School Christmas Fair - ideas!

[SimplyPut]

DC's school have a meeting on Monday for Christmas fair ideas... I can't think of any .

Help me oh wise mumsnetters... or I may turn to the !

For Wine or Water they were hastily wrapped it cheap paper- cheaper than bags and less waste.

Slightly out there - but what about duck food for reindeer food? Something that can be fed to reindeers (and ducks) like oats as Christmas holidays are long and we all know reindeer’s don’t really need to be fed except on Christmas Eve. Need to avoid glitter obviously.

Christmas jumper stall - ask parents to donate outgrown previous years jumpers, sell off cheaply (as in £2ish). This only works if your fair is before Christmas jumper day.

Make a Christmas tree decoration stall. Cardboard shapes, glitter, stickers, pens etc and some ribbon to turn into decoration. Charge about 50p-£1 each. Entertains kids at the fair as well as raising money.

I am a teacher and a single parent. Why should I be coerced into spending money on something I cant afford to avoid upsetting my children?

agree, I don't like the "buy back your child's artwork". Glad our school doesn't do it.

what I would say is make sure you have stalls with activities to do, not just lots of things to buy. Families will stay longer, and therefore more likely to spend more.

Duck food is a good idea.

A Christmas jumper stall is genius, Such waste with them normally!

@bluetrampolines I'm unsure who your comments are directed at. Attending the Christmas fete is optional as is buying anything when you are there. I'm happy to help/donate as our school needs the money raised. Likewise everything is as cheap as possible for full inclusion. As a teacher I'm sure you see the resources needed that the school budget can't always stretch to.

You can get sugar sprinkles to mix with bird seed that makes it look more glittery. There are wee labels you can print off with a reindeer food rhyme

My ds son last primary did non school uniform day for bring a bottle ( of anything) or same with chocolate, guaranteed 300 + items that raffled for £1 each - very popular stall and complete bonus to school

Tombola! It's the thing the kids (and adults) love most at our fayre. Kids dress as you please a couple of weeks before and are encouraged to bring in a box of sweets or bottle of wine for the tombola in exchange.

The pta also rent out stalls which is good, local cake makers and crafters. The quality is usually good.

Kids £1 lucky dip.
Face painting, glitter tattoos etc (older school kids do this stall).

Mrs clause grotto.

Ours also operate a token system so kids aren't wandering around with cash.

The works have some good craft stuff for Santa presents like colour your own canvas bag, Christmas magic painting better then chocolate, or they have the usual 10 books for £10. The reindeer/duck food is a good idea

Op Respectfully, I disagree. My children desperately want their art work. They are little, they don't understand why they can't keep it. They want me to buy it. They dont understand either if it has been bought by someone else.

Those of you with a santa (and espetially a reindeer) do pictures for 50p or £1 of child with santa and or deer. BUT don't charge for under 1 year olds.

Have a volunteer either with an instant camera or with a lap top and printer so the photo is instant.

My dad was santa for a few years at the local church and my mum did the photos, the babies tended to come back the next year.

What about bulbs and seeds as gifts? Santa could challenge them to grow something.

Magic spring onions / everlastnig spring onion - enviromentally friendly.

Buy a bunch of spring onions, chop off the onion about 2 cm from the root and use in some cooking.

The child gets the root, pluss a jar (jam jar is fine) and you could add some of those bead things you use in flower aranging, they absorb a load of water.

The child takes the onion home, waters it and it grows a new onion. It might be worth doing a few beforehand so the child can see what they get in a week or two. You don't need a garden they grow on a windowsil as long as you keep the roots wet.

If you want to be a bit healthier you could go for a 'guess the veg' cake stall.

There are loads of cake recipes with veg, I made a lovely courgette chocolate cake. You buy the cake and while eating it you get to guess the veg, get it right and you win 1/2 your money back.

I remember making lavender bags at school for the fair, the older kids could have a go at this. Using Christmas fabrics and then keep with decorations so they don't smell musty?
Random thought, what about a stall with loads of crackers? My kids love pulling them i reckon they'd go for that.

Some really great ideas, I really do love the collective wisdom of MN.

@bluetrampolines your point is entirely valid and clearly upsetting for you. However I haven't suggested selling the kids artwork once. The art things are make on the day activities that people take home with them.

Op
Your idea is entirely different than the idea that I don't like.

Our pta opens an online system to book time slots to see Father Christmas a few weeks before the fair. It cuts down the horrendous queues as people just turn up for their time. A few free slots are left open for those who turn up on the day without prebooking.

A local photographer sets a studio up in one of the classrooms. This is very popular.

Canteen is turned into a cafe. Any left over unopened boxed cakes are sold on at the carol concert and at a playground cake stall before the xmas holidays.

Pin the nose on Rudolph
Santas Grotto
Toy stall
My school also has a book stall. What about a food stall at the Christmas fair where you sell cookies etc? You could always make Christmas art to sell at the fair too. In the past the children have made some jewellery to sell. We’re also hoping to sell biscuits and hot chocolate too.
Mince pies always seem to go down well. I also ask for donations from the parents. This year we have decided to have a lucky dip and raffle. I love Christmas fairs.

We have a local caterer deliver turkey cooked and ready to serve with stuffing for £1 a portion. Warburtons or Sainsburys donates the rolls, then we do veggie option and sauces from Makro. Works really well to get people fed.

Chocolate tombola is a winner at our school. It's a big money spinner. All chocolate donated by the kids.

A big winner at DD's school is a 'shop' in a classroom where the children can go and choose a gift for a parent and write a label for it. The gifts are pre-wrapped to save time and the child can choose from novelty Christmas ties/socks/hair clips/shower gel/keyring etc depending which parent or relative the gift is for.

It’s quite labour intensive but we made over £800 profit on one stall last year selling Irish coffees/mulled wine/Baileys hot chocolate with a mince pie or piece of Xmas cake.

Pinterest is ALWAYS the answer

You could do a Christmas jumper/outfit stall. Donations of wearable stuff sold cheaply.

Hot chocolate cones decorated to look like reindeer

See if you can borrow a popcorn maker and do it fresh with some toppings available and some in bags with red and green sweets to take home

Host craft workshops in a classroom which are pre-bookable like make a door wreath, make a Christmas card, make a decoration (painted wood slices are super cute), make festive slime, make a mantlepiece garland etc

Big cut out of a snowman or a christmas tree with holes for the buttons/ baubles and balls to throw through and prizes

Guess the weight of a cake - nearest wins the cake

Guess the number of lego pieces in a jar - nearest wins the jar of lego

Raffle for a hamper

Sell little bags of fudge, peppermint creams etc

Also have a donation station for the local food bank if you can

Choir singing Christmas carols

Have a supervised quiet craft room - popular with children who get overwhelmed in a hot, noisy environment, and those whose parents are running stalls who get bored when they run out of money.

You could team it with a Wrapping Assist Zone where children can bring their crafts or gifts they have bought from the stalls and have help and a selection of wrapping paper, tags etc. to wrap them up with.