5 Tips For The Perfect Ice Cream Social with Tillamook Ice Cream
A special thanks to Tillamook for sponsoring this event and this blog post! As always, all opinions remain my own.
July is National Ice Cream month and to celebrate I recently hosted an ice cream social and invited EVERYONE! I spent weeks planning the perfect event and it really went off without a hitch. I so enjoyed meeting everyone who came out to hang out with us and loved watching the kids play and sneaking up to the ice cream bar for seconds and thirds (with their parent’s permission of course). After spending weeks planning this ice cream social and learning a few things along the way I thought I would share my tips for hosting an awesome ice cream social with all of you. If you have tips you’d add to this list, drop them in the comments.
I used Tillamook Ice Cream and it was a huge hit. I had a few people ask me if this is the same Tillamook that is known for their cheeses and I was happy to report that it is the same Tillamook. They have a reputation for quality products and are definitely known for their delicious cheese and their ice cream is that same high quality product. You can find Tillamook Ice Cream locally at Kroger and Walmart SuperCenter.
For this ice cream social I ordered a wide variety of flavors- Oregon Strawberry, Tillamook Mudslide, Caramel Butter Pecan, Vanilla, Chocolate, Coffee Almond Fudge, Chocolate Peanut Butter, and Cookies and Cream. They were all devoured and everyone came up for seconds but the three most popular flavors were Cookies and Cream, Oregon Strawberry, and of course in the Buckeye State we loved, Chocolate Peanut Butter (it was like Buckeye ice cream).
5 Tips For The Perfect Ice Cream Social
Start with Quality Ice Cream
This may be the most important step. I really like to make sure that the ice cream I’m choosing for my ice cream socials are both delicious and made with quality ingredients. I recently discovered Tillamook ice cream and I’m in LOVE. Seriously, at this latest ice cream social I had so many compliments on how delicious the ice cream was, and I have to agree. It was so good and made with real ingredients. In fact Tillamook ice cream is promised to be made without artificial growth hormones.
Have Fun With Toppings
I like to use things like nuts, berries, homemade chocolate sauce, and whipped cream for our topping bar. If you pick the right flavors you may not even need toppings. At this recent ice cream social I had Tillamook Mudslide, Caramel Butter Pecan, Strawberry, and a few others and they were all delicious on their own without any toppings.
Play into the theme with bowls, napkins, and tablecloths and other decorations.
You can get really creative by picking fun accessories for your ice cream social. At the 614 Mom ice cream social I used these fun polka dot bowls and they were a huge hit. When the kids are involved I really like to use fun colors that are both bright and promote a fun energy at the event. You can even find some ice cream inflatables or balloons on amazon.
Have other Ice Cream themed fun like games and crafts
If you’re hosting an ice cream social for kids you’re going to need to have other activities for them to participate in. I like to stay on theme and plan activities all focused on ice cream. We recently did a ‘Design Your Own Ice Cream Cone’ craft complete with pom poms, markers, scissors, glue, and other fun art supplies the kids love. You can also search Pinterest for some fun craft ideas. Another fun idea is pin the cherry on the ice cream dish, a fun spin on the popular birthday game pin the tail on the donkey.
Have water on hand for all in attendance
This may sound silly but I’ve learned from experience that ice cream can make you thirsty. You can have water bottles on hand or a beverage dispenser with ice water in it with cups. Either way make sure you have water for your guests.
I’d love to see photos of your ice cream social. Share your photos with me on social using #614mom or drop them in the comments here.
