Fun fair ideas?

[Marla]

Last night I was at a meeting for our community bbq/fun fair. It is a huge annual event that is a great fundraiser. Just wondering if anyone else holds anything similar in their neighbourhood, or if anyone has any suggestions?

Some of the things that we do are:

-sell tickets for the games/ events (actually this year we are thinking of pre-selling them, so to avoid some of the initial line-ups)

-games: lollipop pick, fishing game, basketball throw, bean bag toss

-crafts: tattooes, nail art, we are looking into beading (the large letter beads to make a key chain or necklace)

-pony rides, jumping castles, dj, karaoke

-bbq, pizza, cotton candy, popcorn

In order to play the games, do the crafts, rides etc, you must purchase tickets. At the games, when you win, you receive a prize token which you can cash in at the end of the night for a variety of prizes (ie dollar store prizes, candy etc)

We are also planning a silent auction or raffle

I would love to hear any idea/suggestions.

I am actually on the game committee, but can submit ideas for anything.

[AnnW]

Our school has a carnival every year. We raise between $25,000-$35,000 each year. We do many of the same things. Pre-selling tickets is a great helper.
One of the big successes is our prize drawing. Instead of raffling off a few big items, we raffle off 100's of prizes individually. They are mostly things that kids would like, anything from Barbies, bikes, trampolines, gameboys, beanie babies. We do have grownup stuff, like jewelry, spa services. Each prize is displayed with a box below it, and you put your raffle ticket in the prize of the box you want to try to win.
Another fun "ride" is to get huge rolls of bubble wrap. Lay it on the ground and let the kids jump on it and pop it for a couple of tickets. You would be surprised how many kids would pay to do that! LOL

[Marla]

Wow Ann....it sounds like it is a huge success. This is my first year getting involved with it and would love as much advice you have to offer.

1) Regarding the tickets....how does it work there? Do you send home an order form pre-selling tickets and then deliver the tickets a couple days before the event? How much $ per how many tickets? What do they need tickets for? Food? Games? Crafts? Rides? Some of the people in the committee were concerned because they thought some of the older kids (grade 8) might order some tickets, and then a couple days before the event try to purhcase a roll of the same tickets somewhere like a dollar store, therefore we lose money. What type of tickets to you use to sell? Are they in a perforated roll? We had a lengthy talk about this....even tried to consider selling arm bands but felt the community wouldn't go for it. Do you charge for enterance to the fair? We have events outside and inside so it would be difficult for us to charge an admittance to the grounds.

2) Any suggestions for games...how do you charge for them...tickets? What about prizes, do you give out prizes at each particular game, or do they collect prize tokens and then take them to a prize table to claim their prize?

3) Craft ideas? What do you guys do? Charge at each craft table?

4) Food? What types do you sell? Do you have a barbeque and if so who does the cooking? Do you have huge line ups for the food and how do you minimize that?

5) The prize drawings...are all those prizes donated? Do you offer a tax receipt for donations? How do you organize it...do you have a time on the program when everyone comes around for the draw of the prize or do you contact them later (using the phone number on the raffle ticket)? When/where do you sell the raffle ticket? Presell them while items on display at school? Only during the fun fair? Some of the committee members were concerned with the items disappearing from the prize table (we had discussed a silent auction where people pay/use tickets to add their name to lists of paper below each prize....at a certain time highest bidder wins).

6) Volunteers...we have a huge problem getting volunteers to come out to any of our events. It is actually really sad...we have a school of approximately 600 children, and our "sister" school as approximately 700 children (yes some of the same family). At this meeting for the bbq...there was ~15 of us, and it is the same moms that run the pizza day (me), the fundraisers etc.

Thanks for any suggestions

[imamama]

Wow, Ann, great ideas! I need to print that out!!!

Marla, you bring up a good point about kids being able to go to the dollar store and buy a roll of tickets, unfortunately, I don't have any suggestions to offer!!!
As far as tickets go, though, a good idea might be to determine how much each ticket is worth (i.e. .50 or $1) then have everything "cost" tickets. That way, younger kids don't have to be responsible for keeping up with money. Have a hot dog cost 2 tickets. Just a thought!

When is the event? For craft ideas, you could do some seasonal crafts corresponding to the time frame. I just got a wonderful book full of all kinds of craft ideas, so I'll look thru it for some that don't cost much to make.

