Warmer days are the perfect time to help your kids host a lemonade stand! Hosting a stand is more than just a great way to raise money to support Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) and childhood cancer research—it is also a great learning experience for your children!
Our founder Alex Scott was just 4 years old when she hosted her first lemonade stand. She is a bright example of how even the youngest children can make a difference.
Here are seven things your kids can learn from hosting a lemonade stand of their own:
1. Event Planning
Hosting an ALSF lemonade stand takes just enough work ahead of time so make it a great opportunity to teach them about event planning! Your children can help you pick a location, a date and a time for your lemonade stand. Suggest that they consider places that are easy to get to, have good foot traffic and access to water (for your lemonade!). Let them come up with ideas, make a list of pros and cons and put your plan down on paper.
2. Budgeting
After you’ve planned the basics of the event, take a few minutes to make a budget. Kids can brainstorm the supplies needed (lemonade, cups, decorations) and how much each of these items will cost. Then, set your lemonade stand fundraising goal! How much do you want to raise and how many cups of lemonade will it take to reach your goal?
3. Marketing
What’s a lemonade stand without customers? Take some time with your kids to figure out creative ways to market your stand. Create homemade posters and flyers to share with family and friends. Send out invitations on social media and via email to your contacts. See what wonderful ideas your kids have and let the world know!
4. Culinary Skills
Teach your aspiring chefs some cooking skills in the kitchen! Making lemonade is a great way to teach children how to read a simple recipe and an opportunity to take their math homework out of the classroom and use it in real life. Measuring ingredients (and doubling or tripling a recipe) is a great exercise in fractions. If you want to kick it up a notch: plan some additional lemonade-themed baked goodies for the stand.
5. Customer Service
Kids can practice all those good manners—like please and thank you—and get a lesson in customer service. Before your ALSF stand, practice customer service skills such as asking if they want traditional lemonade or pink; how many cups; and any other questions you think your customers might have!
6. Community
Hosting an ALSF lemonade stand in your front yard is a great way to get to know your community! Invite your neighbors, local leaders, police officers, fire departments and teachers. Help your children introduce themselves to local community members that you know.
7. Philanthropy
Hosting an ALSF lemonade stand is a great way to introduce kids to the concept of philanthropy. No matter how much money your lemonade stand raises—your kids will make a huge impact for other children battling childhood cancer. Every penny and every dollar raised for ALSF adds up to money for research grants to find a cure. Just $50 funds one hour of ground-breaking, innovative childhood cancer research. Share Alex’s story with your children and show them how they are just like Alex: kids who want to make the world a better place for other kids!
Ready to plan your lemonade stand? Join ALSF for our annual Alex’s Lemonade Days from June10-12. Register your lemonade stand for this weekend and join with others nationwide to make a difference for children fighting childhood cancer.
