4 Fun Activities for a Fundraising Summer Fair

Summertime in Britain is a great time of year because we certainly know how to make the most of it. We all know the sun could disappear at any moment, so we take every opportunity to enjoy ourselves while we can. The village fair is a wonderful tradition which brings families and communities together for fun and relaxation, but many are also planned as fundraising events. Whether raising money for a charity, school, or other cause, the key to success is often simplicity and variety. None of your activities need to cost much to run and your fees should be very small to encourage people to spend a little bit of money on several activities.

The possibilities are endless, but here are 4 great ideas to get your planning started.

1. Sports Tournament for Children

A great way to encourage people to attend the fair and to create a sense of excitement is to organise a sports tournament for children from local schools or clubs. It could be football, netball, group dancing or anything else which is popular in your area. If you want to reward the children who are participating you could order football trophies and medals to present at the end of the fair. This also encourages the families to stay until the end of the fair, tour the stalls, buy some food, take part in competitions and make the most of the other activities on offer.

2. Fun Dog Show

What better way to attract a crowd than organising a fun and friendly dog show for their four-legged family members? The classes you include can be anything, but popular ideas are the ‘Most Handsome Dog,’ ‘Prettiest Bitch,’ ‘Best Rescue,’ ‘Fastest Sausage Eater’ or even ‘Waggiest Tail.’ Find some ‘judges’ who are well-respected in the community such as a local celebrity, councillor, or a vet. You can charge a small entry fee for each category and the winners will be more than happy with some dog treats or a toy and a certificate.

3. Guess How Many

A classic idea which is simple to run and also inspires some friendly competition is the ‘guess how many’ game. Find a large clear container and fill it with hundreds of small sweets. All the sweets should be the same size so people can try and guess how many are inside. Participants pay a fee for every guess, and the winner takes the jar home. Remember to count the sweets as they go in! You could also try it with something larger like balloons in a car but, unless you’re in a position to give a car away, you’ll need to find a prize to give away.

4. Putting for Cash

This is a fun challenge for all the family, and all you need is some artificial grass, a golf club, a ball and a few £5 notes for prizes. Pin the £5 note in the middle of the artificial grass. People who can putt the ball so that it comes to rest on the note get to take it home. You could charge 50p or £1 for a certain number of tries.