Host a community yard and bake sale at the school. Encourage community members to either donate items such as toys, jewelry, furniture, antiques or clothes. Encourage people - including local artisans or businesses - to pay $10.00 plus 20% of earnings to host a table at the sale. Request baked goods to be donated and offer refreshments such as coffee for a nominal fee; ask local coffee shops if they would be willing to donate coffee for the event. Advertise wherever you can economically such as newspapers, newsletters and fliers. Make sure everyone knows that this is a specific fundraiser toward your $10,000 goal for a playground.
Host a classroom competition to see who can raise the most pennies in one school year. Encourage every child to bring in pennies every day. Use this as a math project for elementary students, who sometimes have a hard time visualizing the concepts of large numbers. Have the youngest students count pennies and older students use the pennies to practice math concepts. Broadcast the project on the school website, in the newspapers and fliers. Talk to local banks to see if they would be willing to help with matching funds. At the end of the year, have a prize or party of some sort for the winning class, such as popcorn or pizza donated by a local business. Set a goal of $5,000 or more in one school year by collecting pennies.
Host fund raising nights at local restaurants. Ask restaurants to host a night in which a percentage of each meal or pizza sold goes to the school playground fund. Have school "celebrities" such as teachers, principals and mascots on hand at the restaurant. Send home fliers, talk to newspapers and advertise to make sure everyone knows to treat the family to a night out on that night for a good cause. Do this three times in a school year for a total goal of $5,000.