How Do You Throw an Ice Cream Party?
An ice cream sundae party is a time-honored tradition. The ice cream social is an early American phenomenon dating back to 1744. An ice cream birthday party may be the first thought that jumps to mind, but the very first social was a dinner party, hosted by Maryland governor Thomas Bladen, who served ice cream for dinner. President Thomas Jefferson would later go on to host one in the White House in 1802.
They’re perfect for block parties, church socials, fundraisers, birthday parties, housewarming parties, and even chic afternoon get-togethers. Here are some ideas to help you launch yours.
Ice Cream Party Food Ideas
The star of the show is, of course, the ice cream, but consider going the extra mile. Set up a sundae bar with multiple flavors and toppings, arranged and decorated in a way that promotes a festive atmosphere.
If you don’t know all your guests, consider adding at least one pint of dairy-free ice cream and at least one pint of sugar-free ice cream, to accommodate everyone’s needs.
If you want an ultra-healthy hack for those who can’t have much sugar, frozen bananas run through a food processor creates a totally healthy ice cream substitute that even has the right flavor and texture.
Want to try a sophisticated twist? Serve up a roast pear & sherry ice cream with a side of sherry. Or try a few savory ice cream flavors.
Don’t want to send your guests to the moon with a major sugar high? If you’re going the dinner party route, add a few protein-heavy appetizers to help ground them a little. Meatballs on a stick, satay skewers with spicy peanut sauce, cheeseball lollipops and pineapple skewers can keep the theme a little light-hearted and fun while offering the same sophisticated twist.
Pro-tip: you can pre-scoop ice cream scoops and freeze them so you can get everyone served up quickly and easily, without having to fight with an over-frozen carton.
Ice Cream Party Games
Kids and grownups alike love games, and you have quite a few options with an ice cream social. A blind taste test to see who can identify the most ice cream flavors is one fun option, especially if you throw in some of the lesser-known flavors.
Rolling dice to see what toppings you can add to your sundae is another fun game, though this game works better when you have a room full of adventurous eaters!
For kids, you could do a fun race where you have them hold a maraschino cherry on a spoon, and then try to race from one end of the yard to the other without dropping their cherry. Or you can have a sundae relay, requiring each kid to stop at a station to top off a stunning sundae before running the finished product to the end of the line.
Ice Cream Party Favors
Use colored paper to make cone-shaped goodie bags and fill them with sweet treats. Pens, pencils, and erasers that are shaped like ice cream cones or decorated to look like them can also be fun for certain age groups.
For adult guests, try putting a ribbon around an ice cream scoop and pass them out to your guests. A fair number of them are probably still bending their spoons beyond recognition at home. They’ll appreciate a proper scoop!
Ice Cream Party Decorations
You’ve got so many options! Honeycomb paper ice cream cones are a fun option, but there are also ice cream cone cut-outs that you can buy and place on your wall. You could also create an old-fashioned ice cream parlor sign, or use color chalk to create a menu board. You can turn party hats into ice cream cones, or create decorations out of balloons where the balloon is the ice cream and the cone is made of paper.
There are several pre-made ice cream centerpieces as well, though if you are crafty you can easily make your own.
Think bright, cheerful colors and whimsical styling unless you’re going ultra-sophisticated, at which point you may want to do similar things in tones of white, gold, and silver.
Don’t overthink your ice cream social!
Right now everyone is looking for just about any reason to celebrate and have some fun. Put your own twist on your ice cream social and send out the invites! Anything cheerful is going to be a big hit right now, and you’ll be doing your friends, family members, or neighbors a huge favor.
Want to DIY some favors or decorations? Need the perfect party favor? Come on down to Paper Plus to get prepared for your ice cream party! We’ve got plenty of supplies in stock and we’re excited to see you.
