It’s the season of pool parties and family get-togethers, and the best way to cool everyone off, in my opinion, is with ice cream! Whether you’re celebrating an occasion or just want to gather ‘round the ice cream dish, I’ve got some fun and easy tips to make your little gathering just a bit sweeter.
Color Pop
Choose a color scheme and let your decor, ice cream, toppings, etc. all fall within this palette. I’ve found this makes planning a lot less stressful, because it minimizes your choices and allows you to add items you may already have on hand!
Give Them Options
For your guests though, options are King! I like to provide a variety of ice cream flavors and create a toppings bar so that everyone can create their own custom sweet-filled masterpiece. With a basket of cookies, a selection of waffle cones, dishes of toppings and a few ice cream flavors… the options really are endless, and guests will feel like they’ve hit the ice cream jackpot.
Spruce Things Up
When it comes to decorating, you don’t have to find everything that’s ice cream centered. Once you have a color palette it’s easy to find details that fit within the scheme. I stuck to a pastel theme and found plates, balloons and a few party favors to match. And we don’t want to leave out the DIY element! We made some adorable Ice Cream Cone Balloons, which were a hit with everyone at the party (especially the kids!), and our Waffle Cone Ice Cream Flower Pots were just another way to really bring the theme to life… and an element that will bring some sweet whimsy to our space all summer.
Turn Up The Music
Don’t forget the tunes! Music really does set the atmosphere for any gathering and it’s all too easy to create a fun playlist that goes along with your party theme. For our fun and festive birthday celebration, a few of our go to tunes were “I Love Rocky Road” by Weird Al, “Banana Split for My Baby” by Louis Prima, “Ice Ice Baby” by Vanilla Ice, “Cold as Ice” by Foreigner… you get the idea.
Kids Corner
I’ve found that for activities, it doesn’t take much to make everyone happy. If kids will be in attendance, gather some play dough and ice cream bowls and let their imaginations run wild! For adults, just make sure there are a few cozy places to sit ready so that conversation can flow once everyone has some sugar in hand.
Prep Everything Possible
Prep as much as you can ahead of time! Pre-scoop your ice cream and put it back in the freezer, get all of your toppings in their serving containers, set your decorations up the night before, and if you’re making your waffle cones or ice cream, I definitely suggest doing both in advance!
Once you’re prepped and ready, enjoy your ice cream social! This old-fashioned get together really does have it all, even the cherry on top!