Ideas for Village Fete please

Debt_Free_Chick

DSmiffy wrote:

Biscuit decorating - use writing icing, sprinkles etc.and get someone to bake some biscuits. Keeps the little ones amused for ages.

Coconut shy - a young farmers assoc. by us rents out a coconut shy and sells bags of coconuts, makes loads of money.

Horse shoe throwing - have to get the horseshoe to cling to the pole which is planted in the ground.

Play your cards right - place cards out in rows face down with the first one face up, players have to guess whether the next one will be higher or lower. Prize if you get to the end of a row.

More great stuff! The biscuit decorating will be great for kids. We could that at 20p as I'd donate about 100 biccies (home-made, of course) for free!

Debt_Free_Chick

You have all been brilliant!!! :T :T :T

Please don't be offended if I've not responded to each suggestion. Trust me, I have read them all and taken many, many of them on-board.

I have also learned that there are two ways to do a Fete. The best way is to have an organiser ... but then to team-talk trusted locals into taking up an idea. For example, I'm having an extension built at the moment (thanks for asking - yes it's hell; the whole house is coated in a film of grit; and it's noisy; and I've blown my "tea" budget for the next 500 years; no, they can't sing, but that doesn't stop them trying; yes, they do play Radio 2 and it gets on my t!ts ....) But I've persuaded my builder to do a "Lob the Loo" stall. Three old loo pans, lined up like a coconut shy. 50p for three loo rolls. Lob one into the Loo - Prize! Actually, we're trying to think of a way to make "turd-looking" missiles :rotfl: Any suggestions?

Anyway, get trusted locals to "pick up the baton". Be enthusiastic about the "have a go" events and let them take them on. Give them ideas, but let them run with it. Go for those ideas that need no capital outlay.

Need prizes? Write to every local business within a five mile radius, offering FREE publicity for a donation. Giving sweets away as prizes? Ask every newsagent, supermarket and any other retailer who stocks sweets for a donation. They'll give you something - just about every time. Be very grateful and be true to your word. On the back page of your programme have a page headed "Sponsored By" and list every business that gave a donation.

Teenagers are the most enthusiastic and responsive - remember, they're just big kids (as are most men). Ask every teenager to man a stall - you'll not get many refusals.

We need to distill all this stuff into a sticky. I'll contact the Mod.

Keep 'em coming - I simply know you have more ideas :j

I love this Site. Thanks folks :beer:

juno

Get a bucket of sand, and put coins in there. Make most small, but have a few £1, £2 and maybe even £5! Then, charge a small amount for a scoop, sieve the sand, and they keep whatever they get.

The best bit is the coins come out covered in wet sand, so people spend them rather than keeping them.

Also, guess the weight of a teddy/other prize is quite popular. Guess the name or birthday has been done too much to be fun any more.

Savvy_Sue

Debt_Free_Chick wrote:

Actually, we're trying to think of a way to make "turd-looking" missiles :rotfl: Any suggestions?

Now I really AM going to make you laugh. In the Metro yesterday, I read an article about Pee and Poo, plush toys which look like a drop of pee and a blob of poo. I thought they were a bit pricey myself, but on the other hand, this WILL be popular, so perhaps the outlay will be worthwhile ...

I can't believe you thought the card game was so brilliant! I've always thought it a bit lame myself. Although to be fair it doesn't require much brainpower or input to run it, so maybe I've underestimated it! The human fruit machine is also always popular, especially if you can get prominent people inside it, like the vicar, headteacher etc. And they may be more willing to do that than to have wet sponges chucked at them.

I don't think anyone's mentioned penalty shoot out, splat the rat, coconut shies or hoopla. You can make your own hoopla targets out of squash bottles. The person running this is ideally able to juggle, because then when business is slack, they start juggling and people come and watch and are invited to pay for a hoopla try. I could send you DH or DS1 if you were anywhere near us ... although DS1 was taught to juggle in 6th form, so maybe they're taught that essential skill round your way as well.

I can't find Olympic Balloon Throwing, so here goes. If you don't use it, I see it becoming very popular in 2012.

You need a quantity of balloons, or water balloons, and a number of bamboo canes or similar, and a way of measuring these a certain distance apart. We used those cones with holes in the middle that they use in schools to mark bases when they haven't got proper rounders bases.

People enter this in pairs - you need an adults and a children's prize (we said adults 13 and over). If you have an adult and a child I'd let them in as children, but use your discretion. I'll call them A and B.

The pair face each other, 1 meter apart (or a distance of your choice). A throws a water filled balloon to B. If B catches it, B throws it back to A. If A catches it, A moves to the next distance and repeats the process. So a successful throw at each distance requires two throws and two catches. When the balloon is dropped or it's burst, they're out. You record their names and the greatest distance.

You may need a throw-off at the end of the day.

I hope that makes some kind of sense. Filling the balloons is interesting. I don't know if it makes any difference how much water is in each: I suppose in the interests of fairness you'd put a measured quantity, but hey, it's the village fete, not actually the Olympics! :rotfl:

Princess_Cinderella_2

at our local fete something that went down really well was wood designs. this started because we had a tree that had 2 be cut down instead of throwing it away we got the branches and cut it up so had lots of small discs. then drilled a hole in the top and put some garden twine through. then charge 50p a go and children could decorate them with their name and a design it was really popular especially in a rural community.:T

we also had wellie wanging which involves throwing a wellie the furthest distance at the atrt of the fair we had the prominent local people eg local councillors and vicar 2 throw first then put marker down where they threw 2 and people then competed against them.:rotfl:

could u have a competition for cake making or jams pickles etc charge 25p per entry in each class and then get people to say whether they can be auctioned off at the end of the day. this really inspires peoples competive edge not just in the classes but also in the auction. you will b surprised how generous people r.

we also ran a fancy dress competition for the children again charge an entrance fee and then have prizes of £1, 50p and 25p. children love 2 dress up and we had an adult competition as well and i have never seen so many adults in fancy dress.

jobbingmusician

:wave: I just wondered why everyone has been thanked except me - did I offend you in some way?

Debt_Free_Chick

jobbingmusician wrote:

:wave: I just wondered why everyone has been thanked except me - did I offend you in some way?

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

So sorry ... I just missed you for some reason. Sorry, sorry, sorry!! :beer: