It’s summer, and that means it’s the perfect time to have a block party! Although it sounds like a lot of work to plan a party for everyone living on your block, it doesn’t have to be. These suggestions and ideas, coupled with your own, will help you not only coordinate a block party, but keep it inexpensive and fun.
The first thing you need to do is check local ordinances and find out what’s required to have a block party. A call to your City Attorney’s office should suffice. Ask about blocking off the street, and what notifications your local police and fire department need, if any. Additionally, talk with the police and fire departments about having someone on hand for a bit of “community policing.” See if they are willing to pass out information to the children about fire and personal safety. Ask the police department to set up a table where free children’s fingerprinting will be available. Children also love it when the police and fire departments pass out stickers, pencils, coloring books, and other fun items. This is also something you can ask about.
Once you have that information and you know you’ll be in compliance with all local laws and requirements, it’s time to move forward with the planning.
Planning ahead is the key, but don’t do it yourself – network with other folks on the block and schedule a time to hold an informal planning/brainstorming meeting. Picking a date for the party is the first task at your meeting. Saturdays are usually the best day for block parties, and the best months are usually June and August – right after school ends and right before it starts. Check the forecast and/or The Farmer’s Almanac to see weather predictions. Talk to those at your meeting to see if the majority of them will not be on vacation during the weekend you’d like to have the party. Once a date is set, choose a time to get things going.
Decide if the main meal will be lunch or dinner. Dinner is usually best because that gives you the morning to set things up, with everyone breaking for a light lunch at their own homes. You can then get the party started around 2 p.m. or 2:30 p.m.
Organized activities are always fun at block parties. At your planning meeting, talk about three-legged races, a portable basketball hoop, and an area where kids can draw on the street with sidewalk chalk. Basketball games of three-on-three or one side of the street verses the other side are possibilities. When it comes to ideas for children to create with sidewalk chalk, write down on small slips of papers things they can draw, such as a dog, your neighbors house, your favorite car, etc. The children can draw out the slips from a can or hat, read their “assignment,” then put the slip back to be mixed back in. They don’t get to draw another one until their finished with their drawing. Jump-roping contests are always popular, even among the adults. Think about what games are popular in your area; perhaps volleyball, Bocce balls, horseshoes, etc. Delegate three or four people at the meeting to be in charge of games.
If you consider prizes for any children’s games, visit any dollar store in your area. Here you can get stickers, temporary tattoos and all kinds of little prizes.
Given today’s economy, no one person at the party should be responsible for supplying food or tableware. Instead, each household supplies two covered side dishes to share, and each family is responsible for their own main dish and their own tableware. Decide at your planning meeting if anyone wants to bring desserts to share of if each household supplies their own. (Perhaps a best dessert contest may be in order!)
Because most families will decide to cook meat on the grill, perhaps households can be divided into twos, with one family providing the grill and the other providing charcoal. Each of these two families supply their own meat and it’s cooked on that one grill. This will prevent each household from “disappearing” to their own grills and their own backyards and will allow everyone to stay closer together for fellowship.
The morning of the party, the street is blocked off and all picnic tables, lawn chairs, folding chairs, grills, etc. are brought out front into the street or on the lawns. Be sure that whatever neighbors bring to the party – tables, chairs, etc. – they are willing to share them with others. No doubt you’ll run into a family that has three lawn chairs and another that has 10! Tables can be covered with inexpensive disposable table cloths that anyone has on hand or that someone can pick up from the dollar store. No need to worry about decorations unless this is agreed to at the planning meeting. Most block parties don’t require lavish decorations and big expenses. People are having to much fun visiting, playing games and eating!
Other things you’ll want to have on hand is your camera (with extra batteries), radios for music, bug repellent and sunblock. Make sure your cell phone is charged since you want to have it with you throughout the party for emergencies. Have a first aid kit somewhere outside that easily accessible. (These are things that can also be discussed at your planning meeting.)
Although block parties take a bit of planning, they aren’t a big expense. It’s a great way to say hello (or goodbye) to summer and to spend time with neighbors and get to know them better. It’s also the perfect opportunity to get to know neighborhood parents better, so when their child and your child are running back and forth between houses, you’ll feel better about knowing the other parents. With everyone on the block pitching in with set-up and clean up, it ensures no one person shoulders most of the work. Block parties are the ultimate social opportunity to play, eat and relax.
