Hosting an ice cream flavor contest isn’t all fun and games. You’ll want to make sure the contest is organized so the kids know what to do. Follow these eight steps for a successful ice cream flavor contest:

1. Find an ice cream shop to partner with.

Perhaps the most important step in planning your ice cream flavor contest is finding an ice cream shop that can make your students’ ice cream dreams a reality. If possible, find a local shop so you can support their business while they help you fundraise.

You’ll want to make sure the ice cream shop you’re partnering with understands that they must gather the ingredients needed for the winning flavor, create it, sell it, and donate a portion of the proceeds to your school. It’s a good idea to discuss the exact percentage you’re looking for them to contribute so that you’re on the same page.

Lastly, decide upon a time frame for which the ice cream shop will sell the winning flavor. Knowing how long they’ll be offering the flavor will allow the ice cream shop to prepare by getting enough ingredients.

2. Decide how students will submit and vote on their ideas.

Before you get students involved with the contest, it’s important to figure out how exactly they’ll submit and vote on their ice cream flavor ideas. You could create a virtual form to fill out or have students write out their flavor ideas on a piece of paper. For larger class sizes or school-wide fundraisers, it’s probably best to do a virtual option for easier organization. 

If you’re having students fill out a virtual form for their flavors and votes, make sure that the creator of each flavor is anonymous so that students vote for the flavor they truly like the best.

3. Explain the contest to the students.

Tell your students about the ice cream flavor contest. You’ll want to explain how they can submit and vote on their flavor ideas so they know exactly what to do.

Most importantly, get them excited about the fundraiser! This is a unique and fun opportunity for kids to show their creativity.

4. Collect ice cream flavor ideas.

Next, have students submit their ice cream flavor ideas. If you’re collecting physical submissions, make sure to have a dedicated place to keep them. For virtual submissions, create a spreadsheet with all of the ideas so you can keep track of them.

5. Let students vote for their favorite flavor.

Let the voting begin! Again, make sure the creator of each idea stays anonymous. That way, students will select their flavor of choice based on the flavor alone rather than picking the ones their friends thought of. Set a deadline so students know how much time they have to vote.

6. Tally the votes.

Figure out the winning flavor by counting the votes. If you’re using a spreadsheet to keep track of votes, this should be fairly easy. 

7. Announce the winner to the students and the ice cream shop.

It’s time to announce the winner! Make the announcement fun by celebrating with an ice cream social afterward.

It’s also important to tell the ice cream shop the winning flavor so that they have time to purchase the necessary ingredients and organize any marketing materials.

8. Go try the winning ice cream flavor!

Organize a field trip to go and try the winning ice cream flavor! You’ll also want to advertise the fundraiser to the rest of the community to get their support. It would be helpful to create fliers and send out email newsletters about the contest. Additionally, have the ice cream shop post on their social media to rally support for the new flavor and your cause.