Ideas for stalls at school fete????

[KBear]

I'm new to this PTA lark and need some bright ideas from the experts. What's a money-spinner, what is doomed to fail, what do the kids love, what is a waste of time? Also I need tips on asking local businesses to donate prizes or sponsorship. Thanks everyone!

[Knottyknitter]

Splat the rat was always a favourite with us. Old bit of drainpipe stuck on a board, stall runner drops soft toy "rat" down pipe and player tries to hit it at the bottom with rounders bat or similar. We used to be charged 10p but expect you could increase it a bit these days

[annettec01]

Throwing wet sponges at the teachers were very popular at our school. And we have some daytime PTA meetings in school hall before pick up so some of the single parents can go too

[LumpySpacedPrincess]

Totally cross post with others

[LumpySpacedPrincess]

Fill a jar.

[LumpySpacedPrincess]

Fill a jar is so popular round our way. Encourage pupils / parents etc to decorate a jar and fill it with stuff, craft, sweets, toys etc. Then everyone pays a quid and draws a ticket and gets a jar, win win.

Great opportunity to get rid of little annoying kindle toys or an avalanche of pom poms. Cake stall a must, tombolo, book stall, barrel of booze raffle.

[farmerslife]

Ambrosia I came on to say the jar stall, we charge £1 per jar and have jars for all, so samples of beauty things etc as well as kids stuff! My children love it !

[306235388]

No idea how to get people involved. We have 400 families and about 10 regular pta members...

Ideas for stalls

Glitter tattoos £1.50
Santos grotto at Xmas
Lucky lolly 20p a go
Wine or water stall
Teddy tombola
Nail painting (we get older girls to do it)
Hair braiding (ditto)


Ask teachers if their class could make something to sell.

At nativity etc take photos of the kids individually and then sell the prints.

Can also do a group photo if all kids parents agreed to it.

[George2005]

I think a paint peoples nails because everybody likes their nails painted.

[KBear]

I'm going to approach some local stores and banks in our village for some prizes and sponsorship but that balloon idea is a good one ChocolateGirl. Ta

I also remembered plate painting (idea pinched from another school fete) - they bought lots of cheap white plates at IKEA and some suitable paints and charged £2.50 I think. It was very popular.

[ChocolateGirl]

Haven't read everything - so sorry if someone as already said this.

If a parent/teacher/friend/relative etc. works for a Big Company/Bank - ask them if they will price match. I'm told a local school had a balloon thing at their fete - where you pay a pound and let your balloon off and the one that goes furthest in the world wins a prize - it raised loads of money - and our contact at the Bank price matched it so we got twice the money!

[darlingbud]

how you approach/propose the stocks one at the PTA though may take some thinking about

[KBear]

Thanks all, I am still here but taking kids off to bed now - will be making notes and am so pleased I posted this!

[darlingbud]

Haven't read all thread so sorry if I duplicate.

Lucky dip - old bin filled with sawdust (2 bins if you want boys and girls), I agree that tombolas are real money makers - have all raffle tickets ending in 0 or 5 is a good one to do.

hook a duck, face painting, bouncy castle, cake stall, book stall, bar-b-que, bric-a-brac,

throwing wet sponges as various parents/teachers in the stocks - the real money maker is when its the Head's turn.

[LGJ]

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh

Why am I giving my ideas away

Coasters


You buy them for 1.75 each flog them for 2.50 75p profit.

The kids decorate them and then you send them off to be assembled.


To these people here

[feelingold]

Lucky bags- non see through bags 1/2 filled with sweets/chocs and tied with ribbon. In some of them put a £2 coin and in some put a £5 note. Sell them for £1 per bag, if you don't win you still get sweets. (use same principle of chocs and money but make them into crackers using insides of kitchen rolls and wrapping paper for christmas fayres). These are the first things to sell out at our fayres and the profit is big.

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

Another one - Guess the Teacher, Classroom Assistant, Dinner Lady etc from baby photos - prize for winner/winners.

[MarsLady]

we had our meetings in the evening. When I was chair I would take along a couple of bottles of wine and water. I would limit the meeting to an hour and a half. (my excuse was salsa dancing)

do you have class reps? They attend on behalf of their classes. I found that the combination of alcohol and short meetings kept people attending.

btw I agree that letters shouldn't be dropped off. Should have been more specific. Taking a letter with you stops you from looking like someone after a personal freebie. It also enables you to ask for money (advertising) without having to say the words. Some people like to advertise and others don't.

[KBear]

You lot are fantastic - keep them coming! I will be star new girl (with lots of pinched good ideas) at the next PTA meeting!!

By the way, while we're here - how do I generate interest from other mums in helping out and attending these meetings without being an old bag about it? I'm as guilty as the next for not getting involved as I work part-time and the meetings and events are always on a Friday when I work. Today was an odd day off so I thought great I can go. There were four other mums and considering there are 120 kids in each year (Reception, Yrs 1 and 2 - infants only), that's not a great turn out.

[roisin]

At our summer fete the most popular stall/longest queue is football goal scoring. A group of yr6 boys take turns in goal; child pays money and gets 3 kicks at goal. Small sweetie for 1 goal, larger sweetie for 2 goals, prize for 3 goals.

In terms of asking local businesses - call round personally, or use personal contacts. Don't drop a letter through the post. Ask for specific prizes according to the business: i.e. a meal for two from a restaurant, a box of chocolates for the co-op, a bottle of wine from the off-licence, a day's pass for two from the gym, etc.. Asking for cash is less likely to be successful. If you are able to target businesses where school parents or relatives work, and ask them directly.

[soapbox]

Guess the name of the soft toy/doll

Guess the weight of a big fancy cake (donated from the local bakers of course)

[SaintGeorge]

Sell envelopes for £1.

Give people a plain envelope. They put £1 coin inside, seal it and write name on outside. All the envelopes go in a bin. End of the day draw one envelope. The winner gets half the envelopes, other half is instant profit.