What is so special about your Christmas Fayre as our was so boring?

[Octavia09]

We had our Christmas Fayre at the weekend and it was soooooooo dull. I could see children wondering around bored. There were guys selling some nice and some rubbish things and then we had to wait for the raffles. I was amused to see a tiny peace of brownie for the price of £2.00. Was it made from organic ingredients? I donated two raffle prizes (I wish I did not). I then noticed that there were about 10 raffle prizes only. And lots of tickets (I bought all our tickets, 25). One name was called two or three times! The winners were chosing presents by themselves. However, if there was a nice thing they would say and this raffle prize goes to.... number... Is that not strange? I will not donate raffle prizes anymore. And then everyone talks about FIFA corruption. Are all Christmas Fayres boring? I happened to visit one like 9 years ago and it was not that bad. I do not rememember seeing bored children. Everyone was happy and busy.

Would you have felt differently if you had won?

Did they have a grotto?
Guess the weight of the cake ? [hides from Slubber]

What exactly were you expecting?

Sydney Opera House, perhaps? The Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically...?

May be yes, but then there were just a few prizes and so many tickets. Also when someone's name is called a few times and some very good prizes get allocated to specific numbers, you wonder whether the game was pure. Why would they say that this prize goes to this number? Then they would tell another winner: you can choose whatever you like. I actually thought that if you want to win something then you should donate a prize. Why not? You see 50 people with tickets and about 10 prizes under the tree. I bought raffles because I thought everyone or almost everyone would do it.

At ours they announced the name of the winner and what they had won - so no one got to choose. And it was a little girl picking the tickets out in front of everyone.

I don't go to them for fun - I go to support the school, whilst hoping not to win the jar of sweets/cuddly toy in need of a name/etc etc.

The children were happy though (if a bit hot and bothered and bored queueing for FC).

OP maybe you should join the organising team?

Each year I donate a lot of effort, time and a fair amount of money to my children's school for various fair's, raffles, functions etc and I don't expect to win because of the above; my chances are the same as the next persons. Relax.

Wordsonascreen, do not remember the grotto actually. Of course I did not expect it to be posh but at least interesting. I am curious to find out about other Christmas Fayres. Why did you enjoy one at your school?

Join the committee then and help organise next year's Fayre. Our school's was this weekend too and I thought it was fab - raised £1500 as well .

I enjoyed the winter pimms...

The children love our school fair and we raise lots of money. I don't enjoy it much, but I'm an adult, and I don't think it's for me - and I'm always helping on one or two stalls.

This year we had: mulled wine and mince pies, teas and cakes, hot dogs, face painting and Christmas decoration making, arcade games (whack-a-mole, coconut shy type things), Father Christmas grotto, bottle tombola, children's tombola, raffle, silent auction, new gifts, book and CD/DVD/games stall. Probably more but that's all I remember.

Actually it was ours this weekend and I was going to post for ideas for stalls too- I think ours is a bit tired and needs some rejuvenation. There is a lot of effort from a small number of parents which I think could be used to better effect (and I help out too on the day and give donations for stalls/prizes , so I'm not someone who is complaining but doesn't help IYSWIM).

Which are your best stalls as money-spinners? (Sorry for hijacking the thread but doesn't seem worth starting another one of my own).

Sorry- x-posted, some good ideas singersgirl.

The main attraction at ours is the chocolate tombola - on the Friday before the fair all children are encouraged to bring in something chocolate in return for wearing their own clothes to school, then all the chocolate things are ticketed, set up and bought back via the tombola.

Local RC school has the best fairs though, mostly on account of ensuring parents are well supplied with alcohol, which I am sure encourages parental involvement no end. Someone in a Father Christmas hat will invariably be pushing super strong Irish Coffees on you at 10 in the morning as you come in the door.

Ours has

bottle and chocolate tom bolas
Each class makes craft items at minimu cost and these are sold to that child's parent.
Grotto
coffee and cakes
Face painting
Balloons
raffle - each class collects for a colour themed hamper
outsider stalls aimed at adults - crafts
This year we had a mobile popcorn stall which was very popular
Present wrapping for children to buy presents for their familyband wrap them up
One or two fairground games, win sweets etc.

We stopped having commercial sellers selling to children because they pay a fixed fee and the kids spend all their money there instead of at the other stalls. one year someone was selling GoGos and there was crushing and hysteria!

We made 1500 pounds for a school of about 250 pupils.

Interesting ideas for the next year. I might even consider co-organising the fayre.
We had commercial sellers and it was annoying. I understand if the products were on sale. Also they were targeted at adults which is good because children did not bother parents. But then the sellers looked rather bored because no-one was buying their products (at least it looked like). The whole atmosphere did not look exciting. I think we were definitely missing out on hot chocolate, coffee, pop corn, grilled sausages.

Ours was this weekend. It had:

Grotto = FC came in ringing a bell and then the children could pay to see him in his grotto and get a gift.

Cake stall - homemade cakes and buns, jams and preserve. All sent in the day before or that mrning. Buns around 20-30p each.

