Walk to Paris
Look up how far your school is from Paris and get the kids doing sponsored laps of the playground, school hall or racetrack until they arrive. To avoid exhaustion and overheating, divide the distance between classes and treat everyone to an ice lolly.
Toss a crepe
Think sponsored pancake toss but with a French twist. Challenge pupils to flip a crepe as many times as they can in one minute, or time how long it takes them to complete 100 flips. Hand out gold, silver and bronze to the best flippers.
Go continental
Treat parents to coffee and croissants on the school run at the end of term. Buy frozen packs of croissants cheaply from your local supermarket and borrow the school kitchen to heat them up and make coffee. Or better still, ask a local café or mobile coffee trailer to set up shop at the school gate and split the takings with you.
Stage a mini-Olympics
Find some cardboard boxes to serve as hurdles, borrow a frisbee for a discus, stick a tennis ball in the end of a sock for a shot put, make your own paper javelins and borrow a kids’ archery set. Voilà – you have a mini-Olympics. Don’t forget the homemade medal ceremony at the end, where everyone leaves a winner – or the suggested £2 donation to take part.
Pass the baguette
A sponsored relay race, but with bread-based batons. What could be more French? Get the local boulanger (or supermarket) to donate the baguettes and pull each class out of lessons for half an hour to take part, or run it during PE. Dispose of the baguettes in a responsible way.
Bounce for Britain
Sponsored bounce-a-thons are notorious money-spinners. Hire or borrow a bouncy castle for a morning and give each class the chance to bounce in small groups for one minute while parent volunteers or Year 6 pupils count how many bounces they do. Call it Bounce for Britain, or Team GB (Go Bounce), and ask everyone to dress in red, white and blue for the day.
Breakdance-off
In honour of the newest sport to feature on the Olympics’ programme, host a breakdancing competition or sponsored breakdance, with gold, silver and bronze awarded to whoever busts the best moves. Teacher participation obligatory.
Set a goal
Ask your local football team if they’ll participate in a sponsored penalty shoot-out and provide signed shirts or footballs for the kids who raise the most money. Or choose a different sport, such as rugby, which the children may not have tried before.
Don a beret
Give the arty kids a chance to shine by holding a beret decorating competition. Buy the berets in bulk and let the kids decorate them with embroidery, sequins, fabric pens, feathers or whatever takes their fancy. Suggest a donation for entry and hold a beret parade at the end.
Run rings
For some Friday afternoon fun, why not resurrect the game of hoopla, but with rings in the five colours of the Olympics symbol and the Eiffel Tower as the target? Everyone gets something for entering, and anyone who throws all five rings around the famous landmark wins a more substantial prize.
Feed the world
Celebrate the multicultural spirit of the games by holding an international cake sale. Challenge people to bake or donate sweets associated with the participating country of their choice, whether it’s Black Forest gateau or baklava.
Swim the Channel
But do it in the safety of the local swimming pool (or your school pool, if you’re lucky enough to have one). Divide the 21-mile distance between the whole school, or ask each pupil or class to swim a symbolic 21 lengths between them. Offer online and paper sponsorship options.
Play fair
Give your summer fair an international theme. Designate each year group a country as the inspiration for their stall, such as sumo wrestling and sushi for Japan, or basketball and burgers for the USA. Continue the theme with country-related hampers for your raffle prizes.
Dress to impress
Hold a non-uniform day where children can dress in an outfit that represents their favourite country. Think flamenco dresses, cowboy hats, saris, kimonos, fezes – anything goes. Make sure the headteacher leads the way with something flamboyant.
Wine down
Raise a glass to the hosts of the 2024 Olympics by celebrating their most famous export. Approach your local wine shop and ask if they can run a wine-tasting evening for parents, or perhaps you have a parent in your school community who really knows their vino and likes to talk about it. Ask your local supermarket to donate bottles of France’s finest for a raffle prize.
