We dropped off this year’s fair entries on Wednesday. It made for a very busy couple of days because, well, I’m not really good at helping my kids work towards deadlines. That and my daughter was baking two items and those HAD to be done on Wednesday morning. I never entered anything at the fair as a child, as a matter of fact I don’t even remember GOING to the fair as a child, so I’m still figuring out the ins and outs of the competition.
What I’ve just realized is that the fair is a full of educational opportunities that I’ve largely overlooked. And I don’t mean while you’re at the fair, though those exist as well. I’m talking about using the fair entry book as a guide for projects during the year. Obviously, not all fairs are equal, but ours is HUGE and has a large number of different competitions. Some of the obvious ones are art (divided into every imaginable category), craft, home economic, and agricultural contests. But there is also poetry, essay writing, LEGO construction, robotics, and displays of collections.
I can see great benefits of linking our school projects with fair entry categories. It will encourage my children to do their best work, and it will encourage them to actually FINISH their projects. It will also provide us with the opportunity to learn new skills. I’m excited about the possibilities!
Here are this year’s entries. I hope to have more entries next year and think it is possible if we don’t wait until the last minute!
This is my 11 year old son’s entry. It is a digital photo manipulation. He used the top three pictures to make the final picture on the bottom of the poster.
My 9 year old daughter’s entries:
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins
Molasses Crinkles
Some paper flowers of her own design.
Weaving done on her lap loom.
My 7 year old son’s entry:
By Kristen H.
Our oldest son entered the fair a few years ago and won some ribbons for baking and art. We moved the next year and never really thought about the fair again! Thanks for this reminder. There is probably one in this community, too. You are right, it is a great educational opportunity.
Impressive! It all looks great, Kristen!
~Bekah H.
Wow! Those are all really impressive. I especially enjoyed your son's entry.
We have a great fair in our area, though we have never entered anything. I never really thought about it but it looks like a great opportunity. I love all of the projects, the weaving is especially beautiful. Have a great weekend.
Christi@ReedPartyof6
Heh – "fair", to me, means the same as "carnival" ~ so I was thinking maybe you'd been meausuring & comparing ride speeds or something until I read the post 😛
Awesome projects! Mmm, the muffins. We must make those muffins!
An absolutely darling giraffe! I adore children's artwork. Cookies look good too. :~D