The Christmas Fair is one of the most popular PTA events all year. Along with games, stalls and food, many PTAs has cottoned on to a great way to raise some extra funds by selling or raffling Christmas Hampers. Is your PTA doing this yet?
Many go down the traditional route, with canned goods and the usual Christmas goodies. However, there are several options available. This is a great chance to have a few hampers available or simple spice things up this year.
This post walks you through the various choices available and gives some examples of what to put in your Christmas Fair Hamper this year.
The Traditional PTA Christmas Hamper
There is nothing wrong with sticking to what you know. Who doesn’t love a Christmas Hamper?
As Christmas Hampers are made up ahead of time and take some preparation, it is important to make sure the goodies are non-perishable. No one wants to find mouldy food in their hamper.
Some items to include are jams, sauces, chocolates, biscuits, crackers, chutneys, alcohol, teas, coffee, seasonal food, and other bottled drinks. A little bit of creative flair goes a long way to making it more appealing.
The Pamper Hamper
We all need more time off to pamper ourselves, it is no wonder pamper hampers are incredibly popular. The pamper hamper also allows PTAs to be creative. There are so many items that can go into a hamper or several small hampers.
PTAs don’t have to stick the normal hand lotions and creams. They could ask for donations for nail polish, cups, eyemasks, chocolate, aromatherapy oils, diffusers, hot chocolate, makeup brushes and candles.
The Cleaning Hamper
Mrs Hinch has over 4 million followers on Instagram. There are sure to be a few at your school. Consider putting together some of her favourite products or just some simple cleaning products.
Items that can be included in your Cleaning Hamper are cloths, cleaning sprays, rubber gloves, disinfectant, oven cleaner, air freshener, and sponges.
Food From Around the World
Asking for donations of food from around the world is another popular hamper. If your school is in a diverse neighbourhood then this could be even more special. It can give families the chance to share a piece of their culture with the school.
Donations for this hamper will vary, just reiterate that the items must be non-perishable.
Other donations to include in your PTA Christmas hamper
PTAs can also ask for other donated items to add to hampers, including card games, board games, new toys and cuddly toys, and vouchers from local businesses. Perhaps last years unwanted Christmas present can be dug out of the attic?
Some of these items could make up their own themed hamper or could even be raffled off separately. For example, if you receive a £10 voucher for a local beauty salon it could be added to the pamper hamper. However, if the gift voucher was £50 then it would be better to raffle off on its own.
Help parents to contribute if they are able
Not everyone is in a position to help, but those who can will appreciate clear direction. Share a helpful list of items you’d like people to contribute to make up an awesome hamper. Motivate contributors by explaining that when it is raffled off, it generates more funds than the cost of the contributed items.
Depending on how large your school is, it may be better to have a hamper per class or per year. It is always good to have themes for your Christmas Hamper, but you may want to rethink them once you have received your items.
With so many choices, don’t be afraid to step out and create something different and not just stick to the same old hamper.
Get organised!
The key to putting together a Christmas Fair is organisation. When everyone knows what they are doing then things tend to run smoothly.
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