I take 200 kids fishing each year with a school. Ages are about 6-8. I'll tell you things that make my life easier when I do it.
-Buy some big cheap tarps and 2x4's. Make a wind break with these. drill holes half way through the ice and put the 2x4's in them upright. Then tie to tarps to them. If possible make a horseshoe shape with the kids inside.
-the better days for perch are around christmas up here. Which is too cold to stand on the ice not in a hut. And honestly they have more fun outside a hut. So I take them in march. I wait for a week of decent weather. In March the perch don't bite so well. So I give each kid a rod for perch and each kid has their own tip up for pike and burbot (i'll explain the tip up later). In march I find all the perch, burbs, and pike are shallow 6-15 feet. So they fish for all three species at once.
-Tip ups I used last year were a small 2x2 peice of wood standing on its end with the line tied to the top and I run a line from this down the hole with a smelt. The 2x2 is about 5 feet from the kid and there is about 20 feet of line between the 2x2 and where it goes down the hole. I tell the kids if the wood flops go grab it and pull the fish up. Works good except sometimes the wood flops when a fish take it and the kid doens't notice. So I am using bleech jugs this year so when the fish grabs the smelt the jug will slide along the ice. The jug can't fit down the hole. Oh and use 40-50 lbs mono for tip ups. Thick line can't cut into their hands and won't break if they pull too hard. If you don't want to have a tip up per kid, maybe use 10 or so. Then put the kids names on paper and in a bag. Draw a name, that kid gets the first tip up fish. Draw a name when that kid gets a chance at a tip up fish.
-have a tent or two set up with heaters and I also throw in a under water camera. Kids take turns using the rod in the hut to see it on camera. In march we see TONS of pike, burbs and perch on camera. Kids love it. and its a chance to warm up.
-give each kid a chair. Chairs help them stay calm and not runnign all over.
-I haven't done it this year, but I think I might try hot chocolate..
- I feel very comfortbale taking 25 young kids ice fishing by myself and one other comptent adult. But I give them lots of instruction in the school before we go fishing. Gotta lay the rules and expectations out or it can go bad (kids stepping holes, tangles, rods down the hole, hoooks in hands etc). I also show them how dress and how to use the rods and tip ups in the school.
-I had lots of people tell me just let the kids hand line. Menaing a line tied to a stick or peice of wood to jig with. I made sure each kid had a real ice rod and spinnign real. I can't imagine 20 kids most whom never went fishing trying to hand line. I can't imagine the tangles that woudl happen or lien wrapped around hands etc.. If you can't get a rod per kid donated or borrowed, go to your local fish and game. They were so willing to donate seized rods. You may have to chop up from full size rods to make them ice rods and do some minor reel repairs to get them working, but it makes your day easier to have them ahve their own rods.
- I always show the kids this video to introduce ice fishing to them.. good times..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEH3WrBJVZU