If your school is one of the many schools without an abundance of cash on hand for extra curricular activities then it may be time to gear up for a good old-fashioned carnival.

Climb into your attic; crawl through your basement. Clean out those closets! Dust off all those memories held by old books, warm shirts; ragged pants; extra TV's; lamps; tables. Anything you might consider fodder for places like the Salvation Army or Goodwill are among the many things your school could profit from with a simple weekend carnival.

Carnivals normally conjure up images of sunny days, green fields and pipe organ music but schools are in the distinct position of offering indoor festivities. Gymnasiums have plenty of space for some of the carnival events and hallways lined with tables of memorabilia can add a flea market flavor to compliment the festivities.

Some of the fun-filled activities can include potato sack races, basketball shots; face painting; dunking for apples and my personal favorite: "Take the Cake." Prizes can be tickets, good for the purchase of all those old items sitting on tables lining the halls of your school.

Take the Cake is a rather simple game requiring parents who simply enjoy baking a cake. You¹ll need a boom box to go along with this one and a chalk circle on the floor split into 10 equal spaces. Number each section of the circle, charge 50 cents to play and hand out ten cards with numbers corresponding to the numbers in the circle.

The game starts with the music. When the music starts, all ten players walk around in the circle. When the music stops, any player standing on a number in the circle matching the number in their hand, takes the cake. In other words, they can walk over to the cake table and pick any baked cake they want. You¹ll raise good money with this game, as cakes are popular with just about anyone. Cakes can be sold, as well.

When planning your school carnival, don¹t forget local area businesses. Many shops and grocery stores are more than willing to put together gift baskets, or, offer gift certificates to be raffled off during the daylong event. The items can be put on display, filling tables between the tables of old household goods lining the halls of the school. Remember that old saying, one man's treasure is another man's junk. You could realistically raise thousands of dollars with such an event.

Education is the most powerful weapon a person can possess. In a world where earning is becoming more and more difficult, is there anything more important than arming our children with the tools offered in the hallowed halls of our schools? Start an early spring-cleaning. Hidden treasures lie in the nooks and crannies of your home.  You can be the supply line to a successful fund raising flea-market carnival and raise funds for your school.  All you have to do is step up to the plate.