Planning an Amazing Ice Cream Social

Ice cream is a treat everyone can gather around, and an ice cream social is a fun way for family and friends to enjoy the last bit of sun before winter. Planning a social isn’t hard, and it’s a great way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Assemble Supplies

Begin with a quick inventory check of what you have and what you need. You also need to determine what flavors of ice cream or gelato you want to serve. Gelato pan liners and ice cream bowls are at the top of the list of supplies. You will need an ice cream scoop for each flavor and cones for those who want to hold their ice cream container. Popular flavors to serve include chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and cherry.

Decorating

After you have everything together, you need to decorate. Send out invitations to your guests using paper that has a fun pattern, such as an ice cream scoop or ice cream sundae. For décor, set up the ice cream, supplies and toppings as a buffet so that everyone can get exactly what they want. Wear a striped apron when you’re serving to bring back that “old timey” feel of an ice cream shop. Use glassware that has a vintage look and a chalkboard on the table to advertise the flavors. Attach ribbons of different colors and sizes to a string in order to make a garland that you can hang above the ice cream table.

Toppings

The toppings are just as important as the ice cream. Make sure you have a little bit of everything with clean plastic spoons so that guests can try the toppings before getting a large amount. Tasting spoons can also be used to try the ice cream. A separate chalkboard can be used to advertise the various toppings so that guests waiting in line can see what’s offered instead of waiting until they get to the table. Assorted spoons and dishes will give a fun look to the table. Keep the spoons and bowls in a freezer so that the ice cream doesn’t melt as fast when it’s placed in the dish. Add a few fun flavors like birthday cake or pistachio on the table, and don’t forget the healthy options like sorbet and frozen yogurt. Send everyone home with a treat bag full of recipe ideas and small pieces of candy to add to their ice cream at home.