Themed Baskets
The Silent Auction is a huge fundraiser for the Fair. A major part of this auction is our "themed baskets". We ask each year level to donate items to their class coordinator, who makes up a basket of these donated items. It is very important that the Class coordinators work together at each level to ensure that we get a good cross section of items for our gorgeous baskets!
Each year level has a "theme". The themes for each year level follow, we have noted some ideas and suggestions that have been used at previous fairs, these are not guidelines just helpful hints for parents who may not have been involved before. Good Luck and have fun!
Prep: Lego
This may include bionicles, lego packs, tubs of lego, girls version of lego.
Ideas: One class may donate cash and purchase one large "Star Wars" Lego or "Dinosaur" lego. Each class may choose an "age group" and source lego for this particular age group or gender!
Grade 1: Newborn baby - unisex
This may include clothing, rattles, toys, nappies, childcare books, baby creams, wraps, blankets, cot linen etc
Ideas: Your co-ordinators may choose to divide up the classes into Male/Female/Unisex to ensure a good mix. One class may choose to donate cash and buy a "nappy service" for a month? Your class coordinator/s may choose a couple of ideas from the above or their own and allocate one to each Grade 1 class? A washing basket would be a great idea for a "basket" as we all know your washing "triples" with a newborn!
Grade 2: Twilight Series (as in the book/movie)
This may include the books of the series, the Twilight DVD, the merchandise from the movie, tickets to the Movies so that they can see "New Moon" the second movie in the series which is out in November! There are books on the major actors in the movie ie: Robert Pattinson.
Ideas: You may wish to all donate and have the class coordinators buy the merchandise in bulk. There may be a parent with a contact who can get the merchandise at a good price!
Grade 3: Magazines
This basket will need to be assembled as close to the Fair as possible. We were thinking of our "Christmas" theme with this basket also, especially in relation to the "foodie" mags. Monthly magazines are probably more practical as they will not "age" as quickly! This may include magazines such as Women's Weekly, Better Homes & Gardens, Home Beautiful, GW, Harpers Bazaar, Vogue Living, Vogue Entertaining, Gourmet Traveller, Delicious, Mens Health, Total Girl and Tween magazines, Cleo, Cosmopolitan, Inside Sport, Donna Hay, Family Circle, Dolly, Sports Illustrated. You may also include Overseas magazines including English Homes & Gardens, American Vogue etc etc. You may then wish to supplement with weekly mags such as Who, Grazia, New Idea, Womans Day etc at the last minute!
Ideas: There may be someone with a contact at ACP who can get these mags for a cheaper price? One class my choose to donate cash and purchase a subscription to one of these magazines for 6 to 12 months. Another class may make a list up of relevant magazines and then allocate one to each family to ensure there is no "double up". One class may choose to source "cooking or women's mags" another "home & house" another "male dominated" and yet another "childrens mags" etc. You may wish to decorate your basket with old magazine front covers to make it spectacular!
Grade 3/4: Non-perishable Christmas items
This is a wonderful basket to get every one in the mood for the festive season! This basket might include beautiful candles, Christmas napkins, table runners, Christmas decorations, non-perishable food items, Christmas cards and wrapping paper, bows and Christmas tags. Advent Calendars, Christmas tins or cannisters the possibilities are endless. MERRY CHRISTMAS, ho ho ho..
Grade 4: Art
This may include paints, crayons, colouring books, paint paper, paintbrushes, craft paper, craft items (confetti/pipecleaners/bobbles/decorative items), scrapbooking material, Christmas card making kits, glue, craft scissors, decorative hole punchers, chalk etc etc.
Ideas: It would be a good idea for Class coordinators to allocate each class a theme/age group/gender to ensure a good mix of stock. Last time a parent had a contact who could order direct from a craft supplier. That year level donated cash and the class coordinators ordered through a catalogue which got them great prices and a great range of stock!
Grade 5: Smiggle
This is such a well loved product with all age goups and genders. Stationery, highlighters, glue sticks, electric sharpeners, various erasers, folders, diaries (great for 2010), writing books, Skins for ipods, Nintendos, Mobile phones etc etc
Ideas: Again allocating each class with a theme, ie: one class could donate money and purchase 2 girls, 2 boys skins for nintendos and ipods. Another class could concentrate on stationery by gender, another donate cash and get a "voucher" etc, another various diaries, boy/girls different sizes etc.
Grade 5/6: Handy man/woman
You know the type of person who would love this basket, always looking for a new project or a home to "finish off"! Screwdrivers sets, drills, sanders, sandpaper, anything you can source at a Hardware or automobile shop could be in this basket!
Ideas: There may be a parent who is involved with Hardware stores or a builder that can get good prices for these items. One class may donate money and purchase a large item such as a drill, another class may make a list of smaller items and each family is allocated one to purchase. Another may donate money and buy a "voucher for ie: a cubbyhouse building class" or the like.
Grade 6: Outdoor sports
Cricket Sets, Basketballs, Netball & Basketball rings, Wahu balls in their various forms, frisbees, footballs, soccer balls, water toys, stopwatches, sweatbands, drink bottles, ipod armbands, boogie boards, tennis racquets, totem tennis, tennis balls etc.
Ideas: Again, a class may wish to donate money and buy a basketball or netball hoop. Another may concentrate on ball sports, another on water sports and another again on everything in between! You may wish to decorate your basket with sweatbands, whistles, etc.
Thank you so much for you support can't wait to see all these divine baskets!
Helpful Hints:
- If your class coordinators knows someone who may have a contact, perhaps for craft, they may wish to ask for a cash donation. They can then make a bulk purchase and get "more for their money"!
- In the case of the magazines, your class co-ordinator may make a list up of relevant magazines and then allocate one to each family to ensure there is no "double up". Or, one class may wish to ask for cash and then organise a subscription to a specific magazine to go into the basket.
- It would be a great idea for the Class coordinators from each year level to get together and work out a "plan of attack"! This will ensure a fabulous basket of goods for the Fair!
Is there someone in your year level who has a contact who can get the items at cost?
