Homeschool Kids Project to Create a Market Fair
Kids Project to Design a Mini-Mall, Stalls, Ads & Present Products
Oct 15, 2009
This activity is adaptable to all ages, from kindergarten to young adults. This can be a fun, quick, one-lesson activity, with time strictly controlled in order to carry out the whole project. However, it could be a project done over a week or a few lessons which can be broken down into elements such as designing, building, advertising, stocking shelves and presenting products for sale.
Projects that Enable each Student to Develop Individual Strengths
This project enables each child to work on an aspect of the project that he or she finds appealing and possible. Younger children can do the tasks that their age and skills allow. Older students can have more demand placed on them, and have to lead, create and perform in accordance with their advanced abilities.
Joint Combination Projects for More Than One Family or Homeschool Community
This activity could also be undertaken by a homeschool community. A number of families can undertake the project together and produce a small “fair” in the yard, or in a park. Furthermore, students could dress up or even use themed costumes such as a medieval fair or futuristic setting, and really celebrate through the assignment.
Starting the Project:
Discussion: The teacher gives a complete explanation about the project; what the goals are, what the process entails. The target is one in which the students have ultimately to set up a mini-mall in which booths or stalls hold a variety of products, and each store keeper has to present, advertise and try to sell his or her goods.
Older students can start working at this point, discussing and deciding the project without much help from the teacher. Younger students can be paired with older ones, or the teacher may plan tasks that are easy and suitable for young kids. Even really young kindergarteners can draw pictures and help others with simple tasks.
Here is the check list for starting the venture. Hand out a list such as this one to the students:
- Decide what the store will sell.
- Name the store.
- Prepare signs, counter, shelves etc.
- Decide together who will bring the various items for the store. Use imagination: the products can be pictures from magazines that represent the items themselves. Marbles and beads can represent expensive jewelry, for example.
- Price and tag the items.
- Design flyers, posters, decorate tables.
- Think of a “uniform” for the store clerks, or costumes for a more elaborate setting.
Arts & Crafts Sessions:
The teacher should decide if specific days, hours, or lessons will be just for the development of the arts (advertisements, posters, flyers) and crafts (getting the store built, or tables decorated, or costumes designed and put together).
Open Mall Day:Once all the aspects have been covered, opening day can be planned. On the day, students set up stores and get ready for the opening. Have all the students take photos of the mini mall, both through the process and during the event.
Post Mall Day Ideas:
- Students write newspaper articles about the “fair”.
- Make a wall poster with the photos from the event
- Each student makes a little scrapbook and writes about the project.
The planning of this event can be challenging. If collaboration between a number of homeschool parents can be organized, it will make the result very exciting and rewarding. Sharing with families and the kids themselves will culminate in a very interesting, worthwhile, and action filled project.
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