Awana Fair Planning Guide

An Awana Fair is similar to a country fair with decorations, booths and many small prizes. It is open to all clubbers and their friends, making the fair a great occasion for adding new clubbers to the church visitation list. During a brief break in the fair, present a clear gospel message to young people and parents who may never have heard God’s eternal plan for their lives.

When to hold your fair

Some clubs kick off the year with an Awana Fair the first night of the ministry year. Many clubs also schedule one Saturday for a giant outdoor Awana Fair, complete with a helium-balloon launch and an all-day picnic. Adequately publicized, a fair at the beginning of the club season attracts a large number of potential clubbers. Other clubs run the Awana Fair at mid-year to give a boost to attendance during the winter “blahs.”

Make sure your fair doesn’t compete with others. Many organizations run fairs in October, and these can lessen the impact of your fair. Winter often brings a slump in club participation. To avoid lagging attendance and interest just after the Christmas holidays, run your Awana Fair in January or February.

You can also run your fair at the end of your club season. This is the time of year when interest in outdoor activities often keeps boys and girls away from club. Anticipation of the fair keeps clubbers coming and ends the club season on a high note.

Where to hold your fair

Awana Fairs are normally held in club meeting areas — a large all-purpose room, a gym or several small rooms in close proximity. In good weather, a fair may be held outdoors in the church parking lot or other large area. Churches without sufficient room may find a local community agency (school playground, park, etc.) willing to lend its facilities.

If you hold your fair on a club night

For Council Time, show a film, invite a special speaker, puppeteer or Christian magician or develop some other special devotional. Consider combining all clubs for Council Time. Plan a direct salvation emphasis for new boys and girls.

Volunteer support

You may need to have each leader enlist one person not on your Awana staff to help construct and/or run a booth. This additional person may be an adult from the leader’s family, a church member or a clubber’s parent.

These recruits may be so impressed with the Awana program that they will offer their cooperation for future events. Involving other church members gives them opportunity for service and stimulates their interest in Awana.

Get the word out about your fair

Publicize the fair well in advance both in your church and community. Copy fliers for distribution at schools and in the neighborhood, such as at libraries, community centers and city hall. Write a news release for your local newspaper. Announce the fair to clubbers a month or more in advance. Announce it on your church Web site. E-mail members of your congregation about the event.

If your fair is planned for Saturday, have clubbers bring their families and also invite church members. They’ll enjoy the fun, and it gives them opportunity to meet clubbers’ moms and dads. Ask one or two photographers to take color slides or movies of the whole fair scene. They’ll provide lots of fun and laughs when you show them at a parents’ night, and photos can be turned in to news editors with caption information for the community section of the local newspaper.

Setting up for the fair

At least two months in advance, the commander and club directors should decide the number and types of booths wanted. Games should be simple, easy to learn and suitable for both boys and girls of Awana age. For instance, a game circle could be designated for Awana-style games. First-time visitors may play these games, get hooked and return for club the following week. Consider adding games not normally played on club nights, such as the four-way grinder available at the Ministry Guide online supply store.

One or two leaders should be assigned to plan each booth, obtain materials to furnish and build it and conduct that booth during the fair. Delegate responsibility for publicity, overall booth construction, decorations, refreshments, prizes, registration and tickets. Make sure all leaders know they are also expected to help clean up afterwards.

Sheets or blankets hung across the room on wires, or tables turned on end, make temporary dividers to separate the booths. The commander should make a map of the area, showing the location of every booth. Since some booths require special facilities, this map will help for selecting sites. For example, be sure booths needing electricity are placed near outlets. If you have a balloon release booth, position it near an entrance. The refreshment booth should be near the kitchen.

Tickets and attendance

Take attendance at the fair. Those boys and girls who are not regular attendees should complete registration cards as prospective clubbers. An Awana Fair is not a money-making event. Some clubs break even, however, by charging clubbers just enough to cover expenses for prizes and refreshments. Others enlist church funds or donations so they can offer the event for free.

Set up a ticket booth just inside the door of the fair area. Give each clubber a certain number of tickets as he or she enters the fair (or a set amount of play money, credit card, etc.). Tickets may also be given as incentive for attendance and achievement. Four to six weeks prior to the event, award clubbers one ticket for attendance, sections passed, visitors brought to club and other incentives. The coming fair motivates boys and girls to achieve every week and whets their appetites. Tickets, play money or credit cards are used for each booth.

To ensure that all clubbers hand in their credit cards, conduct a prize drawing using the cards at the end of the fair. During the evening, leaders at each booth punch out or cross off a number when clubbers play.

