Christmas Fair

[jugglingtoomuch1]

Hi All,

Sorry to bring up the dreaded C word in September, but I'm on the PTA and we need to start thinking of ideas for the Christmas Fair.
Our fair is busy and is run straight after school, but I get the impression the parents would rather be elsewhere and the kids just like the teddy tombola. We don't need to raise buckets and buckets of money, but we don't want to make a loss either.
Does anyone have idea ideas of events we could run instead of a Fair that parents either would like to attend, or don't have to attend at all and the kids can do by themselves? We already do a school disco.
We have thought about hiring a fake ice rink, but I have no idea about the health and safety implications with this! Is there also an alternative to a grotto that anyone has successfully run? There are so many (unconvincing) Santas around now, and the older kids don't believe and the younger ones cry, so it seems a bit daft to carry on with it!
All and any advice welcome, and thanks with jingle bells attached! :-)

Movie nights are very popular now.
Straight after school, each classroom has a different Christmas movie, kids sign up for which one they want. They're given a snack and drink.
Very little organisation involved, very popular, kids love it and parents are quick to sign up as its an extra few child free hours!

imo Christmas fairs are for the kids, and like so many other things parents have to lump it.

If the children 'just like the teddy tombola', do you have enough easy to organise & run games?

Our best sellers were always

• raffle
• bottle tombola (alcohol / pop / shampoo) (brought in by juniors)
• chocolate tombola (brought in by infants)
• cake stall

But we had various prize every time games (eg pick a Christmas tree, the colour of the end gave the type of prize won) You just have to ensure that your average prize cost is less than the have a go cost. By having more easy things it gives time for parents to decide to have another go at the bottle tombola or whatever. Also a Christmas craft table of some description, refreshments, maybe a buy a gift stall.

However I agree they are a lot of stress to organise and then you have to get people to man the stalls (though y5&6 can run or help).

I don’t know about licensing requirements...but they sell booze at ours, which helps the parents get through it.