Tombola - the children flock to this one! Some prices new, some good quality second hand toys

Bottle stall - same as a tombola but with bottles of things such as beer and wine, but other stuff such as olive oils, etc. too

Raffle - about 10 prizes. Buy ticket by the strip.

3 or 4 "guess the" type stalls at 25p a go.

Book stall - donations sent in in advance

Refreshments - tea, coffee, juice and mulled wine IIRR too

Professional stalls - by this I mean local businesses selling their wares: sweet shop, jewellery, cards, gifts, etc

Christmas stall - good quality hand made wreaths and candles

Face painting and Nail painting - again, the children liked these ones

Craft table - for the children; not sure what they were doing on it. last year you could do the pottery painting to collect at a later date when finished off

Wii competition - Just Dance and Mario Kart competition; 20p a go; person with highest score at end of day wins a prize

We stayed for about 30-40 minutes. It was open for 2 hours.

Oh - and the school shop had a stall too

Ours was ok this year - but I have to say the raffle prizes were very small compared to last year, when local businesses donated 42in plasma TV, hotel stays, spa days etc - this year, some baseball caps and a few soft toys!

Ours was cancelled

Most places they let somneone chose if they are there, and if not then label the enxt best prize for them, seems perfectly normal to me

Shame yours wasnt more exciting- ours are fab normally!!

the infant school my dd2 went to had a lot of interactive things for the chidlren to make

king rings to give as presnets - so dd made one for her grandad

then there was a bable to put ont he tree - it was a clear balble that the dc where given a sweet and soem tinsle to put inside

photograpsh frmaes and I think really nice bookmakes which where laminated

So we had to spend a lot of time waiting for the dc and spent money on the dc making their own small presents which my dd did enjoy

Oh and biccies that the dc could decorate.

Soem things where in each class room of form the main hall which was in the middle of the school

i must admit it was the only one I really enjoyed and wasn't borned and i think there was punch to drink

Ours was this weekend (largish lower school) and was fab and raised about £1400. We had
Grotto
Lucky dips one for boys and one for girls
Christmas decs stall (donated from last years stock by a local Christmas shop)
Refreshments selling cakes people had made plus tea coffee squash etc
Hotdogs
Tom bola- Yr2,3,4 bring a bottle each in return for a mufti day
Lucky jars- YrR and Yr1 have to bring in a jam jar of sweets in return for a mufti day. Yr 4 wrap them and we sell them for a £1 each. they sell out really fast!!!
Name the bear
2 class roooms full of 30p games run by the Yr
4 kids Hoopla, fishing, spinners, etc.. Prize every time -not a huge money maker but the kids love them
Craft room with 3 craft tables from50p to£1
Beauty room with face painting, nail transfers, tatoos and hair plaiting again this is always heaving
Raffle- we take some of the best bottles from tomola and the staff make up a Xmas hamper
Best of all a Human Fruit Machine run by staff..

It was a great 2 hours and we charge 50p per adult to get in we had 174 adults through the door

Oh I forgot we do an Adopt a teddy stall too. Kids donate unwanted soft toys and we sell them for a £1 with an adoption certificate.. Pure profit!!!

I'm not too keen on them ...... have ranted a bit in the past about it basically being a disguised sweet shop.

But, the key to progress, OP, is to get involved in a positive way. I have rounded up two other musicians and we play live Christmas Carols - we insist on busking for charity rather than for school funds - and because it's us up there doing the work, we get to make that call..... so you can make it a bit more interesting/worthwhile/fitting in with your own values - but only by taking the lead.

OP, if you think its boring join the PTA and come up with some new ideas. It usually ends up being the same few people doing everything and limited volunteers means limited stalls etc.

Santa Claus!!! Grotto and presents

Lots of much cheaper bags of fairy cakes (6 for £1) and small jam jars full of a mixture of sweeties for 50p - yes it is a disguised sweet shop lingle but I don't really mind every once in a while

Guess the baby - pictures of all the teachers as babies - had to identify them - this raised £150 by itself and my ds spent ages doing it

DD1's Special School did their Christmas Fayre at the end of November. It was fab and raised £2200.

-Santa's Grotto
-Cake Stall
-Toy stall (mostly 2nd hand toys)
-Teddy tombola (donated 2nd had teddies)
-Book/puzzle stall
-Guess the name of bunny
-Sweets stall
-Gifts stall
-Stocking Fillers stall
-Raffle tickets & Raffle
-Silent Auction

All the children from the Special School come in class by class, with money sent in by parents. Prices were very flexible (ie. children with a £1 were suddenly able to buy their toys for 5p).

Each child was taken around by a helper, and spent their money. Each child was encouraged to buy a present for Mum/Dad/sisters/brothers, then those gifts were wrapped for the child. They could buy as many toys as they liked, visit santa etc.

It was so rewarding seeing the children experiencing the festivities.

Children came through from 09.15 until 11.30.

Then at 11.30, the doors were opened to the public/friends/parents etc.

Raffle called at 12.45, Silent Auction 12.55, close at 1pm.