Awana Fair prizes

Some booths have a winner every time, while others are not conducive to prizes. For games requiring skill, prizes may be awarded when a specific goal is reached. In the Balloon Bust, for example, two broken balloons earn a small prize, three earn a prize of greater value and so on.

Penny candy, Awana-specific gifts and small plastic toys are appropriate prizes. Consult the Ministry Guide Online, members of your congregation and your local phone book for suppliers of fair prizes and purchase them by the gross. Consider penny candy as a consolation for younger clubbers. Boys and girls should receive something for at least trying each game.

Suggested fair booths

In setting up booths which require skills, such as tossing darts or ball rings, designate one playing line for younger boys and girls and another line further away for older clubbers. Before the fair, leaders should try all games to ensure they’re not too difficult for clubbers.

Plan your booths so the majority of them may be repeated. Non-repeatable booths include weight-guessing, picture-taking, guessing beans in a jar and a wonder box. If too many of your booths are not repeatable, clubbers will become bored after playing all the booths. As a result, discipline problems could arise.

Ball Toss

A variety of games may be devised for tossing volleyballs, basketballs, footballs, softballs and so on.

1.  Throw a softball into a barrel.

2.  Toss a football for accuracy (through a tire or hoop suspended in mid-air) or for distance.

3.  Bounce a volleyball or basketball into a can, wastebasket or barrel.

4.  Sink free throws — most in one minute, most out of five tries, etc.

Balloon Burst

Equipment — regular 4' x 6' dart board constructed from soft wood or cork board, several dozen 6" balloons, thumb tacks (or straight pins) to attach balloons to board, six darts and a booth sign. Each player tosses three darts and attempts to burst balloons. Three balloons burst earns a large prize; two balloons burst earns a smaller prize; one balloon burst earns a very small prize.

Beanbag Toss

Equipment — a clown face made from plywood or heavy cardboard (six feet or larger) with holes for eyes, nose, and mouth along with six beanbags and a booth sign. Allow three beanbag tosses per ticket. Award prizes of different values for one, two or three successful throws if the holes are the same size. If the holes vary in size, allot points for each. Award prizes by point total.

Candy Guess

Equipment — jar filled with wrapped candy (any type). Each player guesses how many pieces of candy are in a jar. He writes a guess and his name on a piece of paper. Large clubs may limit guesses to one per person; small clubs may set limit at two or three. The guess closest to the correct amount wins the jar and candy at the end of the evening.

Egg Toss

Equipment — colorful egg carton (each hole spray-painted), six table tennis balls and a booth sign. Number the different sections of an egg carton for varying points. Each player is given three balls to toss into egg carton. Award prizes according to total scores. For example: 11 to 15 points — small prize; 16 to 20 points — large prize. For added appeal, make a special section or set a specific point total for which a clubber receives bonus rounds of play.

Fishing Pond

Equipment — a wading pool half-filled with water, four to six fishing poles with string and hooks (hooks should not be sharp; use “S” hooks from local hardware store), 12 to 15 wooden fish with large screw-eye hooks attached to nose and a booth sign. Allow one catch per ticket. Each fish is numbered on the bottom with 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5. Prizes for each number are predetermined. Each player receives a prize corresponding to the number on the fish he or she hooks. Fish #1 could be a booby prize and #5 could be the grand prize.

Football Throw

Equipment — three to five tires, framework and rope, three footballs, fairly heavy tarp (optional: to hang behind game) and a booth sign. Players are allowed three tries to throw a football through any of several tires rigidly suspended in front of a tarpaulin backdrop. One tire may be smaller than the rest. A player throwing the football through the smallest tire receives a special prize.

Golf Putting

Equipment — one putting area, at least six golf balls, two putters and a booth sign. Players attempt to knock a ball through one of the holes in a wooden board set on end. You can also use a putting cup that returns the ball or lay a carpet runner on the floor with a 3" hole cut out at the far end. Players have their choice of three well-marked lines from which to putt. The longer the distance, the more points (and the larger the prize) if they sink the putt.

Grand Prize Game

Equipment — five tin cans, small rubber balls and a booth sign. Set the cans in a row and mark a throwing line two or three feet from the head of the row. If a player tosses a ball into the first can, he tries for the second and so on until he misses. Only one try per can is allowed. A player receives a small prize for each successful toss. Prizes should build in value.

Horseshoes

Equipment — plastic or rubber indoor horseshoe set and a booth sign. For one ticket, a player is given three horseshoes to toss for ringers. A prize is awarded for each ringer.

