7 fundraising ideas for pre-schoolers
2021-04-30
Looking for ways preschool aged children can connect to their community? Whether you’re after an easy or ambitious fundraiser for your little ones, we’ve got you covered with these ideas and expert tips
Bake sale
Who doesn’t love a sweet treat? Cupcakes are a classic fundraiser for good reason – they’re easy-to-do and your little one can be hands-on with the project, too.
Little kids love helping in the kitchen and creating something they can enjoy.
- Kimberley Chapple, Head of Campaigns at The Kids’ Cancer Project
Cupcake stalls are a sure-fire hit, which is why The Kids’ Cancer Project created Cupcakes 4 a Cure – it’s a great way that children and avid cooks can bake a difference for childhood cancer research. Chapple explains:
If an early learning centre is doing a fundraiser like Cupcakes 4 a Cure, children can make the cupcakes during the day and parents can collect them at pick-up...
And if you’re baking at home, ask your local network to place an order for you to deliver.”
Learn more: Cupcakes 4 a Cure
Fundraising fun run
Want to get your littlies moving and create magical memories at the same time? Try a bubble or colour run event at your local park or oval.
A bubble run is where organisers create lots of foamy fun around an easy walking track. Participants do laps; striding through the suds, leaping through the lather – you get the picture. And it’s fairly straightforward to organise; you will need to get council approval if you’re on public land, map out a course, and get yourself some bubble blowers and environmentally safe soap.
For a colour run, substitute bubbles for child-safe colour powder. Instead of getting squeaky clean, participants get seriously messy which is a lot of fun. Holi Colour Powder based in Brisbane have everything you need to make your event a success.
Kids (and all those kids at heart) can have a card on a lanyard that is stamped for every lap completed. Money can be raised through entry (think $2 - $10), sponsorship for laps completed, raffles and a fruit or cupcake stall at the venue.
Crazy hair day or crazy sock day
Kids love to rock up to preschool in colourful gear, making this event a slam-dunk for fundraising.
Children can get loopy with their locks or wear silly socks on a school day or as part of a weekend sporting event - donating pocket money for the privilege. It doesn’t require hours of preparation on the part of parents but can make hundreds of dollars and raise awareness of your chosen charity.
Sophie Town, a Sydney-based primary school teacher, has seen plenty of Crazy Hair Days and recommends a pop-up hair salon for kids on the day. She relates:
Kids will happily pay five dollars or more to have their hair done, and all it needs is some volunteer parents and teachers...Get the hairspray and glitter gel ready!
The Kids’ Cancer Project has combined crazy hair and crazy sock days in the one colourful fundraiser, Crazy Hair & Sock Day. It’s a great way to create comradery and instil a sense of community which is why NSW Netball has partnered with the charity for this event for over ten years.
Learn more: Crazy Hair & Sock Day
Framed artwork
This is a great idea for a preschool or early learning centre to do, as it makes use of all the adorable art created throughout the year and turns them into Christmas gifts for children’s extended family.
All that’s needed is some basic white frames and a little bit of labour. Parents can “order” the artworks they’d like framed and the school takes care of the rest. These could be sold for anywhere between $5 and $20 each. Or they could be auctioned or raffled off as part of end-of-year festivities.
Dress up day
This kind of event is a really easy entry point to fundraising.
- Kate Fairclough, Head of National Engagement at The Kids’ Cancer Project
Lots of preschools, kindies and early learning centres offer days for dressing up like a superhero or wearing pyjamas, so it’s easy to tag a gold-coin donation on and make some straightforward cash for your charity.
For a dress-up twist that’s directly connected to childhood cancer, organise a "Gold Day" – a gold ribbon is the international awareness symbol of childhood cancer.
“Wearing gold sparks a conversation about kids’ cancer so not only helps to raise funds for research, but raises greater awareness for children and families affected,” says Kate.
Learn more: FREE downloadable The Kids’ Cancer Project Fundraising Toolkit
Guessing competition
A sure-fire hit with young kids, a guessing competition can run over several days or weeks. It may only make a modest amount of money, but it requires very little organising.
Jellybeans are a classic countable treat but if you want to avoid sugar, you could use donated Lego pieces. Kids have to donate a gold-coin to make a guess. It’s that simple!
Pirate Day
A fun dress-up day for a serious cause is Pirate Day. This annual fundraiser is held annually in May to align with Brain Cancer Action Month and is perfect for pre-schoolers. It was started in 2014 by Nathan Colgan and his five-year-old son, Conor, who had an aggressive brain tumour and had to wear an eyepatch.
Siobhan Finegan, director of Wee Wonders early learning centre in Sydney’s Kensington, has been running the Pirate Day event with her little charges for several years now and says it’s loved by students. She explains:
We dress up, do craft projects, sing songs, read books plus lots of physical activities that are all about pirates...
The children also get put their donation in a handmade ‘treasure chest’ and have a picture taken, which is a real thrill for them. They’re learning how to connect and contribute to their world.
Learn more: Pirate Day