[KarlaB]

Originally posted by Marla
Wow Ann....it sounds like it is a huge success. This is my first year getting involved with it and would love as much advice you have to offer.

1) Regarding the tickets....how does it work there? Do you send home an order form pre-selling tickets and then deliver the tickets a couple days before the event? How much $ per how many tickets? What do they need tickets for? Food? Games? Crafts? Rides? Some of the people in the committee were concerned because they thought some of the older kids (grade 8) might order some tickets, and then a couple days before the event try to purhcase a roll of the same tickets somewhere like a dollar store, therefore we lose money. What type of tickets to you use to sell? Are they in a perforated roll? We had a lengthy talk about this....even tried to consider selling arm bands but felt the community wouldn't go for it. Do you charge for enterance to the fair? We have events outside and inside so it would be difficult for us to charge an admittance to the grounds.

2) Any suggestions for games...how do you charge for them...tickets? What about prizes, do you give out prizes at each particular game, or do they collect prize tokens and then take them to a prize table to claim their prize?

3) Craft ideas? What do you guys do? Charge at each craft table?

4) Food? What types do you sell? Do you have a barbeque and if so who does the cooking? Do you have huge line ups for the food and how do you minimize that?

5) The prize drawings...are all those prizes donated? Do you offer a tax receipt for donations? How do you organize it...do you have a time on the program when everyone comes around for the draw of the prize or do you contact them later (using the phone number on the raffle ticket)? When/where do you sell the raffle ticket? Presell them while items on display at school? Only during the fun fair? Some of the committee members were concerned with the items disappearing from the prize table (we had discussed a silent auction where people pay/use tickets to add their name to lists of paper below each prize....at a certain time highest bidder wins).

6) Volunteers...we have a huge problem getting volunteers to come out to any of our events. It is actually really sad...we have a school of approximately 600 children, and our "sister" school as approximately 700 children (yes some of the same family). At this meeting for the bbq...there was ~15 of us, and it is the same moms that run the pizza day (me), the fundraisers etc.

Thanks for any suggestions

I've never been involved in the planning of a carninval, but have been to many. LOL! I'll add a teensy bit of info from those.

2) games.....We used the tickets we purchased to pay for any games/activities. We could buy in advance, but I don't remember how that worked. I can ask my sis - she was more involved with it...

Two other fun game ideas are doing a cake walk and a Beanie Baby walk. For these if they win they draw a number out of a container and that # corresponds with the cake or Beanie Baby they win. Cakes can be picked up later, Beanies were given right away. (Cakes were donated by businesses and parents - most were purchased from stores, others were homemade.)

For other games prize coupons were handed out and they picked from a table later. Just like at Chuck E. Cheese or somewhere - some prizes "cost" more. :)

Another game is to rubberband items on a spinning wheel and they get the prize that the wheel stops on. Prizes on there were individual size Rice Krispie treats, cheese and cracker packs, granola bars, fruit roll-ups, juice bags, etc.

Another game - "Kissing Booth" Take a box and cut a hole in the front. (Paint it to make it look better) Hang a little "curtain" in front of the hole so they can't see in as they reach in. Fill the box with Hershey's kisses - some plain and some with almonds. If they pick a plain one in silver wrap they just get that kiss. If they get a gold wrapped one they get that kiss AND a prize coupon.

Pencil or sucker trees - Mark the ends of some pencils or suckers with a black marker. Put plain and marked pencils into a block with holes drilled in. Kids pull a pencil. If they get a marked one they get it along with a prize coupon. If they get one that isn't blackened on the end they just get the pencil (or sucker).

Ring the pop - Toss a ring around a can of pop If they ring a can (or a 2 ltr) of pop.

They also had games set up where the kids had to throw a football into a hanging tire or shoot a hockey puck into the goal.

Also, had the game "Silly Six Pins" set up for kids to bowl for a prize.

3) Another craft I have seen done is the spin art - pictures made with paint while wither a record player or salad shooter thing rotates their paper. :)

Cookie decorating - Cookies made by a local grocery store, plus frosting they provide. Kids can sit at a table and frost a cookie. Frosting was set out in little individual cups and each kid was given their own plastic knife to frost. A variety of frosting colors were offered along with sprinkles.

