FUNDRAISING – Summer fair
‘We reuse the same games, with a little re-branding’
Culvers House Primary School has held a number of themed fairs over the years. Here are just a few: ‘We are incredibly lucky as school
staff always run the games at our summer fair. They know what will do well and often reuse the same game ideas each year, with a little re- branding to match the theme. For our World Cup theme, we had
12 games, mostly using existing school supplies to keep costs low. Games included kicking footballs into various sized tubs and nets, throwing bean bags into a giant trophy, throwing ping-pong balls into cups decorated as football players, and a ring toss with footballer bottles. We operate a ‘stamps for prizes’ system so the games that look easy (even if they aren’t) are always popular with children. One year, we gave our fair a
Wimbledon theme as it fell during the tournament. We had strawberries and cream on our sweets stall and one of our crafts involved making a cress head from a tennis ball that had been cut in half and reassembled using a split pin to form a trophy shape. We made use of the playground ping-pong table, as well as many tennis balls. We always find that throwing games go down very well, as well as anything
A Tokyo treat The Tokyo 2020 Olympic
Games is taking place this year and many PTAs plan to theme their summer fairs around this. While sporty activities will be fun in the sun (see p49), you could also consider a Japan-themed fair, which can still incorporate active elements while immersing the community in an exciting culture. Here are some ideas to get you started: FOOD Sushi: It’s a fantastic fresh option for hot days, but you needn’t stop there. You could ask a local chef (or any well-informed parents) to hold
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that involves the children getting wet. Our crafty chair had the great idea
of making bunting to decorate the playground, so our weekly coffee mornings were spent cutting out triangles of old white curtains with pinking shears. We used cheap fabric pens to add a Wimbledon twist with strawberries, tennis balls and rackets, then a couple of us took the flags home to sew onto ribbon. We managed to make over 200 metres! For something a bit different from
the sports themes we chose a history theme one year. We made paper bunting with historical themes for different stalls, such as pictures of dinosaurs on the craft stall, kings and queens across some of the games and a British timeline around the food stalls. Our games were very on-theme, with names like “Columbus sailed the ocean blue” (pick the right boat to win); “O-Mummy” (ring toss); “Egyptian Treasure” (digging in a sandpit) and “Moon Landing” (throwing game). Crafts were kept very simple but
were popular, and included decorating pebbles with permanent markers and making a knight’s shield.’ Rachel Khan, secretary, Friends of Culvers House Primary School, Mitcham, Surrey (462 pupils)
Stall inspiration If you’d like to share
your super stall ideas or ask other PTAs what
worked for them, join in the conversation at
facebook.com/groups/ PTAnetwork
a sushi masterclass the whole family can take part in, or even offer children the chance to make their own sweet version with Rice Krispies mixed with melted marshmallows, sweets and sliced fruit. Ramen: This noodle broth is easy to make in bulk before the event and serve up to
visitors – don’t forget the napkins!
STALLS Origami: Chances are that pupils already know how to make an origami paper fortune-teller, so why not extend their repertoire with simple animal or flower designs? Buy some origami paper, or cut coloured paper into squares. Print out instructions for the table
and have volunteers handy to help. Mini zen gardens: Invite visitors to make their own mini zen garden using sand, plants and pebbles. Using a cardboard tray, crafters can create their own little garden, making patterns using a fork, skewer, or even their fingers. Kokeshi doll: These are simple wooden dolls made with a trunk- like body and enlarged head, and often painted with floral designs. Traditional wooden pegs are a PTA-friendly way to reproduce this activity. Invite children to use paint, pens and ribbons to decorate their dolls, and provide plenty of pictures for inspiration. POPULAR CULTURE Providing it doesn’t clash with any bans the school may have in place, the most obvious Japanese popular culture to incorporate is Pokémon. ‘I Choose You’ punch cups: See if your local garden centre has any spare plastic flower pots going begging. Attach them to a piece of MDF in a circle shape and put prizes in a third of the pots. Cover each pot with tissue paper, securing with an elastic band. Cover the top ones with red tissue paper, the middle ones with black and the bottom ones with white, so it resembles a pokeball. Charge 30p a go for children to choose their pot and punch through the paper. Replace the paper/prize as needed. Pokémon card stall: Collect surplus cards before the fair and sell them on, or turn it into an attraction by inviting people to trade their cards with your stock and other players. ATTRACTIONS Advertise for performers of Japanese music or martial arts in your local area. Both would be a great way to set the mood of the fair. Or set up a karaoke tent on your school field and you’re sure to get people talking – and singing.
PTA+ online
Visit
pta.co.uk/fairs/ springsummer for more school fair theme inspiration.
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