Jail

Equipment — a room or booth decorated as a jail, uniforms for clown policemen and a booth sign. A police officer circulates in the fair area. He good-naturedly arrests kids on charges such as making too much noise, spending too much money, winning too many prizes and so on. Children may also pay one ticket to have another clubber arrested on any charge they state. The police officer makes a lot of noise arresting and dragging victims off to jail. After a brief stay in jail, perhaps five minutes, the clubber is released.  Keep the jail full during the entire fair! Police officers should be conscious of genuine discipline problems and help maintain crowd control. Caution: Be careful not to scare or upset young, sensitive boys and girls.

Photo Gallery

Equipment — camera, photographer who knows how to use that camera and a booth sign. One ticket “pays” for one picture. Use a clown, funny sayings or other methods to induce laughter or other unusual expressions. Use a Polaroid® camera if pictures are desired immediately.

Pot Shot

Equipment — six or more paper cups, 1/4" plywood disk about 24" in diameter mounted on phonograph turntable (or equivalent), six table tennis balls and a booth sign. Securely fasten the paper cups to the disk in circular rows, lines or at random. A player gets three balls to toss into the cups as they revolve on a turntable. Award a prize for each ball in a cup.

Ring ’Em

Equipment — one-inch L-hooks attached to a board nailed to a wall, 10 rubber fruit jar rings and a booth sign. Each player attempts to throw five fruit jar rings onto L-hooks with designated point values. More than one ring per hook is allowed. Points are totaled, and prizes are given accordingly. Or put suckers (or other types of candy on a stick) in holes on a pegboard. Whichever suckers players ring, they keep. Or have players throw fruit jar rings at a case of empty pop bottles. Include two or three full pop bottles per case. If a player rings a full bottle of pop, he wins that bottle.

Ring Tosses

Using any kinds of hoops or rings, plan booths based on the following:

1.  Turn chair upside down and toss rings at legs.

2.  Toss rings over tenpins.

3.  Ring toss golf: Make five pins by sawing off lengths of broom handles and nailing them onto boards for bases. Arrange the bases on a golf course. Count against each player the number of tosses necessary to complete the course. Determine a point value required to win a prize.

Roman Star Toss

Equipment — star painted on a large sheet of cardboard, rubber heels (or beanbags) and a booth sign. Make a tossing line approximately six feet from the star. Players toss four heels and accumulate points according to the areas in which the heels land. A heel touching a line does not count. Determine the point value required for a prize.

Sailing Saucers

Equipment — package of six-inch paper plates, a bucket or large wastebasket and a booth sign. Give players five plates apiece. From a line 10 to 15 feet away, each player attempts to sail the paper plates into a bucket. Three out of five wins a small prize; four or more wins a larger prize. Or suspend a hoop in a doorway or from the ceiling. Players attempt to sail the plates through the hoop.

Shooting Gallery

Equipment — candles, matches, water pistols (at least three), container with water for refilling water pistols, candle holders, table covered with plastic, wet mop, small fire extinguisher and booth sign. Allow players six shots from a water pistol to shoot out the candle flame.

Shuffle Toss

Equipment — piece of 14” x 52" plywood or cardboard on which a grid of 7 ½" squares numbered one through nine are drawn, beanbags and a booth sign. Clubber tosses three beanbags and accumulates points marked on squares in which they land. Or play Tic Tac Toe Toss. A player must toss the beanbag into the squares and get three in a row horizontally, vertically or diagonally.

Spill ’Em

Equipment — five half-gallon milk cartons painted with latex paint (or five game zone markers) numbered one through five. Put sand in the bottom of each carton, staple shut and line up on table edge. Also need three baseballs and a booth sign. A player gets three balls to throw at the cartons. He accumulates points according to the number of cartons knocked over.

Tether Ball Bowling

Equipment — heavy ball attached to cord tied to stationary pole, six plastic tenpins and a  booth sign. A player swings the ball out and around the pole, attempting to knock over the pins. As in bowling, he has two turns to bowl a strike.

Weight Guessing

Equipment — bathroom scale, leader with sense of humor to run booth (ability to guess weight will develop rapidly with practice) and a booth sign. After a child presents a ticket, the leader has one attempt to guess his weight. If the guess is within four pounds, no prize is given. If the guess is more than four pounds off, award a prize to the child.

William Tell Booth

Equipment — wooden or cardboard “boy” cutout, apples, table, C-clamps, hinges, bows and suction cup arrows and a booth sign. Make a wooden boy cutout. Attach an apple on his head with hinges. Clamp the cutout to a table. Allow kids three arrows to shoot the apple off the boy’s head. If the child misses the target completely, allow him another try. If the child hits the cutout, his turn ends immediately. Clubbers who shoot the apple off the boy’s head win a prize.

