Come and share your Summer Fair/PTA ideas

[JamieOliveOil]

We are holding our Summer Fair next month. So far, we've sent the raffle tickets out in bags and had some brilliant raffle prizes donated from local businesses.

At the Fair, we'll have the usual stalls (tombola, cakes, craft, etc) as well as outdoor games, ice creams, popcorn, cafe and BBQ. We've also invited a local dance company to come along and do a performance in the playground.

We're a small/medium sized primary school (220) in a mixed area and we usually make about £1500.

I was looking at another local school's website and they invited St Johns Ambulance to their recent Fair. Has anyone else done this? If do, how did you go about arranging it?

I'm shattered already and there's still so much to do. Oh well the children absolutely love so it's worth it!

Please share your plans.

SJA have an event first aid team - can get the details on their website.

They cost us about £35 but be warned that you may have left it too late. Not essential although you will presumably want some first aiders but could have your own volunteers.

Oh I see, so we'd be inviting / paying them to come in case of a medical emergency? Duhhh....I thought it was some sort of first aid awareness thing

We'll have loads of staff there who are all first aid trained so we should be fine in that respect. Thanks alana

Our local fire station are happy to bring a fire engine to let the kids sit in / try helmets on etc.

In the past a family with a pony have also kindly brought it down for rides (although we are lucky & have lots of grass in front of school)

Yes we have an amenable fire station too. Kids love sitting in the engine.

Also one of the local holiday clubs does an event on the playground - they bring some of their kit down like go-karts, footballs etc. They charge a nominal amount and give back a percentage - they see it as good advertising of their services. Is minimal effort because they supervise everything and have their own insurance.

Similarly a bouncy castle assault course, which is also supervised by the owners.

Probably not too late to hire inflatable if you want (we need 2 people supervising) but they aren't cheap. However it's this kind of thing that keeps people there - we lose money on the inflatable itself but figure it's more than made up for by 1 kids enjoying themselves - shouldn't all be about making money and 2. selling more refreshments!

Our local fire men bring in a car and cut it in half! Always go down a treat!
Police will often bring a car up.
Pims and strawberries.
Why not get your dance troupe to teach the children a dance rather than perform, then the children can perform?

Wow! Some great ideas - will definitely look at inviting fire and police services.

I did suggest a bouncy castle but I can't quite remember the reason it was vetoed - do to with insurance, perhaps?

Will also ask the dance group to teach a dance as well.

We just had our summer fete weekend just gone. We have a bouncy castle for littler children and a bouncy castle assault course for older children. We also have a company come in with miniature steam train on it's own track which is always popular. The last two years we have had a fancy dress theme and have invited kids to come dressed in the theme. There is a parade towards the beginning of the fete with prizes given for best dressed towards the end. The idea bring that you get many families to stay to the end to see if they've won the fancy dress. Last year theme was princesses & pirates. This year was kings & queens.

We made just over £3k.

We have a parent who is a zumba teacher and is doing some sessions for the kids.

Glitter tattoos :)

Buy kits on eBay for about £30 which can be topped up for future events. Really easy to do (tutorials on YouTube) and if you charge £1 to £2 per tattoo you'll cover the outlay really quickly with 2 people doing them. Kids love them and you can get spiders/Darth Vader ones so not just for the girls.

We run face painting workshops before each summer fair. It is half price if you can work at the fair. The woman who does it is amazing, has done face painting for about 20 years. Gives you the tips you need to do the basics, and you can build on it from there. Mums go on to run their own businesses from the course. She teaches them six basic designs, and we have a practice session too. Then we advertise just those designs at the fair, and it is great. The end result is brilliant, and parents are impressed with how good the painting is. It also a lot faster as the parents/helpers only have to know six designs.

Chocolate fountain with cocktail sticks, strawberries, marshmallows

I think we've hired one of those passport photo booths this year. It comes with dress up stuff; great for outgoing Yr 6s

I assume you've got the 'wet sponge' throwing at the teachers sorted?!

How about a childrens entertainer, walk about clown, stilt walker.
Competitions with awards/ prize giving at the end. As stated above, families will stay longer.

yes glitter tattoos and ordinary temporary tattoos go down well.

Do you charge people to come ? We used to charge 50p for adults (children and OAPs free), but since we changed it to "entry by donation" we found we get more. It might help that the Head usually sits at the gate for the first half, but he's not fierce, and doesn't force people to pay. He just greets everyone and looks pleased to see them. (and there's a big sign saying entry by donation and a bucket).