Interactive and Healthy - How Can I Make My Kids Event Booth a Success?

[ChefNic]

I was asked to do a booth at a children's sports plex.

It needs to be INTERACTIVE...and health oriented...
something about eating healthy, being active, etc... is what I'm going for.

I'm SOOO not the creative one !!! So I'm really hoping my fellow Cheffers will help me!!
It's the end of September, but I need to let them know right away what I'll be doing for the interactive part, that is a requirement for it.

I have to pay for the booth...the person in charge of it is a friend, so she's getting me a deal...but still...it's $75.
I want it to be worth it for me...I don't want to sink a lot more money into it, spend a lot of time there, and it not attract any business. It may even turn into a fundraiser for the plex...
I'd love to have the kids come make something for them to take home...but I don't want it to be expensive for me...

Is there a quick CHEAP recipe...that the kids could make ...no electricity...???

HELP!!!

TIA

 

[Kathytnt]

Don't do food - Bring ceative cutters and Cut and Seal and Playdo

 

[Carissidy]

Don't do food - Bring ceative cutters and Cut and Seal and Playdo

I think thats a great idea! And I bet the kids would love it! I mean come on what kid isnt tempted to touch playdough!

 

[Kathytnt]

Show off the Let's Eat Cookbook for kids - have a hndout with you rinfo and a healthy recipe. Have a drawing and include the kiddos (with their parents names or something)

 

[beepampered]

Somewhere I've seen the idea of putting pretty glitter in with water in the Qucik-Stir Pitcher.

Do you have a child that could where the apron and hat? That might promote a Mommy and Me show.

 

[lockhartkitchen]

If you have the apple, corer, peeler, this is great fun for children to use. You could use the new sprinkles on the apples too. I would do the play dough too. Any of the products you could use for kids.

 

[ChefNic]

I've done the Babies R Us events before...and put beads in the QSP with water...and let the kids mix it up...they have fun with that...i'm also wondering ..i'll have to give it a try... how water with food coloring and oil would do in the QSP.. i just wouldn't want it to ruin my QSP...and I have the old one..hmmmm....

I do have the APCS...I just didn't want to go through a million apples...$$$...

I think the kids will be older too...up to age 12...don't know how interested they'll be in play-doh, and water in a QSP...??? My daughter is 12...

And I think it needs to be healthy eating related...
They are expecting 7,000 people!! I don't wanna buy apples for that many kids play with..

AHHHH!!!

 

[Chef Kearns]

That's tough, girl! Can you brainstorm with your friend, the one that is heading this event? She might have something in mind already or some suggestions that would work. It is hard to predict how many of the 7,000 will stop by your booth and how many will be kiddos. In my case if they were counting my husband and I in with the 7,000, but we brought our 4 kids that would be a gross miscalculation!!

Maybe some kind of paper project that still promotes PC. A quick bingo game or something. I don't know. I hope we can help you out though.

 

[stacywhitlow]

There are a lot of products you can demo using play-doh...baker's roller, nylon pan scrapers, creative cutters, cut & seal, my safe cutter, cutting boards, mini-serving spatula, hot pad/trivet, citrus peeler, pastry mat, pastry blender, silicone floral cupcake pan, mini tart shaper...you can make a homemade dough and add the Korintje cinnamon for scent. Use the woven selections to hold the different products to play with. Fill the kitchen spritzer with water in case dough starts to dry out. You can print up the recipe to hand out.

The quick-stir pitcher idea is good. Just because there will be older kids doesn't mean they won't enjoy it. It depends on the personality, not age.

You can use the SA for displaying your information...business cards, brochures, etc. Include Cooking with Kids flyer to book theme shows. Display the Let's Eat kid cookbook.

As far as food goes, make something in the mini muffin pan such as apple tarts or other healthy after school snack. You can hand out the recipe and maybe include some others with it.

Sorry for the long reply. Just trying to help out. Good luck.

 

[vera]

You could have set times for events like fresh salsa making with the food chopper. Have the kids or even parents chop up the peppers, tomatoes, onions and add lime juice and some spices and bang salsa. Have some cheap chips and let people try it. The ideas with the dough cutting and the kids are great too!

