Friends, laughter, and ice cream— is there a better way to celebrate a joyous occasion? We don’t think so.
An ice cream party is a great way to bond with your loved ones over delectable scoops of happiness. Whether you are looking to host a birthday, a bridal shower, or just an evening get-together, an ice cream party is a theme that people of all ages would enjoy at any time of the year!
In this blog, we will share popular ice cream party ideas, including serving hacks, decoration ideas, creative treats, and much more to help you start your planning! Happy reading!
26 Exciting Ice Cream Party Ideas
In this section, we have divided our ice cream party ideas into 5 categories. Go ahead and browse your favorite one for some spectacular concepts!
Ice Cream Party Serving Ideas
1. Sundae Bar Table
What’s an ice cream party without an open sundae bar?
To eliminate mess and the need for a person stationed at the bar, you can set up a large bowl of ice containing pre-filled frozen ice cream mason jars.
Label the mason jars with names of flavors. Your guests can pick any flavor they like, add a bunch of assorted toppings, and enjoy ice cream without any help from the host!
This is a great idea whether you are calling your friends over or planning a kid’s party.
2. Pre-Scooped Freeze
If you don’t want to spend too much of your time just serving ice cream to others, there’s something you can do!
Take a baking tray, line it with parchment paper or cookie sheets, scoop ice cream and freeze it for easy serving.
You can also scoop it out on the cookie sheet in different colorful arrangements that will add vibrancy to your dessert corner.
3. Topping Trays
What if I told you there is a way to serve toppings other than in plain old bowls? One of the brilliant ice cream party ideas is to serve toppings in trays!
You can use an appetizer tray or even a muffin or cupcake baking tray. Fill in the toppings, add colorful little spoons, and let your guests enjoy a fancy display of their favorite toppings.
4. Hot and Cold Sauce Display
If you want to go the extra mile for your guests, you can serve sauces with ice cream as well!
An aesthetic way to store and comfortably pour cold sauces is by filling them up in milk bottles. Transparent glass bottles filled with colorful sauces will be a hit.
For hot sauces, use squeeze bottles. Fill them up with hot sauce and keep them in a hot water slow cooker set, so they stay warm throughout the party.
5. DIY Ice Cream Cone Holders
Are you serving ice cream cones at your party? Have you thought about how you will display them?
A fun way to display ice cream cones is to stack them up using an ice cream cone holder.
Take a box and cardboard covering that will serve as the lid for the box. Make small holes (the size of the cone tip) into the cardboard. If you want 3 stacks of cones, make 3 holes.
Decorate the cardboard with sprinkles or chocolate chips, glue on top of the box, and stack cones in the holes!
Ice Cream Party Treats Ideas
6. Ice Cream Sandwich Cake
What’s a party without a cake? Whether you are hosting an ice cream-themed birthday, bridal shower, or graduation party, you need a cake to celebrate!
An ice cream sandwich layered cake with sprinkles ad cherry toppings will be the hit of your party. Click here to learn how to make an ice cream sandwich cake.
7. Cookie Bowls
To add innovation and an element of creativity to your ice cream-themed party, quit serving ice cream scoops in bowls and jars.
Instead, serve scoops in cookie bowls that your guests can then chew up after they finish their ice cream.
Learn how to make chocolate chip cookie bowls for your event by clicking here.
8. Ice Cream Floats
If you’re throwing an ice cream party for adults, you NEED to have ice cream floats!
Fill up mason jars with vanilla ice cream scoops and freeze them overnight. Place them in an ice-filled tub along with some chilly root beers and let your guests help themselves.
Remember to keep straws nearby!
9. Dipped Sugar/Waffle Cones
With colored candy melts, sprinkles and sugar, you can make dipped sugar or waffle cones right before your guests arrive.
Turn a cone upside down, dip one-fourth of it into the candy melt, roll it in sprinkles or sugar, and voila! You can enjoy dipped cones in no time!
The best part about dipped cones is that you can make them according to your theme so if you are hosting a 4th of July ice cream party, use red, white, or blue-colored candy melts and sprinkles!
10. Ice Cream Cupcakes
What do you get when you combine your two favorite desserts in the entire world? Ice cream cupcakes!
Cupcakes are served popularly at parties and events all over the world; hence, serving ice cream cupcakes is one of the best ice cream party ideas you can easily put into action.
Learn how to make vanilla-strawberry ice cream cupcakes by clicking here.
Ice Cream Party Decoration Ideas
11. Paper Cones and Balloons
The easiest way to add color to your party set up is by hanging paper cones with balloons.
Simply take a brown paper and roll it into a cone shape. Staple the edges. Blow up balloons in assorted colors and tape or tie them to the cones to look like scoops.
Hang the balloon-filled cones from the ceiling or around the dessert table for a delightful look!
12. Paper Ice Cream Buntings
You can also hang paper ice cream buntings in front of your backdrop or across the ceiling. All you need is a printable ice cream tone template, a hole punch machine, and yarn.
Simply cut your printable into the appropriate cone shape, punch a hole at the top and string the yarn through the holes!
