Encourage parents to participate in your silent auction fundraiser by creating gift basket ideas that will appeal to their youngsters.
Arts and Crafts Basket
Young minds are very creative. Fill this gift basket with a treasure trove of art supplies. The necessities include markers, crayons, washable paints, washable watercolors, colored pencils, colored chalk, glue sticks, Elmer’s glue, scissors, tape, and lots of paper. Further fun comes with craft sticks, chenille sticks (pipe cleaners), pom poms, foam pieces, fuse beads, and wiggly eyes. Inspire them further with some art books for children. Add a gift certificate to a local arts and crafts store, for either materials or a class.
Baking Basket
Children love to bake. Put in a child’s cookbook, or a collection of recipes collected from donors. Include some baking mixes, a small bowl, whisk, and rubber scraper (spatula). Also include things like a muffin tin, small baking sheet, or loaf pan. Add an apron and baker’s hat.
Beading Basket
Kids love to make bracelets and necklaces. Fill a basket with a wide variety of beads of all sizes, shapes, and styles. For stringing, include yarn, thread, fishing line, and wire. The child will also need scissors to cut the string. For older children, wire for earrings and thin chains for necklaces and bracelets can also be included.
Favorite Author Basket
Focus on one particular author at a time. Collect titles of books by a favorite author. Look for plush characters from those books. Look for related games. Some favorite children’s games, such as Life, Memory, Monopoly, and card decks, will include favorite characters. Some books and characters have their own games, based on the stories.
Games Basket
Classic children’s games can fill this basket. Include a regular deck of cards, plus favorite card games like Uno, Go Fish, Old Maid, and Mille Borne. Small boxes of board games, such as Chinese Checkers, traditional Checkers, Memory, and more can round out the selection. Some favorite board games, such as Sorry, also have card game versions now. Other classic games for children include jacks and dice.
Movie Basket
Include family-friendly classic films on DVD or Blu-ray, with microwave and/or regular popcorn kernels. Throw in some movie theatre-sized candy boxes with some theatre passes or gift certificates to a local video rental store. Present the whole concept in a giant popcorn bowl.
Music Basket
This silent auction gift basket is for the child who is always singing and makes an instrument out of anything. Put in a variety of small instruments, as well as CDs for accompaniment. Make little kits for do-it-yourself instruments, complete with directions. Find a little songbook for inspiration. Include a small recorder and note paper for a musically-educated child to record new compositions.
Peter Rabbit Basket
Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit is a classic tale that has been passed down for generations. Include a small stuffed Peter Rabbit with his book in this basket. You will also need small gardening tools, with vegetable seeds, so the child can create his own garden for Peter to get into.
Gear some of your silent auction gift basket ideas toward children and families. They will allow for some family bonding time, while simultaneously raising money for your organization.
