Hosting a weekend open house is a massive undertaking. It requires your staff to give up a Saturday, it requires deep cleaning the entire facility, and it requires spending money on marketing. However, when executed correctly, a single open house can completely fill your waitlist for the upcoming fall enrollment season.
The biggest mistake directors make is treating an open house like a casual walk-through. It needs to be an orchestrated event. Do not just let parents wander the hallways aimlessly. Assign specific teachers to man activity stations in the classrooms. Having a sensory bin set up in the toddler room or a simple science experiment in the preschool wing allows prospective parents to see your educational philosophy in action. Most importantly, do not let them leave without a clear call to action. Have enrollment packets ready, offer a limited-time open house discount for deposits placed that day, and collect every single contact for a follow-up email the next morning.