared, disengaged, or absent, the open house loses its strongest asset.

Before the event:

• Brief every teacher on the format, timing, and talking points
• Assign specific classrooms or stations to specific staff
• Prepare a short, consistent answer to “What makes this program different?” — one that focuses on the children’s experience, not a sales pitch
• Remind staff to greet every family, make eye contact, and introduce themselves by name

During the event:

• Have one person at the entrance to welcome and orient families
• Place a sign-in sheet or digital check-in at the door (capture name, email, child’s age, and enrollment timeline)
• Have printed materials available — not a stack of flyers, but a simple one-page overview of the program, tuition, and next steps

Teachers should be available to answer questions, not deliver scripted presentations. Parents trust conversations more than pitches.

Include something for the children

If families bring their children (and they often will), having a small activity area helps parents focus while kids stay engaged:

• A supervised art station
• A sensory table or play-dough area
• A book corner with age-appropriate titles
• A simple outdoor activity if weather permits

This also gives parents a chance to observe how staff interact with children in real time — which is often the most persuasive part of the visit.

The follow-up determines whether the event was worth it

An open house without follow-up is just a nice Saturday. The real value comes from what happens in the next 48 hours.

Same day or next morning:

• Send a thank-you email to every family who attended
• Include a link to schedule a private tour or start the enrollment process
• Mention one specific thing from the event (“We loved meeting your family at the art station”)

Within the first week:

• Follow up with families who RSVPed but did not attend — offer to reschedule a tour
• Move engaged families into the appropriate pipeline stage in your admissions system
• Note any common questions from the event and update your FAQ page if they are not already addressed

Common open house mistakes

• No sign-in process — you cannot follow up with families you did not capture
• Too much talking, not enough showing — skip the 20-minute presentation; let families explore
• No clear next step — families leave without knowing how to enroll or book a tour
• Staff not present or not prepared — the event feels impersonal
• Only promoting to existing leads — missing the chance to attract new families through public channels

What a good open house looks like from the parent’s perspective

A family arrives, is greeted warmly, signs in, and receives a one-page overview. They walk through classrooms at their own pace, see children’s work on the walls, and have a short conversation with the lead teacher in the age group they need. Their child plays at a craft table while they ask about tuition and schedule. Before they leave, someone hands them a card with a link to book a tour. That evening, they get a warm follow-up email.

That is the kind of experience that turns interest into enrollment.

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