Summer is a season filled with nostalgia that can activate all our senses.
Summer sounds like laughter, smells like fresh flowers, looks like a sunny day, feels like a dip in a cold pool, and tastes like lemonade. Of course, the nostalgia that summer brings around is different for everybody. Still, there is no arguing that lemonade stands are a staple of the season! Whether your kids do one every year or you’re looking for a new summer activity, a lemonade stand is a great way to keep the kids active and having fun this summer. So we created this list of tips for a successful lemonade stand to ensure the kids have a blast with their booming new business!
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Perfect Your Recipe
Behind every great lemonade stand is a batch of delicious lemonade. Will you serve pink lemonade or a traditional yellow? Will you do both so that your lemonade stand guests have options? Whatever you decide, make sure you have a recipe to follow so your lemonade is extra tasty! If you’re looking to whip up some pink lemonade, we love this kid-friendly cranberry lemonade recipe. If you’re opting for a more traditional yellow lemonade, this homemade lemonade recipe by Kids Activities is a great choice! If you expect a line down the street and are airing on the side of quantity, store-bought lemonade is also a great choice that is super tasty!
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Price it Right
After you have perfected your recipe, it’s time to decide on the price! Of course, how you price your cup of refreshing lemonade is totally up to your discretion. Still, according to Wikihow, $0.25- $1.25 is a fair price. Be sure to stock up on change and small bills before the sale! Your kids can either keep the money for a fun activity, or they can donate their earnings to a local nonprofit organization in your community. Not only will this encourage others to visit your kid’s lemonade stand, but it will provide the kids with an opportunity to give back to those in need. Encourage your kids to pick the organization, so it’s something near and dear to their hearts!
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Design the Sign
Designing the sign for your kid’s lemonade stand is a great way to spend quality family time together. Dedicate a day to crafting the lemonade stand as a family. Having a visually appealing lemonade stand will attract more visitors while also creating excitement for the lemonade stand owners! This list of DIY Lemonade Stands has a lot of great, easy options for designing your stand.
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Lemonade Stand Marketing
A lemonade stand is an excellent opportunity to teach the kid’s a little about business. To get other people excited about their lemonade stand and ensure they get customers, they will have to do a little advertising. Once you know the date and times your lemonade stand will be open, set aside some time with the family to make cute, fun flyers for the stand. Pass the flyers around the neighborhood so people know when the stand is open for business!
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Add Some Tasty Treats
Adding baked goods to a lemonade stand is a great way to sell more lemonade. You could give away the baked goods as a thank you for purchasing. If you are donating lemonade stand proceeds to a local nonprofit, this is a great way to raise a little more money. Of course, you can’t go wrong with a nice batch of chocolate chip cookies. Adding baked goods to your lemonade stand will also teach the kids how to handle a little more inventory!
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Provide Great Customer Service
Before the kids embark on their lemonade stand adventures, be sure to teach them how to provide outstanding customer service! “Please,” “Thank You,” and “Have a great day!” are just a few taglines of a lemonade stand with excellent customer service. In addition, a lemonade stand is a great way to let the kids practice their manners. Listen in during the lemonade stand and remind them to speak politely to their guests.
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Pick a Good Location
Location is critical when it comes to a lemonade stand. Be sure to set up the stand in an area where people are likely to see it! If the stand is hiding away in a corner or in an unpopulated area, it might be harder to attract customers. Pick a location where your stand is sure to be seen! If the only location available to you has less visibility, consider some signs down the road with arrows pointing to your lemonade stand.
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Set Goals
Get the kids together and have them set goals for their lemonade stand. For example, how many cups of lemonade do they want to sell? If donating to a nonprofit, how much money would they like to raise? Having the kids set goals and then work to achieve them is an invaluable experience that will follow them later in life.
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Have Fun!
Last but definitely not least, to have a successful lemonade stand, it has to be FUN! Remember why you decided to run a lemonade stand and make the most out of whatever the day brings. Lemonade stands are a fun summer activity that will stick with the kids for years to come, so do your best to make sure everybody has a great time!
Are your kids running a lemonade stand this summer? Tell us about it in the comments!