Children's activities at a fundraiser

[mollyanna58]

I am involved in planning a holiday fundraising event for an animal rescue.  We will have vendors, food, and photos with Santa.  I am looking for ideas for activities for kids.  In the past, we have had little craft projects (like making ornaments); a prize wheel with a win on every spin.  We had tabletop games like skee ball once, but it was a little pricey.

I was thinking about spin art, but looking at the machines available, the cheap ones have terrible reviews, and the expensive profession ones are way out of my budget.

I'm looking for suggestions.  Inexpensive and easy to implement.  Any ideas?  What have your kids done at parties, etc., that might fit the bill?

Thanks!

[Chocolate Lover]

Coloring pages of animals? Crayons are crazy cheap right now with back to school sales. 

[finnime]

You could try something I did with girl scouts: buy gingerbread men or other shaped cookie, tubes of various colors of frosting, small candies. You can make simple sugar frostings if you like with just powdered sugar and water, colored for food coloring. Kids can use paint brushes to apply the powdered sugar frosting and otherwise decorate as they like. Messy fun for everyone.

[Deleted]

Younger kids, get a big wooden box table and fill it with shelled corn and cars, pails, tractors, etc. 

I'll keep thinking. How is your mess level? Space? 

[mollyanna58]

Aug 22, 2017 13:20:21 GMT -5 oped said:

Younger kids, get a big wooden box table and fill it with shelled corn and cars, pails, tractors, etc. 

I'll keep thinking. How is your mess level? Space? 

Space: maybe 200 square feet or so.  Mess level: hopefully small, since we will have to clean up afterwards .  Plus we don't want kids with sticky fingers or wet paint going and touching things in the vendor area.

It's also a 5 hour event, with people coming and going all day long.

[empress of self-improvement]

A giant roll of paper and crayons and have the kids trace each other and decorate/color the outlines. Maybe cut each individual panel at the end so they can take them home or hang it on a wall and draw some animals in since it's an animal fundraiser.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Depending on what you mean by inexpensive, karaoke machines are usually $50-$100 to rent. Someone might be able to lend you one also. If there's a separate area, the kids can be corralled and entertain each other.

Just having tables set up with board games will help with some of the kids. Jenga is good for all ages.

[chiver78]

how old are the kids? when I was an RA in college, I did a "Saturday morning cartoons" activity for my dorm building that included kids' games, coloring books, etc. I definitely remember indoor bowling (weighted plastic) and croquet. maybe something like that?

[Deleted]

Aug 22, 2017 19:48:28 GMT -5 empress of self-improvement said:

A giant roll of paper and crayons and have the kids trace each other and decorate/color the outlines. Maybe cut each individual panel at the end so they can take them home or hang it on a wall and draw some animals in since it's an animal fundraiser.

We did this at art day this past year. Kids could draw whatever they wanted in their frame, but you could try to get them to draw a pet they have or would like... 

[Deleted]

Another alternative to 'just coloring'... I have texture rubbing places kind of like these... which go well with an animal outline.

www.amazon.com/Roylco-R-5839-TEXTURE-RUBBING-PLATES/dp/B000FA1L1W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503450364&sr=8-1&keywords=Texture+plates

Someone said beads. Beads are always great. In addition to pipe cleaners, these go well with beads. 

www.amazon.com/Twisteez-TW-50-Sculpture-Length-Assorted/dp/B00P5JOIT0/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1503450546&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=twisteez

[empress of self-improvement]

Aug 22, 2017 20:03:49 GMT -5 oped said:

Aug 22, 2017 19:48:28 GMT -5 empress of self-improvement said:

A giant roll of paper and crayons and have the kids trace each other and decorate/color the outlines. Maybe cut each individual panel at the end so they can take them home or hang it on a wall and draw some animals in since it's an animal fundraiser.

We did this at art day this past year. Kids could draw whatever they wanted in their frame, but you could try to get them to draw a pet they have or would like... 

I've seen that paper. I would love to get some. I just have absolutely NO artistic talent whatsoever.

[Deleted]

I had teenagers hang rolled plain white paper in two rows, one up one below, and a friend came and drew the frames on. She did an awesome arrangement. lots of ideas online.

[azucena]

Since it's Christmas, have a station where the kids can make reindeer food - baggies, oatmeal, and glitter is the mix I've seen.

Could also ask for high school art kids to do face painting.

[tcu2003]

My son did a popsicle stick Christmas tree ornament with little Pom poms on it with his friends a couple of years ago and had fun with it. You can buy colored popsicle sticks, or paint them ahead of time to cut down on the mess.

onelittleproject.com/popsicle-stick-christmas-trees/

[mollyanna58]

Aug 23, 2017 6:48:39 GMT -5 azucena said:

Since it's Christmas, have a station where the kids can make reindeer food - baggies, oatmeal, and glitter is the mix I've seen.

Could also ask for high school art kids to do face painting.

No to the glitter,  but otherwise reindeer food sounds good

There will be face painting for a fee. 

[mollyanna58]

Aug 22, 2017 20:03:49 GMT -5 oped said:

Aug 22, 2017 19:48:28 GMT -5 empress of self-improvement said:

This is fabulous!