Children in Need Ideas for Schools, Work and Fundraising

Children in Need ideas

Children in Need falls on a Friday in November, and Pudsey means spots. Anything spotty, yellow or slightly ridiculous is on-theme.

Below are ideas for schools and workplaces, the sponsored challenges that raise most, and a stall list for a fundraising afternoon.

Register on the BBC Children in Need website for the free fundraising kit and paying-in details.

Thank you cards for the people who baked

Somebody made forty cupcakes at 11pm. A thank you card, printed in the UK and blank inside, is the least they're owed. Bunting, banners and cake toppers for the table are on our party supplies page.

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Shop thank you cards

Children in Need ideas for schools

  • Spotty day: wear spots, £1 a head.
  • Yellow day for schools that don't want a full non-uniform day.
  • Decorate a Pudsey ear headband competition.
  • Spotty cake sale - every bake has to have spots on it.
  • Guess the number of spots on the jar.
  • Sponsored spell, read, skip or silence.
  • Pudsey drawing competition, 50p to enter, judged in assembly.
  • Class talent show at lunchtime.
  • Teachers dress up, children vote with coins.
  • Whole-school dance-a-thon in the hall for half an hour.

Children in Need ideas for work

  • Spotty dress-down Friday, £2 to take part.
  • Desk decorating competition with spots and yellow.
  • Office bake sale with spotty cakes.
  • Sponsored silence, step challenge or stair climb.
  • Lunchtime quiz, £2 a head.
  • Guess the baby photo of the leadership team.
  • Sweepstake on the on-air total at the end of the night.
  • Ask about matched giving before you launch it.

Sponsored challenges

  • Sponsored silence - simple, effective, popular with staff.
  • Step or distance challenge across a week, tracked on a board.
  • Sponsored swim, cycle or walk at the weekend before.
  • Give something up for the fortnight.
  • 24-hour challenge: gaming, baking, or a static bike in reception.
  • Sponsored read for younger classes, which schools tend to prefer.

Stalls for a fundraising afternoon

  • Cake stall - see our bake sale ideas for pricing and setup.
  • Tombola with donated prizes from local businesses.
  • Splat the teacher with a wet sponge, £1 a go.
  • Hook a duck, or a spotty version of it.
  • Face painting, spots naturally.
  • Guess the weight of the cake.
  • Second-hand book and toy stall.
  • Refreshments table - tea, coffee and squash, always profitable.

Decorating for the day

  • Yellow and spotty bunting across the hall or reception.
  • Banners on the stall fronts so people can see what each one is.
  • Table confetti in yellow on the cake tables.
  • Cake toppers on the spotty bakes.
  • A running total board by the door, updated hourly.
  • A photo wall with props and a donation per photo.

Shop thank you cards

Cards for volunteers and organisers

Thank you and well done cards, blank inside, posted first class.

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How to write it so it lands

  • Run it on the Friday itself so the school or office total can be shared during the evening appeal.
  • A visible total board raises more than a tin on a table.
  • Send thank you cards to the parents and volunteers who baked. It makes next year far easier to staff.

Where to shop next

Frequently asked questions

When is Children in Need?

BBC Children in Need is held on a Friday in November each year, with the televised appeal on the same evening. Check the BBC Children in Need site for the exact date.

What are easy Children in Need ideas for schools?

A spotty or yellow non-uniform day at £1 a head, a spotty cake sale, a guess-the-spots jar and a sponsored silence. Together they take an afternoon to organise.

Why do people wear spots for Children in Need?

Pudsey Bear's bandana is spotty, so spots have become the shorthand for the day. Yellow works just as well for schools that prefer a colour theme.

Do you sell Pudsey merchandise?

No - official merchandise comes from BBC Children in Need and their retail partners. We make the bunting, banners, cake toppers and thank you cards for the day.

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