The Traditional Pancake Race!
This is one that the children absolutely LOVE š especially if they get a chance to race against teachers and parents!
Typically a pancake race is a relay race run by teams. Each team has one pan and pancake and individual members of the team run a specificed distance until they reach their next team member. When they reach the team member they hand over the baton (the pan with pancake in!) until the last team member crosses the line. Don't forget you have to flip the pancake the whole time you are running!
Of course, you could make it more straightforward and just have an individual race running from A to B without a baton change! It's up to you, this can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be!
The price (if any) you charge will depend on your school community demographic but a good starting point is Ā£1 per child and Ā£2 per adult.Ā
Have 3 top prizes, one for the fastest child, one for the fastest parent and one for theĀ fastest teacher. Because of the time of year Easter Eggs will already be in the shops and make a great prize. If you have a good hunt (get the pun? š£) around you will usually find them on special offer in one of the big supermarkets.
To build up the tension and excitement have heats, then a semi final and final with a Prize Presentation at the end.
What equipment will I need for our pancake race?
Ā You will need some plastic or very light weight cheap frying pans which you are not too precious about because they will get dropped and bashed about. The good thing is, if your PTA invest in buying a set then they can be used in subsequent years and pay for themselves over time.
It's a good idea to use mini wraps or tortillas which are a bit more sturdy and durable than your average flimsy pancake. Whilst they cost a little bit more than ready made pancakes it's cheaper in the long run as you can use them for multiple races!
We have even heard of some PTAs using cut up lino which will last forever! Just make a note of where you store everything so you can find it next year!
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Crepe Cafe/Pancake Sale
You can keep it simple by just offering sugar and lemon toppings (that's everyones favourite anyway, right?) or you could go more fancy with chocolate spread, fruit, marshmallows and whipped cream š You can keep the pancakes warm by keeping them in a slow cooker on a low heat or microwaving in batches. Some PTAs just serve them cold. Just do what works for your PTA!
Some supermarkets will donate the pancakes if you ask them with enough notice. Use the PTA headed paper and drop it in to the store manager with a shopping list of the items that you would like and keep your fingers crossed.
If that doesn't work preĀ made pancakes can be ordered in advance online for your local supermarket. If you are ordering a lot please telephone the store manage at least 10 days in advance so they have enough notice to place your order. You don't want to turn up only to find there isn't enough stock š¬
It may be cheaper to order from a wholesaler. For example Costco sell 18 pancakesĀ for Ā£2.89 which works out at 16p per pancake.Ā
Costings
20 packs of pancakes purchased from Costco provides 360 pancakes. Add on an extra Ā£30 for toppings. This totals Ā£87.80 for 360 pancakes and toppings. If you charge Ā£1 per pancake and sell out you will make Ā£272.20 profit!
Many schools sell the pancakes at Ā£1.00. Decide if you are going to include toppings in that price or charge extra for them. If you are organising this event for profit or even to break even, remember to do your costings carefully because some of those toppings can be expensive! And you may need to monitor just how many marshmallows are going onto the pancakes or limit to two toppings per pancake!
How many pancakes should I order?
How many pancakes you order depends on how many children at your school, if you have the event during/after school hours and how many teachers and parents join in. Similiar to aĀ Krispy KremeĀ sale, this event is always more popular than you think so don't err on the side of caution too much!
What format should the Crepe Sale/Pancake Sale take?
It's up to you what format the Crepe Sale/Pancake Sale will take. You can lay it out cafe style in your school hall, if you have access to it. Ā Alternatively, you can set up similar to aĀ Bake SaleĀ where the kids buy the cakes and eat them when they get home (on their way home!).
With both formats, have a think about how you can reduce waste. Can you use the school crockery and cutlery for example instead of buying disposable items?
Allergies
Remember to include those kids with allergies so have aĀ a dairy, egg, and gluten free batter and cook to order for those who need it. Make sure it's cooked in a separate pan so that there's no cross contamination.
Sponsored Pancake Flip
Send the children home a week before your event with a sponsorship form.
On the day of the event have a timetable that the staff are aware of and you can all stick to it. The children are takenĀ into the school hall one class at a time. Each child has one minute to see how many times they can flip the pancake.Ā
You will need at least 6 volunteers. 5 to count the flips and one to record the scores. The childrenĀ take it in turn, five at a time (you can do more if you have more volunteers)Ā
At the end of the day (perhaps to coincide with the Crepe Cafe/Pancake Sale) prizes are awarded for:
Highest number of flips in each class, one prize per class,
Highest number of flips by a teacher/member of staff,
HighestĀ amount of sponsorship money raised by a child,
As with the Pancake Race (above), it's best to use tortillas rather than real pancakes and Ā£1 Easter Eggs make great prizes and can be picked up at your local supermarket.
This is so much fun and the kids absolutely love it!
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Pancake Colouring Competition
This is a really easy hassle free fundraiser!
Send home a sheet with an outline of a pancake on and ask the children to design their favourite pancake!
The child returns their design with their name/class on and their Ā£1 donation andĀ the Head TeacherĀ chooses the winner!
Have a couple of prizes, one for a Key Stage 1 winner and one for a Key Stage 2 winner. The prizes can be presented in assembly or to tie in with other Pancake Day related events eg the Crepe Cafe/Pancake Sale or Pancake Race.
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Flipping Fantastic Disco
If you haven't had enough fun then you could always organise a Pancake Day themed disco with pancakes being the snack!Ā
Have you heard aboutĀ The Stamptastic PTA Rewards Scheme? Stamptastic is THE ULTIMATE PARENT HACK and your PTA can earn commission by sharing the Stamptastic joy š
Join theĀ Stamptastic PTA and Schools Facebook GroupĀ
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