How to Throw A Fun Ice Cream Party #SummerOfJoy (+ Sweepstakes)

This post is sponsored by LunchBox. The opinions and ideas in this post are 100% mine.  You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Summer food is the best, especially the ice cream! My Mom is visiting from out-of-state and it was the 4th of July weekend and I was all LET’S PARTY! So we had a fun ice cream party and I want to share my tips for throwing one yourself (because you will be the favoritest Mom in the entire universe when you do) without breaking the bank or making too much work for yourself.

Step 1: Ice cream. We hit the local Giant, my favorite food store, to look for our favorite ice cream brands. are our favorites and I could easily get something that everyone liked. This is the fun of an ice cream party – variety! Their products include Popsicle, Breyers, Ben & Jerry’s (my fave!), Magnum, Fruttare, and Klondike. 

Right now you can and take a little quiz  (3 questions – very fast) to learn more about their products and . Ice cream for a whole year = heaven.

We chose two Breyers Blasts!, Snickers and Oreo. My kids love the Oreo flavor. Anything cookies and cream is right up their alley. I picked out a couple of Ben & Jerry’s for myself because I cannot live without that Spectacular Speculoos Cookie Core Ice Cream. I mean… And the Salted Caramel Core is equally amazing.

Just look at it. Is it any wonder I eat out of the middle first?

This flavor is just the best. And here’s a little tip: It’s better when it’s just slightly melted. You know what I’m talking about. Mmm…. good.

I added a tray of bars to the mix for anyone that wanted a grab-and-go treat. You can’t believe how many flavors of Klondike there are now! Mint Chocolate Chip is always a winner. We love these, and I’ve tried the cookie dough variety recently too which is delicious. Something about that thin chocolate shell…

Magnum bars are such an indulgence. If you have some sophisticated tasters at your party, grab a box of these! (Although they were also devoured by my not-always-so-sophisticated 9 year-old too!)

Step 2: Toppings. An ice cream party is more fun when you can make your own sundae and get creative! Hit the bulk food section of your grocery store. Giant has a great one so while you’re getting your ice cream, stop there and just get one scoop several toppings that your family likes. We went with some candies, nuts, and marshmallows. I did have a jar of hot fudge and caramel sauce at home to add to the options.

Serve them in cupcake liners and avoid dirtying a bunch of dishes. Easy!

Step 3: Table decor. First, trays. These are so handy for containing a mess. Ice cream, candy, fudge, kids, a hot day. That spells M-E-S-S. If you keep everything on a tray it’s so much easier to clean up when you’re done.

The fun colorful bottles, fancy paper straws, plates, cool wooden spoons, napkins, and table cloth (I snipped a hole out of the middle to fit it over the umbrella) I got at a craft store. This stuff is CHEAP and made the party so much more fun. Plus I can reuse everything but just the handful of straws we went through.

Now that you’re set up, it’s time to party! Leo asked for the Breyer’s Blasts! Oreo, his favorite, and had fun adding all his favorite toppings.

This is a 6 year-old boy’s idea of the perfect summer treat. 😀

Lily was in her element, creating her dessert!

What a combo! I think there’s some of everything on this one.

My Mom picked my favorite ice creams, the Ben & Jerry’s (yes, both – we have to try them all!). Her sundae looked a lot like mine. They were delicious! That Breyer’s Blasts! Snickers goes nicely with the Ben & Jerry’s. See? This is why variety is important. You can come up with all sorts of combos at your party!

That’s the face of one happy kid enjoying a perfect summer day. I can’t wait to do this again with them! It’s so easy to put together and so much fun. We enjoyed sitting around the table talking, asking everyone about their favorite topping, favorite flavor, and scooping out second helpings. Great memories made that day and I think I walked away with a great Mom award too. 😉

Plan your own ice cream party and dig in with us for a #SummerofJoy! And don’t forget to throw your name in the hat for a shot at a whole YEAR’S worth of ice cream. Only takes a minute to enter and wow, what a prize!

Wishing you a summer full of ice cream and joy!