4) The school carnivals I have been to served pizza that was brought in by Dominos or somewhere.

6) I think at my nephew's school letters were sent out to parents to help out. They signed up for short shifts so they could still enjoy the carnival with their dks. I even saw some grandparents and older students helping out.

Hope all of this makes sense. If I think of anything else I'll let you know. :) Have fun!

[JAK]

Originally posted by Marla
Wow Ann....it sounds like it is a huge success. This is my first year getting involved with it and would love as much advice you have to offer.

1) Regarding the tickets....how does it work there? Do you send home an order form pre-selling tickets and then deliver the tickets a couple days before the event? How much $ per how many tickets? What do they need tickets for? Food? Games? Crafts? Rides? Some of the people in the committee were concerned because they thought some of the older kids (grade 8) might order some tickets, and then a couple days before the event try to purhcase a roll of the same tickets somewhere like a dollar store, therefore we lose money. What type of tickets to you use to sell? Are they in a perforated roll? We had a lengthy talk about this....even tried to consider selling arm bands but felt the community wouldn't go for it. Do you charge for enterance to the fair? We have events outside and inside so it would be difficult for us to charge an admittance to the grounds.

2) Any suggestions for games...how do you charge for them...tickets? What about prizes, do you give out prizes at each particular game, or do they collect prize tokens and then take them to a prize table to claim their prize?

3) Craft ideas? What do you guys do? Charge at each craft table?

4) Food? What types do you sell? Do you have a barbeque and if so who does the cooking? Do you have huge line ups for the food and how do you minimize that?

5) The prize drawings...are all those prizes donated? Do you offer a tax receipt for donations? How do you organize it...do you have a time on the program when everyone comes around for the draw of the prize or do you contact them later (using the phone number on the raffle ticket)? When/where do you sell the raffle ticket? Presell them while items on display at school? Only during the fun fair? Some of the committee members were concerned with the items disappearing from the prize table (we had discussed a silent auction where people pay/use tickets to add their name to lists of paper below each prize....at a certain time highest bidder wins).

6) Volunteers...we have a huge problem getting volunteers to come out to any of our events. It is actually really sad...we have a school of approximately 600 children, and our "sister" school as approximately 700 children (yes some of the same family). At this meeting for the bbq...there was ~15 of us, and it is the same moms that run the pizza day (me), the fundraisers etc.

Thanks for any suggestions

Our Spring carnival is in about 4 weeks I think. We don't make nearly as much as Ann's school (not even close), but we do ok. We only have about 200 something dks at the school. Since there are 3 elementary schools on this base, usually just the kids who go to our school come to our carnival. (All 3 school's have their own carnival around the same time) Here's some of what we do:

1. Always presell tickets and presell them for a little cheaper than they are the day of the event. Last year order forms were send home. Preorder price was 5 tickets for $1- they day of the event they were 4 tickets for $1. The preordered tickets were sent home in an envelope the day before the event.

2. Tickets varied for each event. Some were 2 and some 3. Prizes were given at each game. If you didn't win a "big" prize you at least got a piece of candy (all candy is donated by the parents). I think the PTA paid for the "big" prizes, but you probably could get things donated.

3. They don't do crafts, but that's a good idea.

4. For food, the PTA buys hot dogs and ketchup and mustard packets. Parents donate the buns, cans of soda and chips. The teachers volunteer as the servers at the food table. Last year they had people use their tickets to buy the food. That way yuou only needed cash for one thing- to buy extra tickets if you needed them.

5. We don't do those kind of prizes or a raffle either.

6. Volunteers are not a problem here. I know that each classroom has a class mom and that mom is responsible for getting parents from that class to volunteer for the game that is in their classroom. The carnival is 3 hours long and you usually work for 30 minute shifts. Any parents who aren't needed in the class room usually help with the games in the gym.

We sell helium baloons at a booth and the kids really like those. We also have a Jupiter Jump that they set up outside. (I don't know how that will work this year, I'm sure we'll still have snow on the ground). We also do the cake walk and parents volunteer to make the cakes/cupcakes.

[Marla]

You guys have some great ideas. The kissing booth idea is really cute, but I would have to think how to modify that. As we are a nut free school, I'm not sure if I could bring in hershey's kisses (cuz they manufacture some with nuts). If I could, I could get some in the silver wrapper, and then pick up some Easter ones (in the pink, yellow, green wrappers). I must check into this.

