Ruffle some feathers!


Looking to bring some animal magnetism to your fair or event? Nuala Calvi asks three PTAs about their star attractions


The children could stroke the unicorn’s head and have their picture taken with her


‘We booked a visit from a “unicorn”’


I wanted to run events that would help make our pupils’ childhoods as magical as possible. So, for our Easter event we hired a ‘unicorn’ called Moon – a beautiful white pony with a golden horn headress. It was all done very tastefully – no dyeing the pony’s hair pink or anything – and looked quite natural. We hired her from the owner of a local reindeer ranch who usually runs Christmas events. They charged £300 for Moon to be with us for two hours with her handler. They brought the horse box


32 SUMMER 2024 pta.co.uk


straight onto the playground and set up the unicorn in a pen under our gazebo, which they had decorated with leaves and ivy garlands. The children could stroke the unicorn’s head and have their picture taken with her. It was a massive draw, especially for the girls and the younger boys; a lot of them were heard saying: ‘I’ve seen a real unicorn!’ The enclosure was big enough that the pony could move around and go off to eat hay if she wanted a break from people. We


staggered the times, so it was all very calm, rather than everyone crowding around her at once. We charged £4 for entry, which included meeting the unicorn and the other activities, such as the Easter egg hunt and arts and crafts tables. People could also pay for extras, such as the lucky dip, rainbow raffle and refreshments. Overall, the event raised £800, and the unicorn definitely helped create an extra buzz. Gemma Parsons, chair, Knights Templar School Community Association, Watchet, Somerset (200 pupils)


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