Goldfish Giveaway

Equipment — table, four dozen quart jars, four dozen goldfish (more or less depending on the number of kids), four dozen individual cartons or plastic bags, four dozen paper fish, table tennis balls and a booth sign. Quart jars, filled with water and one goldfish each, are spaced out along a table. Give each player three balls. He attempts to throw the balls into one of the jars. If a ball lands in a jar, the player wins the goldfish. Give the winners paper fish to trade for real fish as they leave the fair. Keep a list of winners’ names to check off as the goldfish are handed out.

Wonder Box

Equipment — Wonder Box brightly painted with large question mark, attached vague clue, box or jar with slot in lid, pencils and paper and a booth sign. Each child writes his guess of the contents of the Wonder Box on a piece of paper, signs his name and places it in a box. The guess closest to being correct wins the Wonder Box and its contents.

Feed the Cubbie Bear

Equipment — piece of plywood or cardboard on which Cubbie Bear is painted and mouth is cut open, beanbags and a booth sign. Each player tosses three beanbags and accumulates points for each throw through the bear’s mouth.  Prizes are awarded for each successful throw.

Verse-a-Rama (or Bible Trivia)

Equipment — box for each club level, appropriate Bible questions written on cards and placed in boxes and a booth sign. (Questions may ask children to give verse references or to quote specific verses. Use verses from entrance booklets.) Each child pulls a card from a box marked with his grade. If he can answer the question correctly, he wins a prize.

Shot on Goal

Equipment — hockey goal drawn on cardboard, hockey puck, hockey sticks and a booth sign. Each player tries to hit a puck into a goal. The leader assigns the number of attempts allowed (from one to three). Prize are awarded for each successful attempt.

Dunk Your Leader

Equipment — several plastic tubs of Styrofoam peanuts, an Awana leader, beanbags, a booth designed for allowing peanuts to freely fall on a leader when a target is hit and a booth sign. Each player is given one attempt to hit the target with a beanbag. When the target is hit, the leader is showered with water or peanuts (Styrofoam or real).

Pin the Hat on Sparky

Equipment — life-sized Sparky made from construction paper, several Sparky hats made from construction paper, blindfolds and a booth sign. (This game is played similar to Pin the Tail on the Donkey.) Sparky is taped to the wall with his head positioned about four to five feet from the ground. Each player is blindfolded, given a hat, turned around several times and then guided in the direction of Sparky. He then attempts to place the hat on top of Sparky’s head. Only the first placement counts. The leader secures the hat with tape where it is first placed. When the hat touches Sparky’s head, the clubber receives a prize.

Sucker Tree

Equipment — regular pegboard prepared with suckers stuck in holes (some suckers have the end of their stick colored by a marker) and a booth sign. One ticket “buys” one sucker. If the sucker chosen by a clubber has a colored end, the clubber earns a prize. All players keep the suckers. This game is especially popular with younger kids.

Apple Bob

Equipment — small apples, a tub of water and a booth sign. Each player is allowed a specified amount of time to secure an apple in his mouth without using his hands.

Face Painting

Equipment — face paint, a specialist in face painting and a booth sign. One ticket “pays” for a face painting.

Sponge Throw

Equipment — canvass held in place by wood 2 by 4s with a hole cut for a person’s face, a bucket of water, willing leaders, sponges and a booth sign. The leader sits behind the canvass with only his face peeking through the hole. Children spend one ticket for three sponges to throw at the leader. Another leader dispenses the sponges, making sure they’re just damp and not dripping wet.

Bumper TABLE TENNIS

Equipment —pegboard with side rails, wire “obstacles” placed in strategic positions and winning slots at bottom, table tennis balls and a booth sign. A player rolls a ball down a slightly elevated pegboard. When the ball stops in a winning slot, a prize is awarded.

Three Strikes and You’re Out

Equipment — several logs or pieces of wood, nails, hammers and a booth sign. Each player is allowed three hammer hits to drive a nail flush with the wood. Older children can be given larger-size nails. If the clubber is successful, a prize is awarded.

Equipment — table (must be square and level), ping pong balls and a booth sign. Four children play at one time. Each player blows at the ping pong ball simultaneously, attempting to blow it off the opposite side of the table. No part of a player’s body is allowed to touch the table. The winning player is awarded a prize.

Tip the Bottle

Equipment — a soda bottle, a piece of carpet, a fishing rod with ring attached large enough to “loop” a bottle top. A player tries to loop the bottle with the ring and pull it to standing position. If the bottle goes off the carpet, the player’s turn is over. The game can be played with or without a time limit.