I also like the cupcake walk and the cookie decorating...I must bring them up at our next meeting.

I have actually been look around to see if I could create my own football toss (where they would have throw a small nerf football towards a drawing of a football player, and threw a hole), or a hockey shoot (same idea). Just thinking if I did it, could I do it on a large piece of canvas and hang it, or should it be on wood?

We have to have a variety of stuff because the schools go from kindergarden until grade 8.

I'm also going to look into mylar ballons (the silver ones)...I'm always nervous about ballons being a choking hazard (the regular ones)

Keep the ideas coming :D please

[JAK]

Originally posted by Marla
You guys have some great ideas. The kissing booth idea is really cute, but I would have to think how to modify that. As we are a nut free school, I'm not sure if I could bring in hershey's kisses (cuz they manufacture some with nuts). If I could, I could get some in the silver wrapper, and then pick up some Easter ones (in the pink, yellow, green wrappers). I must check into this.



How can they possibly make the school "nut free"? We have several nut allergies at my dks school (one in my dd's class and 2 in my ds's- plus some in other classes), but they do not have a nut free school. They do have a table set up in the lunch room for these kids to sit (with other kids who can not sit there if they have nut products). Seems like it would be very difficult for all the children in the school to have to go nut free everyday.

[Marla]

Jen, would you believe that our school is not only nut free (no products that contain peanuts etc are allowed, therefore no peanut butter), we are also a fish free school (no salmon or tuna), and the first floor of the school is egg sensitive so you can't send egg salad or hard boiled eggs. Let me tell you that lunch is definately interesting to make each day :\

[AnnW]

1) Regarding the tickets....how does it work there? Do you send home an order form pre-selling tickets and then deliver the tickets a couple days before the event? How much $ per how many tickets? What do they need tickets for? Food? Games? Crafts? Rides? Some of the people in the committee were concerned because they thought some of the older kids (grade might order some tickets, and then a couple days before the event try to purhcase a roll of the same tickets somewhere like a dollar store, therefore we lose money. What type of tickets to you use to sell? Are they in a perforated roll? We had a lengthy talk about this....even tried to consider selling arm bands but felt the community wouldn't go for it. Do you charge for enterance to the fair? We have events outside and inside so it would be difficult for us to charge an admittance to the grounds.

***Almost all our ticket sales are preorder. 3 tickets for $1. You use tickets for EVERYTHING...no cash at anything! You can purchase tickeets the day of for the same price, but most of the people preorder. Order forms are sent home and then filled and sent back via the homeroom teacher. We do have separate tickets for the prize drawing (they look completely different since they are raffle tickets) We had that problem with the older kids trying to duplicate tickets so we went to a ticket with our school name printed on it. Another school in our neighborhood does armbands for $40 and you have unlimited use to everything. Our school felt like people spend more than $40 per kid.
No entrance fee, just fee per game/ride/food.
We also have HUGE inflatibles to play on too. We do designate an under 7 area and an over 7 area.***


2) Any suggestions for games...how do you charge for them...tickets? What about prizes, do you give out prizes at each particular game, or do they collect prize tokens and then take them to a prize table to claim their prize?

***Our games/rides are based on the cost and popularity. Some of the inflatibles or the rock climbing wall can be as many as 6 tickets. Other games like toss across can be 1 ticket. They get the prizes at the games. Most of them are junk! LOL Dollar store stuff but the kids love it! I am a game! LOL I am the pocket lady. I wear a big apron that has 6 pockets in it. For 1 ticket, the kids can reach into a pocket and get a prize..everyone is a winner! I have prizes ranging from bubble gum, blow pops, rings, whistles and a couple of "bigger prizes". The kids love it. I made $65 last year on my "game" alone...not bad when each ticket is 33 cents! LOL
Other booths we have are face painting and hair coloring (spray color). The kids love those. Confetti eggs are a great hit, so are the silly string areas. We have ring toss, wishing well, pop the balloon, beanie baby walk.****

3) Craft ideas? What do you guys do? Charge at each craft table?
***We don't do crafts****

4) Food? What types do you sell? Do you have a barbeque and if so who does the cooking? Do you have huge line ups for the food and how do you minimize that?