13. Ice Cream Party Posters
If you have table or wall photo frames lying around the house, use them! Print out ice cream parlor posters and place them in frames to decorate the space. Click here to browse through the collection of printable ice cream posters.
14. Ice Cream Parlor Sign
Welcome your guests to your ice cream party by hanging a vintage ice cream parlor sign over your main door.
You can customize it according to your name, such as “Lucy’s Ice Cream Shoppe.” You can also hang it above the ice cream or sundae bar at your party.
15. Mason Jar Decorations
Looking for cute holders for straws, spoons, forks, and other party necessities? Create your own!
Take as many mason jars as you require, spray paint them in classic ice cream colors (pink, white, yellow, etc.), and glue sprinkles or chocolate chips to the bottom to create a fun design!
Use these jars as cutlery holders and surprise your guests!
Ice Cream Party Games Ideas
16. Pin the Cherry on Top
First up on our list of ice cream party ideas is a fun version of a very famous game called “Pin the Tail.”
Most children’s parties have this game to keep the little ones entertained. You can create your version called “Pin the Cherry on Top.”
Simply print out or draw a large ice cream cone on a chart paper and hang it on the wall. Cut out small cherries and paint them red. Stick a tape or sticky tack behind each cherry, then blindfold your guests and take turns to see if they can pin the cherry on the top of the cone!
17. Ice Cream Creation Competition
When it is time to eat ice cream, you could ask your guests, especially little children, to take part in a competition.
Give everyone a bowl with an ice cream scoop and ask them to create their own ice cream using multiple sauces and toppings.
In the end, give out small prizes for the “Most Cute Creation,” “Most Creative Creation,” etc.
18. Guess the Flavor
Guess the Flavor is a game that both children and adults can play! Blindfold the participants and make them try various ice cream flavors.
The first one to guess a flavor wins the round! To keep the game challenging, keep hard to guess ice cream flavors, such as mint chocolate chip, strawberry cheesecake, butterscotch, etc.
19. Paint Your Own Bowl
Most children love to paint, so give them a chance to unlock their true potential.
Before you serve them ice cream, ask them to paint their bowls for fun and let their imagination go wild! You can then give those bowls away as party favors.
20. Ice Cream Coloring Pages
If you are expecting toddlers or preschoolers at your party, keep some coloring pages at hand to keep them busy.
Print out stencils with drawings of ice cream cones, scoops, parlors, and treats and give them a set of crayons to shine! Check out some free printable coloring pages.
Ice Cream Party Favors and Invitations Ideas
21. Waffle Cone Headbands
Add a unique spin on the traditional party hat with a waffle cone headband. Take a plain headband, stick a decorated ice cream cone in one corner so it looks like a horn, and offer one to every guest as they walk in the front door.
22. Ice Cream Soaps
Older kids and adults would absolutely love this party favor! Scented ice cream soaps in different colors and shapes are perfect giveaways for bridal showers, baby showers as well as birthdays.
23. Ice Cream Candy Bowls and Spoons
If you want to stick with giving out sweet treats, you can fill an ice cream bowl with chocolates and candies, stick a matching spoon in the bowl, pack the set in a net or plastic bag and add a ribbon on top for a pretty party favor.
24.Ice Cream Printable Stickers
A collection of cute ice cream stickers is a wonderful giveaway for an ice cream party.
Print out some laptop, mobile, fridge, and wall stickers, cut them up, add them to little boxes, attach a ribbon on top, and gift away to your loved ones!
25. DIY Sprinkle T-Shirts
Take plain white unisex t-shirts in multiple sizes, and paint or draw sprinkles from the collars till the chests to make it look like vanilla ice cream with sprinkles.
Gift a shirt to each guest as they walk out the front door. These t-shirts will give your guests something to remember you by!
26. Ice Cream Truck Invitations
Crafting invitations for your ice cream party? Put your own twist to traditional party invitations and opt for a fun ice cream truck party invitation that includes a customized print!
Halloween Ice Cream Party Ideas
Make your Halloween the spookiest ever with these awesome ice cream party ideas!
- Get inspired by the colors of pumpkins
- Host a Halloween ice cream party (“Trick or Scoops”) and give out free ice cream to trick-or-treaters.
- Use translucent waffle cones filled with different colored ice creams to simulate ghosts
- Buy cute and funny costumes for your kids, they will be sure love to wear them
- Serve pumpkin pie ice cream and gummy eyeballs
- Stick a pumpkin on your door and add a bat and some cobwebs.
- Use pumpkins as decorations
- Design colorful fall leaf skeletons to display
- Decorate your full-scale ice cream as Frankenstein’s Monster or the Black and White Bride.
Final Words: Ice Cream Party Ideas
While hosting or planning your ice cream party, don’t get too caught up in the chaos. Remember to have fun.
Ice cream is all about happiness, and the smile on your face shouldn’t tell otherwise!
We hope you enjoyed this list of ice cream party ideas. Let us know which idea you liked best in the comments below.