 

[Chef Kearns]

You could have set times for events like fresh salsa making with the food chopper. Have the kids or even parents chop up the peppers, tomatoes, onions and add lime juice and some spices and bang salsa. Have some cheap chips and let people try it. The ideas with the dough cutting and the kids are great too!

That is a great solution, Vera!! Set times for demo. Even if you let them take a craft like the cinnamon scented Stoneware mold freshener (some of you guys will know what I'm talking about) you could just do it at a set time then you won't have to worry about having 20,000 of anything. Just enough for at most 50 people at one time.

 

[adventurechef]

I've done a baby fair. I set a small card table in front of my booth with the QSP and glitter water, koolaid playdough with all the toys, and split peas with all the measuring tools - this got a little messy and I had to keep sweeping the floor every so often. Also the kids would mix the split peas in with the playdough.

I also had some flyers that I found here about what products are good for new mothers and one on education & kids (this was good for the older ones and went into going through a recipe and measuring, math skills, following directions, etc).

Before you serve any food you should check that it is ok. Some venues won't let you serve food unless you are "certified food handler" or something like that. I just had some carrot/cuke dollars and sliced apples under plastic wrap for display.

Hope this helps, Linda

 

[ChefNic]

Hey Thanks for all the ideas!
This even is expecting so many people I don't plan on serving any food what so ever...kids tend to chow down when they see free food!! and it isn't free to ME...so...nope no food.
Anyway...I got an idea to do Plate Artistry...don't know if it's still on CC...it was under Showstoppers from a few years ago...It just isn't very health related...
Also..my director suggested putting a big plastic tub/bucket filled with rice and they could dig in there...with measuring cups, etc.

 

[Skye]

I did a kids Expo a few months ago we had the kids make a jelly sandwich witht he sandwich press and we had water and some toy frogs in a Quick Stir Pitcher for the kids to plunge. It was a good draw for the kids, and got the parents over so we had a chance to get info. from them by having them fill out a drawing slip for a free batter bowl.
Good Luck! It was a lot of fun with very strong leads!
Skye

 

[ChefNic]

Well, this event is this Saturday...two days away!
I bought 2 pumpkins, and will have the Lemon Zester/Scorer for them to score...just have at it...go to town...I'm sure I should have more pumpkins...but if it's all carved up, I'll stick it under the table...

Then I am going with the play-doh...Baker's Roller, MMP and Tart Shaper, Creative Cutters, Garlic Press...
I'm giving each kid a postcard (on orange card stock) with a recipe for Home Made Play-doh...and of course my name and website address!

I'm putting the Classic Batter Bowl on display filled with Twix-it Clips...and having the kids 8 and under guess how many are in the bowl...
and kids 9 and above guess how many inches the twix-it clips would be if they were put end-to-end...
The winner of each category will get Creative Cutters and ...of course, TWIX-IT CLIPS!!!
If there's a tie, I'll draw from those kids....

I think I'll also put the quick stir pitcher with water and beads/ glitter...something...

And maybe the Easy Read Measuring Cups fill with water for them to pour into each other...
If it's too messy, i'll put it away...I may have to bring a SS bowl to get more water if it gets spilled a lot...(Note to self: bring paper towels, and another big towel/rag!)


Thanks everyone for great ideas!
I'll be glad to have this all set up and done with !

I got a banner from Merrill - I ordered it Saturday and it arrived today (Thursday) ...Not bad!

 

[ChefNic]

It's over!!
Just thought I'd say how it went.

The kids LOVED the play-doh...
I had the Lg. Grv. Cut Board with play-doh, and Baker's Roller, Creatv Cutters, My Safe Cutter, Garlic Press,,MMP and Tart Shaper...they loved it.

Easy Read Cups with water...not as messy as I thought it would be ...

QSP with beads

Magazine with i-slice...not much interest...guess they didn't know what to do with it...when I explained how to use it to someone...shortly after I noticed it missing!!! Need to order more...

I had the flipchart with specials displayed...each of the 8" saute pans...DVB, SS mix bowls, Salad spinner for the door prize slips...kids could spin it..they liked that!

Most importantly...I got one show on the calendar for October...and 5 others for either catalog shows or later bookings...

one of my recruits came, and got several leads too...
Well worth my time and money!

it was fun too chatting the whole day with my recruit!!