****We sell food in the cafeteria and outside. In the caferteria is the bake sell, pizza, hot dogs, chips and queso. We have a dad in our school who has a big grill (commercial type that is mobile) he donates that every year and cooks hamburgers, hot dogs, sausages). We have alot of Japanese students in our school and each year their parents host the Japenese food sale. Great food! That is in another area of the campus. Outside in various areas are drink stations, popcorn, cotton candy and lemonaide.***

5) The prize drawings...are all those prizes donated? Do you offer a tax receipt for donations? How do you organize it...do you have a time on the program when everyone comes around for the draw of the prize or do you contact them later (using the phone number on the raffle ticket)? When/where do you sell the raffle ticket? Presell them while items on display at school? Only during the fun fair? Some of the committee members were concerned with the items disappearing from the prize table (we had discussed a silent auction where people pay/use tickets to add their name to lists of paper below each prize....at a certain time highest bidder wins).

***most of the tickets are presold, but you can buy them the day of (our carnival is from 4-8) The prize drawing is setup in the library and displayed for a week...the kids can come in during their library time to look at and stuff the boxes. We have extra volunteers in the library all week. On the day of, we have even extra volunteers, plus guys in security jackets plus constable police patroling all areas of the carnival and library). At 6:00 the prize drawing is closed and the committee members start drawing the prizes. The prize winners are posted at 7:30 and you can pick up your prize that night or make arrangements later.
The main way we get our prizes is through block donations. Each block with elementary kids on it will get together and donate a prize in the names of the kids on that street. Our block has donated $100 in $1 bills in a jar, a gameboy, American girl doll (that's all I can think of! LOL). We also solict some in the community but not much. Also parents will donate in their kids names. Most of the items aren't big ticket items either. A couple of Barbies and clothes, a N64 game, a boom box...but the kids love a chance to win that stuff. Camping gear is always a big item too. We are going to donate some of our Astro tickets.
The block donations are not tax reciepted cause usually it's no more than $20 per person. We will give a reciept on the individual gifts.***
6) Volunteers...we have a huge problem getting volunteers to come out to any of our events. It is actually really sad...we have a school of approximately 600 children, and our "sister" school as approximately 700 children (yes some of the same family). At this meeting for the bbq...there was ~15 of us, and it is the same moms that run the pizza day (me), the fundraisers etc.

**** We have 600 kids in our school, and the rule is for every kid you have you work a minimun of an hour per kid. Only the major chairman are exempt from working their shift. (a shift is either 30 minutes or an hour) Each class runs either a ride or game and staffs the volunteers for that ride/game. Each class has a "carnival mom" who calls up each mom in the class and says "hi, you are working from 4-5, thank you!" We don't take any excuses! LOL*****

[Marla]

Thanks Ann...great ideas.

A few questions. As I am on the game committee...

-what is confetti eggs?

-what is the silly string area?

-what is the wishing well?

-I have read that balloons are the number one choking hazard in children (I think under 5 years)...is it a concern for pop the balloon?


I love the pocket lady game....very cute.

Everyone put their thinking hats on for me now....I just found out that we can't do the kissing booth with Hershey's kisses (because of the nut issue) :\ What else could I use (that is wrapped and comes in different colours) and what could it be called. Someone suggested Starburst Fruit Chews...any great ideas for a name? Any other suggestions?

The carnival isn't until June, but our next meeting is in March, and I would love to come to it with tons of ideas.

Thanks again guys

[AnnW]

what is confetti eggs?

*You take real eggs, make a hole in the bottom, drain out the yoke, rinse really well and dry. Fill the egg with confetti and cover the hole with tape. Have people do this at home and bring the cleaned out eggs in egg cartons (obviously a dozen at a time). You can have egg stuffing parties. The kids buy the eggs buy the cartons and have a DESIGNATED area that they can throw the eggs at each other. It's really fun. We have found having a separate area for the under 7 is a good idea. This is actually one of our biggest money makers. I think we charge 6 tickets per carton, but think about it, the only cost is the confetti and tape.*

-what is the silly string area?
*We sell cans of silly string that the kids can run around and spray all over each other. Again, in a designated area.*

