Planning a Christmas fair for your school is a fantastic way to bring the school community together, raise funds, and spread holiday cheer. To make sure your winter fair is a hit with families, careful planning and fun activities are essential. Here are some top tips for organising a great festive Christmas fair. Read on for our top ten crowd-pleasing games, activities and ideas for stalls at your Christmas fair.

Top Tips for Planning a Successful Christmas Fair

1. Start Planning Early: Organising a Christmas fair takes time, so start at least two months in advance. Early planning allows you to confirm the venue, recruit volunteers, and secure sponsorships or donations from local businesses. Read our in-depth step by step PTA Winter Fair planning guide here.

2. Set a Budget and Fundraising Goal: Decide how much you’d like to raise and set a budget for expenses, including decorations, prizes, food, and any rental costs. Many PTAs cover costs by charging small fees for games and food, so plan activities that balance fun with fundraising.

3. Recruit Volunteers: A successful fair requires a team effort! Recruit parent volunteers to help with setting up, running stalls, and cleaning up. Assign specific roles to each volunteer, such as managing games, handling cash, or overseeing refreshments.

4. Choose a Mix of Games and Activities: The best Christmas fairs offer a variety of activities for all age groups. A mix of traditional games, crafts, and interactive experiences will keep everyone entertained. Include some low-cost and free activities, like face painting or a craft table, alongside popular holiday games.

5. Plan for Festive Decor and Music: Set the scene with holiday decorations like Christmas trees, twinkling fairy lights, christmas decorations and a cheerful backdrop for photo ops. Play a holiday playlist to keep the atmosphere merry and bright.

6. Prepare for All Weather: If your fair includes outdoor areas, have a backup plan in case of bad weather. Tents or covered areas, along with heating options, will ensure guests are comfortable no matter the forecast.

7. Promote Your Event Spread the word through school newsletters, social media, and community boards. Encourage parents to invite family and friends to maximise attendance, and consider adding a Facebook event or an online signup form to make it easy to buy tickets.

8. Offer Simple Festive Snacks and Drinks: Hot chocolate, mulled wine, cookies, mince pies and popcorn are crowd-pleasers and can be prepared easily and on a budget. Consider working with a local bakery or cafe to sponsor or donate some holiday treats.

Top 10 Christmas Fair Stall Ideas, Games and Activities

A big part of any Christmas fair is the games and activities that bring holiday cheer to kids and adults alike. Here’s a list of tried-and-true favourites that are fun, easy to set up, and great for fundraising!

• Santa’s Grotto

A must-have at any Christmas fair! Create a magical grotto where kids can meet Santa, take photos, and share their wish lists. Charge a small fee for a photo and the chance to tell Santa their Christmas wishes. If possible, give each child a small candy cane or token gift.

• Lucky Dip or Mystery Gift Bags

Fill small bags with inexpensive toys, candy, or Christmas trinkets, and let kids pay to pick a mystery bag. This is a great way to keep little ones excited and bring in some funds. Make sure to have a mix of prizes for different age groups.

Top tip- Ask parents to donate lucky dip bags for this fun Christmas stall. That way you can keep costs down even more.

• Reindeer Ring Toss

Create a festive ring toss game using inflatable reindeer antlers or wooden reindeer cutouts. Have kids toss rings (decorated in holiday colours) onto the antlers for points. Each participant can win a prize and maybe a top prize for the top scorer.

• Christmas Cookie Decorating Station

Set up a cookie decorating table with plain sugar cookies (or rich tea biscuits for ease), frosting, sprinkles, and other edible decorations. Charge a small fee for each cookie, and let kids get creative. It’s a fun hands-on activity that doubles as a tasty treat!

• Spin the Wheel of Prizes

Create a prize wheel with different rewards, from small toys and candy to bigger prizes donated by local businesses. Guests pay to spin the wheel and win whatever prize they land on. This adds excitement and suspense to the fair.

• Snowman Bowling

Craft a mini bowling alley with “snowmen” made of white plastic cups or bottles stacked in a pyramid. Use a soft ball for kids to knock down the snowmen. It’s simple, easy to set up, and a hit with younger children.

• Christmas Craft Station

Set up a crafting area where kids can make simple holiday-themed crafts, like paper ornaments, snowflakes, or handprint reindeer. Charge a small fee per craft to cover supplies. This activity gives kids a keepsake to take home!

• Guess the Number of Candies in the Jar

Fill a large, clear jar with holiday-themed candies and have guests guess the number. The person with the closest guess wins the jar. This game is easy to run and always draws a crowd.

• Elf Treasure Hunt

Set up a mini treasure hunt where kids search for small “elf treasures” (like candy canes or tiny toys) hidden around the fair area. Give each participant a simple map or list of clues. This activity encourages exploration and can be tailored to any space.

• Tombola

The tombola is always a popular Christmas stall idea. The best thing about this stall is you can request donations from parents to stock your tombola. Unwanted new toys or gifts that they can re gift to the school PTA.

A grown-up tombola with alcoholic and fancy non-alcoholic drinks is always a big hit at any event. Again, you can appeal to your school community to donate a bottle here and there to stock up this stall.

Final Tips for a Fun and Festive Fair

Planning a successful Christmas fair is all about creating an enjoyable experience for the whole family. Remember:

• Keep the atmosphere festive with holiday music and decorations, 
• add a few simple finishing touches, like holiday-themed signage, to each activity or booth.
• Offer a variety of games, crafts, and activities
• Have festive food and drinks available to buy as these are always a big fundraiser at a winter fair

With a good team of volunteers, some planning, and plenty of Christmas spirit, your PTA can host a fabulous Christmas fair.