Classroom Newsletter Ideas to Keep Parents Engaged

From the basics to the more creative, here are some tips for content to include in your child care classroom or program newsletters to parents.

A monthly classroom newsletter is an excellent way to keep preschool or daycare parents engaged with the events, lessons and day to day activities of your child care center as well as the progression of their child. Whether you already send a monthly newsletter to parents, or are looking to create the first edition of a brand new newsletter, here are some classroom newsletter ideas to keep in mind that will help you engage parents and communicate more effectively.

Hard Copy or E-Newsletter?

The format of your monthly classroom newsletter matters. While traditional classroom newsletters are typically handed out in paper format, consider switching to an email newsletter to ensure parents receive your important information. A hard copy newsletter can easily become lost or damaged, while an e-newsletter can be stored in parent’s inboxes for frequent reference. Another beneficial aspect of e-newsletters is that you can direct parents to links, videos, photo albums and more to share further information that is simply not possibly with a paper newsletter.

Classroom Newsletter Ideas: What to Include?

The possibilities are truly endless when it comes to choosing the type of content you want to include in your newsletter. As a general rule, you’ll want to communicate basic information such as any upcoming holidays, closures or other reminders. From there, however, you can be as creative as you’d like in determining what to put in your newsletter. Here are some suggestions:

• Offer additional reading for parents to help them get more involved in their child’s development. Links to articles you’ve enjoyed or think will be helpful are a great idea.
• Do you have any important events, birthdays, or field trips coming up at your child care center? Use the newsletter to remind parents of important dates.
• Need volunteers or supplies for your classroom? A newsletter is a great way to ask parents to get involved.
• Celebrate the achievements of the children in your care! Parents enjoy seeing their child recognized for his or her hard work. Ensure that you feature all children equally so everyone has a turn.
• Update parents on your curriculum for the next month, and offer suggestions of activities that parents and children can complete at home to further extend their learning.
• Include photographs of children to add interest to the newsletter. Children (and parents) will be excited to see their faces in your newsletter!
• Showcase one of your staff members each month, highlighting their qualifications, experience and some of their personal hobbies and interests to allow parents to get to know the caregivers their children work with every day.

Looking for an even better way to engage parents on more frequent basis? Our childcare app can help you create automated reports to keep parents up to date with the progress of their child! With HiMama, you can extend your communication with parents beyond short face to face chats and monthly newsletters.

Our daily reports allow you to document the information you need about a child’s day, from what they’ve eaten to the activities they’ve participated in, as well as any photos or significant achievements. These personalized updates can be sent to parents via email in real-time, opening up a dialogue, and ensuring that parents never miss an important moment while their child is in your care.

If you are a child care provider who would like to learn more about using HiMama in your center, reach out to us today!