-what is the wishing well?
*this is pretty cute for the little ones. You make a wishing well. Someone is inside it and there is another helper outside. The child comes up and has to say "I wish for something special" and lowers the bucket and the helper inside puts a prize in it and then the child raises the bucket and voila there's a prize in it!!!! The little ones think this is really cool!*

-I have read that balloons are the number one choking hazard in children (I think under 5 years)...is it a concern for pop the balloon?
*The balloons are attached to a dart board, I think the darts would have to be monitored more than the balloons! LOL*


I love the pocket lady game....very cute.
*It's great fun. I just love it. I get to walk around and visit with everyone.*


Other good and fun game is a ring toss...you can use milk bottles, plastic bottles...line them up and toss rings on them, if they get X amount they win.

Another thing we do is get the cub scout pack to help with clean up..it's their service project.

[JAK]

Originally posted by Marla
Jen, would you believe that our school is not only nut free (no products that contain peanuts etc are allowed, therefore no peanut butter), we are also a fish free school (no salmon or tuna), and the first floor of the school is egg sensitive so you can't send egg salad or hard boiled eggs. Let me tell you that lunch is definately interesting to make each day :\

That makes no sense! I know that some people with nut allergies can have a reaction from just the smell of the nuts- but the egg and fish thing is crazy. Those people would only have a reaction if they actually ATE the food, not just smelled it.

My ds has two boys with allergies in his class- one with eggs, wheat and peanuts and the other with eggs, peanuts and tomatoes. If these children went to your school, would the whole school them become wheat free and tomato free as well? I nkow that you didn't make the rule at the school, but I just find it odd how they can do that to an entire school. If the school had to be wheat free I tell you the kids wouldn't be able to bring very many things in their lunches unless it was made especially for them. Wheat flour is used to make almost all breads/ bread products and crackers.

Glad our school isn't so strict. I bet it's very hard to make your dks lunch. Are you not aloud to send just nut products (like peanut butter) or any product that may contain nuts because it was processed in a facility that produces peanut products (like plain M&M's)? Just wondering...

[KarlaB]

Originally posted by Marla
Everyone put their thinking hats on for me now....I just found out that we can't do the kissing booth with Hershey's kisses (because of the nut issue) :\ What else could I use (that is wrapped and comes in different colours) and what could it be called. Someone suggested Starburst Fruit Chews...any great ideas for a name? Any other suggestions?

Can you use Hershey's kisses and Hershey's hugs? The plain kisses are wrapped in silver. The hugs wrappers are striped. The kids would win a prize if they picked a "kiss" and not a "hug". Here the kisses are sold separately - the ones with nuts come in their own bag, so would it be okay to use kisses as long as none with nuts were purchased? I'll keep brainstorming. :)

[Marla]

Originally posted by JAK


That makes no sense! I know that some people with nut allergies can have a reaction from just the smell of the nuts- but the egg and fish thing is crazy. Those people would only have a reaction if they actually ATE the food, not just smelled it.

My ds has two boys with allergies in his class- one with eggs, wheat and peanuts and the other with eggs, peanuts and tomatoes. If these children went to your school, would the whole school them become wheat free and tomato free as well? I nkow that you didn't make the rule at the school, but I just find it odd how they can do that to an entire school. If the school had to be wheat free I tell you the kids wouldn't be able to bring very many things in their lunches unless it was made especially for them. Wheat flour is used to make almost all breads/ bread products and crackers.

Glad our school isn't so strict. I bet it's very hard to make your dks lunch. Are you not aloud to send just nut products (like peanut butter) or any product that may contain nuts because it was processed in a facility that produces peanut products (like plain M&M's)? Just wondering...

The school is very strict about the nut allergies. We are not allowed to send peanut butter, but we are also not allowed to send anything that contains any kind of nut. In addition, we are not supposed to send anything (like M&Ms) that have a trace warning. They have a long talk with the kids in the beginning of school, and tell them how serious this is...the children are highly allergic to nuts and could die.

As for the fish and egg situation...don't even go there. I think in a school of 650 (or something like that) there are maybe 2 kids that have either egg or fish allergies. I would think that they should have those kids eat in a special lunch room. I don't understand the egg allergy especially because all breads, cookies, baked goods etc contain egg in them.

I hate making lunches because it is very difficult. My kids have lots of cream cheese sandwiches :rolleyes: