How to Have the Coolest Christmas Street Party with Costumes in the Mix!

Whether a Christmas street party is the norm in your street, or you are thinking of organising one for the first time, we’ve put together some ideas to make sure your street party hits the spot for both the kids and adults on your street.

Add to the fun by including costumes to the mix. Whether it is just a Christmas hat or dressing up in a popular theme - giving the party a theme is an easy way to break down barriers and get everyone chatting. There is always bound to be one person in the crowd who loves a dress-up occasion and goes all-out in the party theme.

A few little things before the party…

With a bit of planning you are likely to make the party more of a success. Chat to a few of your neighbours to get their take on having a street party. With a few neighbours involved in the planning it will be easier to convince more people to join it. Clearly with a street party the more the merrier, as ultimately the idea is to get as much of the street as possible to want to come along. Once the party idea is finalised, organise another meeting to discuss who is doing what to make sure all the bases are covered to get the party going.

1. Timing

First things first. Is the party planned for before, or after, Christmas Day?

The lead-up to Christmas is always a fun time. But if you are wanting to make sure of a good attendance you will need to fit it in between school break-ups and Christmas work functions, to avoid clashes with other events.

Sometimes a get-together in the lull between Christmas and New Year can be an easier option - so long as your neighbours aren’t going to be away visiting their families elsewhere over this time. If you ARE planning a pre-Christmas event make sure you choose the date early so your neighbours have it marked in their calendars well before the Christmas rush starts.

2. Food:

Whether it is going to be an elaborate feast or a simple get-together, make it easy for the crowd with a clear plan as to what is proposed. Here are a few ideas:

Potluck: The easiest way for everyone to enjoy a great variety of dishes is for each family to contribute something. It could be a unique dish or a traditional Christmas specialty. You can decide beforehand who is preparing what, or you can just send out the message, please bring a plate of something to share.

Pizzas: It might not be easy for everyone to prepare anything, especially if there are mums in the street who are responsible for the Christmas dinner prep. An easy option is to simply plan to order pizzas to be delivered to your street. It is also easy to pass around and eat without even the need for cutlery.

BBQ: A BBQ is always an easy option and a great way to get the guys involved. Plan ahead so a few people bring their portable barbeques to a central space on the street or set them up in someone’s front yard. Plan ahead who is bringing what to share, or everyone can bring their own BBQ requirements. Nothing like the smell of a barbie on a summer night to get people unwinding.

Tea and biscuits: It’s great to have a variety of food to pass around at a street party, but the idea is really just to get together. For an impromptu gathering or a quickly put together Christmas street celebration, then simply passing around tea (juice for kids) and biscuits will still bring the neighbours together. Whatever the food or drink on offer in most cases people just love hanging out for a chat.

3. Who is doing what

For a more formal street party you may want to get a list of people who are going to take part in the party as it helps decide not only about the food, but also the games and other set-ups. To make the Christmas street party planning hassle-free you may want to allocate tasks to particular volunteers. Most people like to get involved and will want to be a part of making the party fun.

Here are some ways to smoothly organise a street party:

• Create a Facebook group to organise the party
• Collect email/phone numbers to send invitations
• Alternatively pop an invitation into people’s letterboxes
• Mention date, time and plans as far ahead of the day as you can

4. Music and dance

Any party is not complete without music, and a Christmas street party is no different. Arrange for someone to bring along a portable music system - and include a Christmas playlist to add to the mood. You may want to clear up a small area for dancing. If the street tends to get a bit of traffic, you might want to use someone’s front yard.

5. Expenses

It is likely that most of the objects you need for the party can be lent by someone on the street, including things such as canopies and decorations. Make a list of who is bringing what and share it - so you don’t forget. Check in with your planning group whether they want to share the costs of anything that you think you need for the party that can’t be borrowed.

6. Games

Games can add to the fun at any party. Make sure you think ahead of time about some game options for kids as well as adults. There are plenty of ideas online of Christmas party games to try, including: musical chairs, pass the parcel, reindeer ring toss, pin the beard on Santa, a Christmas quiz, ball game, sack race for kids and more. You can also include contests to see who can eat the most gingerbread men or drink the most eggnog.

Why add costumes to the mix?

A Christmas street party is best kept casual and feeling fairly spontaneous, but adding a theme can help add to the festive mood. When you make your party a themed or costume event you will give the decorations a focus, and get people in the mood as they plan their costume or accessory. Themed events make for fun photos, and are bound to help get the neighbours chatting (even if it is just them questioning the chosen theme ????).

Here are a few themes to consider:

Grinch Christmas: Grinch is an unforgettable Christmas character and it would be a lot of fun for kids and adults. There are many balloons and decorations available to decorate for this theme. A Grinch costume can be as simple as green clothes paired with a Grinch mask!

Santas and elves: Santa and Christmas are inseparable. Add a touch of Santa to your Christmas street party with some lovely balloons and other decorations. Some people might even want to dress up as Santa or an elf to add an extra touch of merriness to the party.

Winter wonderland: Since it is summer here during Christmas, you can use decorations to bring the feel of a winter wonderland to the streets. Kids can help make snowflake cutouts to hang on trees and other places. It’s a good theme for dressing up as a snowman or Elsa from Frozen.

Tropical Christmas: With the summer in full swing, choosing a tropical theme is easier than winter. You can find a variety of colourful decorations for a summer Christmas celebration. People can wear colourful flowery shirts for this theme.

All set?

Make the most of the gorgeous summer weather to have a memorable Christmas street party. You can’t go wrong with a bit of planning. Beyond celebrating the spirit of Christmas, street parties help you form great bonds with your neighbours and discover new friends too. Merry Christmas!