But if you think about it, planning something fun, like a party, should be synonymous with fun.
Sure, you have to plan your party - and shop and cook and everything, but when you're doing it - why not do it all with the intention of having fun?
Build guest anticipation
Get your invitations sent to your guests early, for starters. Inside the invitation, ask each guest to write down fun questions to get to know someone, and to place them inside an envelope to bring to the party. Also include a detailed menu description of what you're serving for dinner to get everyone looking forward to the meal. And remember, be creative - make your descriptions exciting!
Be unique. Come up with ideas for making your own party invitations. Or look online to find free party invitation templates.
Fun party ideas to make your dinner party fun are:
Create a theme
Go Asian, or go Italiano! Create an atmosphere to go along with your menu by adding complimentary music, hats, chopsticks, and other props that will enhance your theme.
Play fun games. If children are invited, play fun party games with the younger kids that focus on foods of one color, or foods that start with the same letter of the alphabet, or foods of a certain type (i.e., fun chocolate facts). Design fun party games for teenagers centered around the party's music. You could structure the games as fun party questions (like fun quizzes), for example.
Don't be predictable
Do something surprising, offbeat or quirky - just to mix things up a bit.
- Have a "topsy-turvy" party and serve dessert first.
- Have an indoor picnic and serve the meal with everyone sitting on the floor.
- Serve fun party food by switching it up a bit with pancakes, sausage, bacon and eggs served for dinner instead of breakfast. Give the kids a small dish of chocolate chips so they can make "faces" on their pancakes.
- Serve milk, water, and other soft drinks for the kids "gourmet style"; pour milk into plastic wineglasses for the preschool and grade school kids to give their party experience a fun, fancier feel.
Make someone your "Guest of Honor"
Honor one of the kids. And if they're aren't any kids in attendance, honor a adult. Make them "King" or "Queen" of your party and serve their favorite foods, and have them sit at the head of the table. If you choose a child as your honored quest, let the other children know that everyone will eventually they will get their chance to be saluted.
An impromptu "buffet" party?
A good time to throw an impromptu "buffet" party is a week or so after a holiday - like, Christmas or Hanukkah. It's likely that you'll have a lot of left-over food you won't want to throw away, possibly be off from work, and be full of holiday cheer. Share the holiday spirit. Entertain your family and friends - have an impromptu buffet party. Set a gorgeous and bountiful buffet chock full of your holiday dinner leftovers, but revamped. Include easy and quick frozen or packaged entrees like Asian dishes, pizza and pasta with salad as a part of your spread, too.
If you're a perfectionist (and somewhat "anal retentive" as a result, like I am), remember to relax a bit about getting everything "right". Be lighthearted about things, enjoy yourself and have fun! Easy for me to say, huh?
PS You could incorporate these ideas into Christmas fun for your company Christmas party, too.
Image source: Wikipedia
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Written by Carlo of Carlo At Your Service Productions
