On May 11 BritMums hosted another wildly successful Twitter party sponsored by Supersavvyme. We had a thoroughly delightful and productive discussion about school fetes; the good, the bad and the ugly and how to survive them and make your school’s fete successful and fun.
Co-hosted by Supersavvyme and writer and entertainer Arabella Weir, the ideas were flying on Twitter and we’d like to share some of the best tips and best Tweeters from the party. As many of us have school fetes just around the corner, hopefully you’ll find some useful ideas to put forward for your own school. Report back to us on the success of your school’s fete! We’d love to know what worked and what didn’t.
Tips for running a SMOOTH school fete:
- @businessmum: Before the event, list what needs doing in advance and then divide up the “to do’s” between the weeks remaining
- @Melaina25: Never been to a school fete but with fundraising events it’s best to plan for every eventuality and have a Plan B!
- @goriami: I think the best thing to remember is that school fetes are about the whole family! Don’t forget the adults!
- @arabellaweir: Top Tip: Don’t fret about getting a “celeb” to open the fete; a waste of time unless you know Barack!
- @MuddlingAlong: “@SandyCalico: Pray to the weather Gods>>So true & publicise wet weather plan in advance
- @MTJAM: My top tip when organising a fete- delegate, delegate, delegate! We mums have a habit of taking on too much!
- @MuddlingAlong: Check for sporting events & if you do clash with national events, have a screen somewhere so people can watch.
- @arabellaweir: Cater with the weather in mind. Last year at our fete it was boiling hot and we were left with 100’s of smoked salmon bagels!
- @PippaD: For an easier, smaller school fete have it after school instead of on a Saturday. Parents are already at school!
- @beachfacts: Make sure you have people on the rota to clear up after the fete finishes or everyone leaves it to the organisers!
Stall Ideas and Tips:
- @jhowze: This year at our school fete one mum has organised a plant stall. All of the kids have been growing seedlings to sell.
- @MTJAM: Mix up the stalls so that people visit them all. Don’t put all the craft ones together, all the food ones, etc.
- @playbythebook: We had a Pimm’s tent last year! That did VERY well!
- @nickie72: My best fete money-maker was “Guess how many Smarties in the jar?” Prize = Jar of Smarties!
- @ForestFlower23: Homebaked biscuits supplied with plastic pots of icing/sprinkles/sweets for kids to decorate on site always go down a treat!
- @PippaD: Get the children to work “shifts” in the canteen taking drinks to stall holders.
- @kirstylou29: Face painting is good for the little ones! There is bound to be a talented mum around to provide design & inspiration!
- @SuperSavvyMeUK: A hair braiding stall will attract all the girls. A few cheap covered bands to secure the end results and it’s money in the pot.
Games and Entertainment:
- @fenngirl: A big hit at our school fete was the Mario Kart Wii racing with medals and stickers for all participants.
- @ToybuzzUK: Our school is having a local Battle of the Bands thing at the fete. Free musical entertainment.
- @magzparmenter: We had a hula-hooping stall with Kid and Adult sized hoops and someone to teach. Lots of laughs!
- @mummiafelice: Have someone visit on the day. Charity visits are a great idea. We’ve had the London Ambulance & Fire Brigade!
- @SuperAmazingMum: Have a “main event”: Maypole Dancing, School X’s Got Talent. Everyone loves a bit of competition. Get the teachers to judge.
- @AModernMother: We have a theme for our fete with an art contest for the kids.
- @itsamumsworld: Baby Pictures of Teachers always goes down well at ours. How many can they get right?
- @jhowze: We used to do cake walks. Make a big circle with numbered boxes, whoever lands on the “cake” square when the music stops wins!
What NOT to do at a school fete:
- @Melaina25: Personally I think goldfish stalls where you throw balls at them is just cruel!
- @AModernMother: Attempting to light a BBQ in the rain without cover!
- @goriami: Jumble sales don’t work. Always end up with loads of stuff left over and no one will take it!
- @LauraLeeDavies: Make sure you can use the school hall if it rains. Ours always makes more money in bad weather- captive audience!
- @PippaD: Don’t sell sweets and then suggest that children go on a hay ride. They will be sick!
- @ThePosieParker: Make activities cheap to keep people longer and ultimately spending more, not £1 to decorate a biscuit like our fair.
- @businessmum: Adults getting ultra-competitive on the kids games!
- @mamummyblog: Don’t bother with companies which specialise in packs for raffles and other stalls. These can usually work out more expensive.
We were so pleased with the energy and excitement about this #savvyfetes Twitter party sponsored by Supersavvyme. There were so many wonderful ideas and tips so hopefully you can find a few and take them back to your school fete. More more information, check out the Supersavvyme site for more top tips on school fetes courtesy of their partnership with PTAlocal. Happy Fete-ing!
About Karin Joyce
Karin Joyce is the creator of Embrace Happy, an inspirational and motivational website where the focus is on celebrating the good in our lives every day. The Embrace Happy tagline is: Not every day is good but there is good in every day. Before starting Embrace Happy, Karin was one of the “old school” bloggers from the early days of what was then British Mummy Bloggers with her parenting blog Cafe Bebe. In between school runs, blogging and being a wife to Mark and Mum to Ella (6 1/2) and Sam (3), Karin also works as a freelance social media manager and consultant.
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