if you’ve been wanting to host an event for your kids and your community, without a formal “group” or “Co-op”, this post is for you!
My kids and I recently hosted our first Puzzle Party and it was a hit. Check out the recap video here 🤗
As a screen-free(ish) household, puzzles are a family fave over here! From traditional board puzzles, sticker puzzles, word puzzles and more… we enjoy them all. So you can imagine my kids’ excitement when my 1st grader discovered that there is a “National Puzzle Day”.
What I initially thought would be a cozy puzzle day at the house, quickly turned into a puzzle party with our homeschool friends. We hosted a little over 20 people, without any type of group or co-op. Just an engaging time with the other homeschool families we’ve connected with over the past year or so, and we had a PUZZLE-TASTIC time!
Now let me be clear, I am not anti-co-op or group. I am actually a very active member of two specific FB groups and I enjoy them and the other families so so much. And while I do not have the capacity or desire to create my own “group”, I do love HOSTING. So I step out from time to time to plan events for my littles and our community of friends.
So if you’re like me and want to curate beautiful and engaging events for your kids and your community, without a formal “group” or “co-op”, this post is for you!
1. Choose your event theme!
Choosing a theme can seem like the most challenging part. I’ve found that choosing a theme centered around what my kids already enjoy is the easiest way to come up with ideas. Think activities that are age appropriate that your kids would enjoy doing with their friends. Also consider what supplies you already have on hand that you can either share, or give away. We’ve done “Walk & Play” meetups, “Bubble Party at the Park” day, a “Hot Cocoa Social”, and most recently … our first annual Puzzle Party! All of these events would be just as fun even if no one else cared to join us, so that took off a great deal of pressure. So plan based on what your kids ALREADY enjoy… and simply invite others to join you, if they can.
2. Choose a location!
If you didn’t already know your local public library is an excellent space to host events… especially for homeschool families. The rooms are spacious, free, and there is often ample availability during regular business hours, due to the masses being at work or in traditional school settings. Some even have a kitchen and event equipment available for use… for free. We love hosting at the library!
So check your local library to see what might be available. Keep in mind advance notice is needed to request the larger spaces.
Other great options are local parks, trails, and playgrounds, ice cream socials. My kids and I have hosted several events in these spaces as well.
3. Plan your Activities!
Decide what activities you plan to do at your event. Will this be for groups or individuals? Will this be for a specific age group? Or will you be able to comfortably accommodate multiple ages groups? Do you have enough supplies for everyone, or will you need to purchase additional supplies?
For our puzzle party I planned out 4 activity stations that worked out GREAT! I wanted things to be available for the kids to enjoy independently WITH their parents and peers!
Sticker Puzzles Station: If you haven’t heard of sticker puzzles… don’t walk… RUN to check them out here! They are PHENOMENAL! We do them almost daily in our home and I have several just for myself! For our Puzzle Party I had the “Sticker by Letter” puzzle books for the littles (3-5yrs), and the more intricate “Sticker by Number“ puzzles for the older kiddos. Everyone got into it, even the moms. These are some of my faves!
Boxed Puzzles Station: This was something for guest to do in groups, with traditional puzzle pieces. Ranging from 48-100 pieces. We had the ones for the table top, and these larger ones for the floor!
Board Puzzles Station: We love these board puzzles, and I love how these are more jigsaw vs traditional puzzle shapes. Each puzzle is put together on its own board. So it was easy to contain. I even let a few of our friends take home some of the puzzles they put together.
Coloring Station: I bought this huge “Happy New Year” coloring poster that arrived AFTER NYD, so I decided to bring that for the kids to color and decorate. They kids (and moms) loved it. If you don’t have a large coloring mat to share, grab some crayons, print some coloring pages (free at the library), and let the kids have fun. Seriously, who doesn’t LOVE to color!
4. Gather your guests
Although our Puzzle Party invitation was shared publicly (on my Facebook page) and open to all, I knew I wanted it to be more intimate, and include the friends with whom we already have a pretty solid relationship. I had a number in mind, and knew I would have to cut it off once we reached “capacity”. So I sent out personal invites, and required all others to RSVP, in order to keep a good handle on how many people to expect.
I’m more about quality over quantity. A full room means very little if the kids are not able to fully enjoy the experience we’ve created for them. And I also LOVE connecting people. So in our world, less is definitely more… my focus is on connection over busyness.
5. Set a Budget for Snacks & Additional Supplies
For supplies: Like I mentioned we do puzzles of all kinds, regularly, so we already had so much of what was needed. We had tons of puzzles on hand, most of which my children have assembled several times over. So it only made sense to share the wealth. We kept a few of my kids’ favorite puzzles at home, but everything else we took. And like I mentioned above, we even gave several away.
For snacks: I actually enjoy creating snack spaces where my kids can enjoy EVERYTHING that’s presented. We’re often invited to events, parties and other gathering where the food/snacks are not safe for them (they have food allergies), so when it’s our turn we make sure the snacks are not only in abundance but safe for all!
A beautiful thing about having a budget and a plan, is that it opens the door for people who want to support. I am so incredibly grateful for my “Angel Donors“, who provided extra supplies and made sure our snack table was well stocked! (If you want to learn more about securing sponsorship/donations for your event… comment below and I am happy to share more about that)!
The final and most important step is to have fun! I’ve seen far too many kids’ events where the grownups are consumed with all the things, they don’t take a moment to just enjoy what they’ve created. So add in margin to just enjoy yourself. Set the playlist on repeat, and have a good time. greet EVERY guest, make your rounds, introduce people to each other, and create an engaging and memorable environment that will leave your community craving for more!
Again…focus on connection over busyness!
So excited for our next event!
xx
FTC: This is NOT a sponsored post. Affiliate links are used in this post which mean I may earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase using my links, at no additional cost to you. Be assured I only share links to products I actually own, use and love. Enjoy! TIA❤️
A Personal Reflection: I have to shoutout my husband. I can’t even begin to put into words how incredible blessed I am for a man who not only supports me, but is a great partner with the vision we have for our children. Being able to truly pour into our children from the comfort of our home… so much is possible because of how hubby shows up and out for me and our kiddos! Thanks for everything you do, babe! I couldn’t do any of this without your love and support!
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