I made a goal at the beginning of the year to host 52 dinner parties. So this weekend I put together a brunch for some friends (we’re up to party #40!) It’s so nice entertaining on the weekend because everyone is so laid back and leisurely about everything. People stroll in from soccer practice or the Farmer’s Market. It has such a relaxed vibe that you don’t get the rest of the week. Sometimes we invite a guests that know each other but sometimes it’s a new bunch of people so I’ve been experimenting with different ways to bring people together.

1. Share High and Low. This is something I do with my own kids every evening but it works well with a group of friends too. You each take turns going around the room and sharing your high and low of the day (or week.) It’s a really great way to cut through all the small talk and find out what is going on in people’s lives. You can keep it general, or even hone in on a specific part of life (school, work, friendships, family, personal life, etc.)

2. Surprise Ball. If I want to keep the mood a little lighter I get one of these surprise balls that has prizes wrapped up inside. The first person starts unraveling the crepe paper until they get to a prize. Then they pass it to the next guest. Each person get the chance to unwrap the ball. All the prizes are different, so it’s fun to see what everyone finds! It’s a great conversation starter!

3. Favors with Questions. I love doing this with custom fortune cookies (I write all the questions and put them in fortune cookies.) But you can also do this with tiny boxes or any little favor. I usually search for ice breaker questions and then put one at each plate. It makes the conversation so interesting!

4. Prepared Activity. Sometimes when I’m having a party I ask my friends to bring some kind of prepared speech or story.  It can fit on a subject or theme or just be a general topic “Bring a four minute speech on the subject of your choice.” It is really fun to have people prepare a little and see how creative people get.

Meals are such great opportunities to deepen relationship with friends and family. So we’re really excited about Smuckers’ new Mealtime Moments Campaign. It’s not just about the food you make, but about who you’re spending time with! The site gives lots of tips and ideas for making mealtimes special and engaging.

Do you have any ideas on good ice breakers, or how to bring people together?

This post is sponsored by The Mealtime Moment. 

Photography by Paul Ferney for Oh Happy Day
Flowers by Wallflower Design