Spelling Bee Fundraiser
Who'd have thought a spelling test could be fun?
A spelling bee fundraiser is a fun competition between teams or individuals to spell words. Who'd have thought a simple spelling test would ever become so popular!
Childrens' spelling bee fundraiser
Most childrens' spelling bees will see them compete as individuals.
Each child in turn is asked to spell a different word. They might call out their answers or write them on a board.
Various rounds can be played with scores totaled at the end of each round. Sometimes word stealing is included - if you miss-spell a word the next competitor can try. If successful they add it to their total before receiving their own word.
Rounds might get progressively harder. Alternatively you may wish to simply have rounds with words that are related to themes for instance:
- Animals
- Sports
- Food
- Countries
- Music
- History
- Science
- Space
With childrens' spelling bees it is particularly important to keep the kids in the competition as long as possible. Its best to have everyone included in a number of rounds before moving on to knock out stages. Ultimately though the children will make mistakes one by one until you are left with one clear winner.
Adult spelling bee fundraiser
Most adult spelling bee fundraisers involve teams. Half the fun of a good event is the element of competition and friendly rivalry between the teams. There is usually a fair bit of teasing and banter during the competition which is fun for contestants and spectators alike.
Rules for adult events tend to be a bit stricter. As each word is given it is normal for the team to consult quietly amongst themselves and write the word clearly on a whiteboard or chalk blackboard. Normally all the teams try to spell the same word at once holding up their boards on a command or when a bell or buzzer sounds.
30 seconds is usually given for each word by which time the team must hold up their board - failure to do so resulting in a miss-spell.
You can work the scoring in different ways.
- Rounds - points for each word spelt correctly are totalled for each round of approximately 10 words.
- Eliminator - 2 words miss-spelt in a row lead to elimination.
The best formula to adopt depends on the number of teams and how you choose to work your fundraiser.
Unless you really do have lots of teams it is really best to try to include as many people for as long as possible, before subsequent rounds begin to whittle down the teams for the final rounds.
The master of ceremonies
Key to a great spelling bee fundraiser is having a good master of ceremonies. This is no job for Timid Tims you want a larger than life character who can really take charge.
He or she need to be able to run the event from the stage, keep spectators engaged and deliver the words.
If you can get hold of a celebrity to act as MC it really can add a lot to your event and will also help encourage people to both participate or come along and be a spectator.
Sometimes you might split MC duties and have a separate word caller.
Whoever is calling the words they need to have seen a list of words in advance to make sure they themselves are happy and know or can practise any particular pronunciations.
For each word the word caller needs to-
- Say each word making sure they are pronounced clearly
- Give a definition for the word
- Use the word in a sentence
- Say the word again
When the teams have written the word the MC will then read out the correct spelling. At large events checkers will check each teams spelling.
Find the right words
Words for your spelling bee fundraiser can be worked out in advance and spellings checked in dictionaries.
These days however there are a large number of websites where lists of suitable words can be easily downloaded.
How to turn a spelling bee into a fundraiser
- Entry fees - Charge all teams or individuals a fee to enter. The amount will vary depending on the circumstances but £3.00 / $5.00 per individual taking part either on their own or as part of a team is a useful minimum amount to work to. You might however be able to charge a bit more.
- Charge people to watch Whilst perhaps not the most dynamic of spectator sports school events will attract supportive parents and other family members. Adult events will need to very much rely on the fun factor to attract a crowd.
- Sponsor per word - Contestants can ask friends and family to sponsor them a set amount per word spelled correctly.
- Buy a second chance - In some adult spelling bees it might be possible to persuade eliminated teams to buy their way back in
- Raffles - Don't miss the opportunity to work some other fundraisers. A simple raffle is an easy win for fundraisers.
- Refreshments Its thirsty work doing all that thinking and just as exhausting watching! Also doesn't a nice slice of cake improve concentration and brain power? Make sure you have a refreshments stall on the go.
REFRESHMENTS FOR CLEVER MINDS
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So what do you think?
Maybe its time to crank up the the brainpower and try a
Spelling Bee Fundraiser.
Whether brainbox or blockhead
There's money to be raised and fun to be had!
