Let’s fire up the Wayback Machine and unlock a few core childhood memories, shall we?
The school book fair, and somehow leaving with more poster tubes and puffy stickers than actual books. Oh, and let’s not talk about the lucky rabbit’s foot keychain you absolutely did not need but definitely bought anyway…
The bake sale table lined with homemade treats wrapped in plastic wrap that never quite stayed sealed. Yep, you ate 'em anyway.
The fundraiser catalogs that came home in backpacks every fall and magically turned you into a “kid entrepreneur” overnight. Boy were you good at convincing relatives and strangers in the neighborhood to buy expensive gift wrap, cookie dough, and those giant holiday popcorn tins.
The school store where tiny fruit-shaped erasers and neon-haired troll pencil toppers felt like treasures that could withstand the test of time. (Turns out, they're pretty in demand now.)
The Book-It! reading program, where reading enough books earned you the ultimate victory: a personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut—and a button to prove it.
Classroom parties, where someone’s parent showed up with homemade cupcakes for a classmate’s birthday.
Field Day station rotations that felt like the Olympics—relay races, tug-of-war, freezer pops melting in the sun, award ribbons, and that legendary giant parachute.
At the time, it just felt like school. But looking back, these moments were more intentional than we realized. There's a reason we remember them so fondly.
These moments didn’t happen on their own, either. They were planned, funded, organized, and brought to life by PTO and PTA parents showing up behind the scenes to make school feel like that.
Funny enough, as simple as these moments were, these are the school memories you vividly remember decades later—the ones you share with your own kids because many of us just miss "the way things were", the simpler times. Riding your Huffy bike to school, thinking you had the whole day figured out…until you realized you left your Trapper Keeper and fluffernutter sandwich (in a brown bag) at home.
The great thing is, these kind of moments are still happening in schools right now (and if they're not - you can be the one who changes that). As a parent, they may look a little different now, but the spirit is the same: kids getting excited about the book fair, field day, school spirit week, classroom parties, the school store, and all the small traditions that end up becoming our core childhood memories over time. Yes, even the giant gym parachute that still makes your 1989 heart skip a beat.
But, here’s the thing: these moments only happen because people show up for them, and create them. Busy working moms, dads…even grandparents who are looking for a way to make a difference. Most PTO and PTA groups aren’t looking for superhuman volunteers, or endless commitments. They’re built the same way they always have been, where one person decides to step up to help make something good happen for kids…and then another. And another.
So, what are you waiting for? Maybe it starts with showing up for one PTO or PTA meeting, just to feel it out and get comfy. Or try volunteering for one hour at the school, or even from home…in your PJs.
Because when we all show up in small ways, everybody wins—and the kids get the memories that last a lifetime.
Take the pledge to volunteer for one hour at school through the 1 Hour for Schools movement. Your school could win $3,500!*
*No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. See official sweepstakes rules.
