The Holidays evoke memories of Christmas celebrations back home if you are an African living in the US like me. The memories include New Year celebrations, parties, family get-togethers, family competitions, and church activities. Buying Christmas dresses and receiving gifts made Christmas back home exciting for kids and adults.
This year, we decided to make Christmas more fun by hosting a Christmas-themed cupcake and cookie decoration party. We invited our family and friends and their kids. In total, we had about 20 people, including kids and adults. The cookie and cupcake decoration party turned out to be a great success. Families had not seen each other for years. The decoration activity was a great icebreaker. It fostered family interactions. Bringing everyone together to decorate cupcakes and cookies helped break the ice, and it was a memorable experience.
Christina Lane’s 3-day plan to host a cookie decorating party was incredibly helpful. It really aided in the planning for the party. You can look through her 3-day plan for more information and tips on hosting a cookie or cupcake decoration party.
Here are some tips and recommendations for a successful party based on my experience:
- If you are hosting a party at home, use disposable table covers to protect your tables. Bring extra plastic tables and chairs into the house so people can sit to decorate. This is especially important if you have a rug. This way, you don’t have to spend time after the party cleaning the table. Buttercream and coloring will be splashed on the tables, floors, etc.
- If you plan to have the guests bake as a group, I suggest you have some cookies ready. Also, have some cupcakes ready in case they come late. So you have some handy and ready for decorating.
- You can make the vanilla buttercream the day before the party. Then whip it again on the day of the party. Since the party is Christmas themed, I already made Christmas colors of buttercream, white, green, and pink. I had them in pastry bags with clips.
- The kids will probably just want to play games. They prefer playing with themselves. You have to focus them on the decoration while you have their attention.
- Most kids will probably go for the sugar cookies, so make sure the quantity exceeds the gingerbread cookies.
Here are some fun activities that can make a cookie or cupcake decorating party even more fun:
- Decorating Challenge: Set up a friendly decorating contest where everyone can decorate cupcakes, cookies, or mini cakes. Create several judging categories. These include the most creative, the most realistic, the best use of color, and the funniest design. Let guests be the judges by placing small numbered signs next to each decorated treat. Give out voting slips or use a show-of-hands method. Offer fun prizes like a recipe card set, fall-scented candles, or mini baking kits as rewards for the winners.
- Recipe Story Sharing: Give guests a chance to share the story behind their recipe. It is a family heirloom, an experimental success, or a cultural dish. This makes the recipes feel more personal and engaging.
Check out the recipe for the sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, and vanilla vanilla cupcakes. You will also find recipes for royal icing and vanilla cupcakes for the party. I chose these recipes because they are not too sugary and acceptable for most kids. I usually do not like my baked goods to have too much sugar. Feel free to adapt the recipes to your taste. Be sure to scale up or down depending on the number of kids or guests you host.
So, get creative and make sure your celebrations are super joyful and memorable!
