How To Host A Grown-Up Ice Cream Social

Ice cream socials remind me of the last day of school. On more than one occasion, my elementary school class would celebrate the end of the year with scoops of vanilla and chocolate ice cream topped with a pillow of whipped cream and dotted with rainbow sprinkles. It was always such a special treat. The bad news? Not many people throw ice cream socials now that we're all grown up. The good news? You can change that with these fun, adult ideas for throwing your very own ice cream social at home. So grab a spoon and get ready for a carefree summer celebration!

Invitations: An ice cream social is a great excuse to find fun, whimsical invitations to send to your friends. I love this one from Paperless Post and this one from Punchbowl. Make sure to send your invites at least two weeks in advance (even earlier is better). Schedules fill up quickly and you want to give your guests plenty of advance notice.

Create a Menu: This is the fun part. Decide on what kind of ice cream you will serve and the toppings to make available. Keeping the ice cream flavors basic helps create a nice base for fun toppings, so stick with flavors like vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. Then, ask your guests to bring toppings like salted caramel, strawberries with balsamic syrup, praline pecans, crushed chocolate-covered pretzels, Baileys Irish Cream, chocolate-covered espresso beans, popcorn... the list of possibilities is endless. And of course, you'll need sprinkles, chocolate sauce, and fresh whipped cream. Another nice treat is to have freshly brewed strong coffee or espresso so guests can create their own version of affogato.

Create a Station: Set up a station where you can keep pints of ice cream, bowls of toppings, and napkins, spoons, straws, and cups for serving. Make sure the place you choose is easily accessible and won't create too much of a traffic jam as your guests stand in line to make their ice cream creations. Decorate the station with a pretty garland, some balloons, or a chalkboard with the ice cream and toppings written artfully for display.

— Rachael White, Menuism

For the full article on how to host an adult ice cream social, visit Menuism.