Village fete style party - ideas please

[grumpypants]

As ds will be 5 and it will be summer, i wd like to not worry about guest lists etc and just invite the class (30). Obv not everyone will come, but i know that's a lot of people. We have a cple of tables i can cover with paper cloths, and I want to do a village fete - so, what stalls wd be good. Plan is, they arrive, wander round the fete and then have some sort of 'event' in the arena. Decoration and stall ideas please? Am doing a bran tub full of summer things (sunglasses, plant pots) to go home with at end. Thanks.

Welly wanging
Hook-a-duck (Rather than using hooks, could get those cheap fishing nets on sticks and float a load of rubber ducks in a paddling pool)
Ice Cream 'van'
Barbecue
Coconut Shy
Skittles
Decorate a cake stall
Perhaps have some arty tables, even if it's just colouring in. You could do it as a colouring competition and pin the entries to a board/fence as they do them and have a grand judging ceremony.

For the event arena, you could use it for the party games, make a big sign with times for each of the games(or just the order of the games if youve got any fussy ones ) and announce them just before they're going to start - musical bumps, musical statues, dancing competition, pass the parcel. Also means it doesn't matter if they don't want to join in.

Lots of bunting for the decorations

Brilliant idea about fishing nets. Arranged for the ice cream van to come to us and will buy them all an ice cream. Love the cake idea - nicked that. Thank you!

Glad I could help.

It sounds absolutely lovely, btw!

Thank you - arena is good idea, don't want to do pass the parcel (too much faffing). Off to Asda to get a load of stuff...

We have a proper ice cream company in the next village - so have emailed them to ask about ice cream cart - and/or ice cream cake! Thanks for that idea.

bunting

see my profile

tombola. My dds love tombolas at a fete.

Also could you give each guest a bag of pennies, say 50p or so to "spend" at the stalls.

Some good friends of mine have a tombola (a joke one) at every get together. It is hysterically funny at New Year etc. Also gives them great opportunity to get rid of all their old tat unwanted items.

Fancy dress parade/competition

Face painting

At our fete the food is generally a hot dog stall in addition to the cake stall.

Chucking wet sponges at a local "celebrity" The headteacher does this at school, the birthday child's dad/grandad could perhaps volunteer? Or if they don't fancy that a penalty shoot out?

If you can be bothered have the time, how about a sign like this one?

Something along the lines of:

Little GrumpyPants Birthday Fete
Fun and Games for all!
The Garden
The Date
Then list some of the activities

Could even make little ones for the invites

I like the sponging the dads idea...

If you want some more game ones: throwing balls into a bucket, hoopla (could do human hoopla with a few dads and some hula hoops!), a couple of races (I think you were on the sports day thread?).

The pennies idea is good too, could do it with counters if ou cant find enough pennies. Or they could win points for the games and keep a big scoreboard? (Might think its a bit competitive though)

Guess
the name of the teddy
how many sweets in the jar.

I presume you have a lot of helpers? The children will LOVE this sort of party, I'm sure!

For the arena;

Bonnie Teddy competition.

Fancy dress competition.

Tug of war.

Dancing competiton.

Three legged/egg and spoon races.