How is it I had not heard of these before? Every year there are hundreds of Acton Children’s Business Fairs around the country — and world.
They look like a farmer’s market — lots tables under pop-up tents –Â but instead of overpriced kale, there are kids selling everything from cooking classes to origami to weird stuffed animals. (Really weird — one kid chopped the heads off all her Beanie Babies and sewed them onto different Beanie bodies.)
The kids learn how to make a budget and create something to sell, and then they learn how to get out there and pitch it. Even shy kids have to talk to all the potential patrons passing by, which itself can be a transformative thing.
Educator David Kirby has organized some of these fairs and describes them over at Let Grow. Fun fact: If you want to start an Acton Children’s Business Fair for your own kids and community, the Acton team will give you a kit to help you launch and even some prize money to get started.
Fair enough!
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