How to Host an Unforgettable Canada Day Party
It’s officially summer, and one of our favourite times of year - Canada Day! All of our communities offer some celebrations for residents, but in case you’re planning on hosting your own party, we’ve got some great tips for you. Here are some of our favourite Canada Day party ideas by category:
FOOD
What’s a party without delicious food? There’s endless inspiration for Canadian themed food (and we’re fortunate to have such awesome flag colours to work with!), here are a few of our easy-to-make favourites:
These ice pops are so easy to make. You'll need some red coloured juice (raspberry, cranberry, or fruit punch all work!), some vanilla yogurt, and some red coloured jelly fruit snacks. You may also need to find some popsicle containers and maple leaf cookie cutters - both available at your local dollar store.
The maple leaf cookie cutter will also come in handy for these next treats - frozen watermelon pops!
DECOR
To match your fabulous food, there are a number of easy decor ideas - many of which involve no more than a printer, some string, and scotch tape.
If you’re looking for some decor to add to your table settings, there are a few centrepiece ideas that are easy to make and look great.
Antique bottles finished with red and white carnations are an easy and subtle way to incorporate Canada's colours into your table design.
Similarly, mason jars with paper mache leafs on the outside offer a wonderfully soft glow, and will look fantastic on any patio (especially after sunset!)
If you have more space to play with, solid coloured mason jars designed to look like the Canadian flag are a vibrant and easy way to add some detail to a long table.
ACTIVITIES
Parties are so much fun with little ones attending, and we can think of a few games and activities to pass the time.
T-Shirt Making Station
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Set up a table dedicated specifically to crafting, and have your younger partygoers select a white t-shirt in their size (either provided by you, or their parents).
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Have the child paint two solid, vertical red bars across the chest of their shirt, leaving space for a maple leaf in between
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Have the child dip their hand (palm downward) in bright red (and washable!) paint. Press hand firmly in the centre of the red bars to make a completely custom Canadian flag!
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Allow them to decorate as desired (Canada Day 2015, I ⤠Canada, etc.)
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Let dry, and encourage your guests to wear when ready!
Canadian Scavenger Hunt
Who doesn’t love searching for prizes? This activity is relatively easy to set up, all you’ll need to do is provide some Canadian items for hiding and a checklist.
Some items to hide for this hunt might include…
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Jar of maple syrup
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Plush moose or beaver
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Bushel of maple leafs (real or paper)
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Hockey jersey
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Stuffed snowman
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A flag
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A boot (this joke might be a bit over little ones’ heads, but if you have any adults participating, they’ll probably understand it. Besides, we don’t even pronounce it that way!)
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Give each participant a checklist with all of your hidden items. Beside each check box should be a space to describe where they found the item.
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Whoever returns the completed checklist to the host first wins a prize!
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Runner-ups can receive some of the hidden items as prizes, if desired...except the boot.
Canadian Playlist
Music sets the mood for any party, and there are so many great tools to make your own custom playlist on the internet, making it easy to set up your laptop and some speakers.
These are some iconic Canadian bands to get you started, feel free to let us know if there are any we’ve missed.
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Barenaked Ladies
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Joel Plaskett & The Emergency
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The Tragically Hip
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Walk Off the Earth
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The Arkells
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The Trews
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Sloan
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Blue Rodeo
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Great Big Sea
If you want to get creative with this playlist, you can host a “Name That Song” style game where the first person to correctly name the song and artist gets a point, and the most points after about 10 songs or so wins a prize.
There are so many ways to host an unforgettable patio party, and we can’t wait to see yours! Share ideas and pictures with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or in the comments.
