This week’s tips from the community include a nice idea for bringing kids together, a Box Tops collection strategy, and a new version of potluck that kids will love.

Connecting kids: The PTOs in Randolph, N.J., are working together to help kids with special needs find friends. The first step will be a workshop, scheduled for next week, for parents to get together




and come up with ways for their kids to connect. Noting that kids don’t always find it easy to make friends,the parents say they want to help kids find others with similar issues and interests.

Box Tops collections tip:Try putting a team together and make a standing date on Saturdays (or a day that works best) and head to your town’s recycling center to clip box tops and other labels together.That’s what the Blair (Neb.) Community Schools PTOdoes, and it reports that it raises “thousands of dollars” each year to help pay for school equipment.

Potluck with a twist: Here’s an idea for a potluck where luck really matters. Fill small cups with sand and include small prizes in some (but not all) of them. Line them up on a table. Participants pay a small fee for a cup. Provide sand sifters so participants can sift for their prize, which could be coins or a small trinket. This could be a fun addition to any spring event. Kids will love discovering their winnings, and your parent group could raise a few dollars in the process.