OT: Games/Prizes

Ladies, This is my 1st year on our parish festival committee.  I am very excited.  I am in charge of games.  I have a lot of great games lined up for all ages.  Here is my question:

Is there any other option besides candy/stickers for the prizes?

We have done it two ways: 1. buy a ticket (they are only 25cents); play a game; win instantly a small prize – usually either the candy or sticker idea.  OR 2. buy a ticket, play a game; if you don’t “win” you get a small prize (same as above) if you won you would get a different colored ticket to collect and redeem for a prize based on the number of tickets you had.

Honestly I don’t like either way and many of the families in our parish are not thrilled.  A few reasons are: kids just eating candy all day, stickers get lost, no where to put all the ‘prizes’, lose the “winning” tickets, prizes are just junk.

1st – do you think it would be crazy to ask 50 cents a ticket? All games would be one ticket.

Here are 2 ideas I have heard of –

#1 – there is just a basic one flat cost for the games and then they get a wrist band. They would put there names in a jar (separated by age groups) to win a decent prize at the end.  (cheaper if you bought bands ahead of festival and a little more if bought on the day of the festival)

#2 – they buy a ticket and they get something like a passport (to keep tract of participation)- each game they get a stamp and they then can bring their passports to the prize table to redeem for a decent prize (same as years passed but without all the extra tickets).

What have you done at your parish/community/etc festivals?  What do you think of any of the above?

I’d love to get your input.  I am a mom with 7 kids and honestly I would love to buy a wrist band let them play all day and then  have the possibility of winning a prize.  Thanks Misty