In this day and age, a great many people have never even met their neighbors. Gone are the days of neighborhood barbecues and kids hopping from one friend’s house to the next. If we aren’t too busy running to work or school, we have basketball practice or ballet class. All too often this means the people who are physically closest to us—our neighbors—get pushed to the side as we make room for more running and longer to-do lists.
That said, there is absolutely no reason why your neighborhood can’t go against the grain and become one of the tight-knit communities of years past. In fact, making an effort to pull your community closer together can be very beneficial for everyone involved. Unfortunately, many people are unsure of the best way to go about bringing people together.
The answer to this question is actually quite simple. Remember those neighborhood barbecues we mentioned earlier? Those were quite effective in making neighborhoods stronger communities. Why not host just such an event yourself?
Choose the Food
Burgers, hot dogs, and chicken wings are easy enough to throw on the grill. If everyone brings a side, you are sure to have plenty of great food to go around. Simply set everything out on a table and let people dig in!
Plan Some Games
If you don’t think some good barbecue wings or burgers and hot dogs will be enough to entice people to join in your neighborhood fun, maybe some fun activities will. If you are hosting early enough in the evening, you should have plenty of daylight to work with. Why not use those last hours of sunshine for some silly relay races or a game of flag football? “Capture the Flag” is also an excellent option. These are the kinds of games that bring people together by requiring them to work as a team.
Schedule Nighttime Entertainment
After food and games, the sun will likely be well on its way down. With lower lighting, the number of activities you can provide goes down significantly. However, this is not to say that the quality of those activities has to go down as well. In fact, we think one of the very best outdoor activities around is one best done in the dark.
An outdoor movie screen would be the ideal addition to any neighborhood block party. Everyone enjoys watching a movie, and by letting people know ahead of time, you can ensure everyone brings a lawn chair or blanket to sit on. Add in some popcorn, candy, and soda, and you have an activity people of all ages can get excited about.
Movie-watching works well as a community builder because it is something everyone can enjoy together, and it gives the neighbors something to chat about when little common ground has been established.
Plan Ahead
Because your block party is bound to be a success, be sure to make room on your schedule for several of these events throughout the warm months. Before you know it, you and your neighbors will be great friends, something that is absolutely priceless no matter who you happen to be.
If you are ready to start planning your incredible neighborhood bash—complete with an inflatable outdoor movie screen—the folks here at Ultimate Outdoor Entertainment would be thrilled to help. We have a wide variety of outdoor screens, so you are sure to find exactly what you need. Best of all, we deliver the rental screen right to your event space and even assist with setup and tear-down, making the whole process as simple as possible for you.
Have a look around our website, and be sure to contact us with any questions!
