Planning your social event calendar for your residents this summer? Onsite events are a great opportunity to build ties among your residents and help them feel connected to your community. Check out these ideas to keep your residents engaged and entertained this season.
1. Board game night
Who doesn’t love a good game of Uno or Trivial Pursuit? Encourage some friendly competition by hosting a board game night in your community room — or outdoors, if the weather cooperates. You can provide drinks and snacks, or, if your budget is tight, host a potluck and encourage residents to bring a dish to share.
2. Pool party
If your community has a pool, this classic summer event is a great way to gather your residents together for a summer splash. Serve light snacks and refreshments, provide pool toys like inflatable balls and rafts, and put on a playlist of classic summertime hits.
3. Morning workouts
Encourage your residents to get in shape by organizing a free fitness class. Consider options such as yoga, Zumba or boot camp-style classes that can be done in an open area and don’t require expensive equipment. Hire an instructor, or put out a call to see if there are any fitness instructors living in your community who are willing to teach a class. If you get enough interest, you could turn these sessions into a monthly or weekly class.
4. Barbecue
A classic summer event, a barbecue is a tried-and-true way to bring residents together outdoors around summertime favorites like hot dogs, burgers, potato salad, and more. A popular option for Independence Day, a cookout can also be hosted anytime during the summer.
When planning your resident barbecue, make sure you have sufficient space and supplies to support the expected attendees. Look for large lawn areas, and encourage residents to bring towels and blankets. Not enough grills to feed your residents? Consider hiring food trucks for catering.
5. Community bake-off
Chances are, you have some baking enthusiasts living in your community. And the odds are even higher that you have residents who love to eat baked goods! A community bake-off is the perfect way to let your resident bakers show off their skills — and help your other residents satisfy their sweet tooth.
To host a bake-off, first ask your residents to sign up to bake their favorite treat. Then, gather a panel of three to five resident judges to taste and score the results. Distribute what’s left over to event attendees, providing plates, utensils, and napkins as needed. Reward your winners with a small prize, like a gift card to a local restaurant or store.
Want to add a fun spin on your bake-off? Try a theme, like Fourth of July, or specify ingredients that must be included. Or, you can give the event a charitable nature by selling the baked goods and donating the proceeds to a local community organization.
6. Movie under the stars
Take advantage of the warm summer weather by hosting an outdoor movie night. Pick a popular title and get a public performance license — or choose a movie from the public domain. Rent an outdoor movie screen and provide the movie, snacks, and popcorn. Invite residents to bring blankets, lawn chairs, and their favorite film-watching goodies.
7. Book club
For your quieter residents, a book club is a good opportunity to bring neighbors together around a shared topic and get them talking. First, select a title — or give your residents a poll of five or so options to choose from — and then announce the book club at least four or five weeks in advance. This gives your residents the opportunity to find and read the book. Then, host one or two sessions for residents to come together to discuss what they’ve read. Identify a moderator to lead the discussion and bring prompts to get the conversation going.
8. Ice cream social
Nothing says summer like ice cream! This sweet spin on a resident party is a fun way to attract residents on a hot day.
To host an ice cream social, load up on ice cream flavors at your nearest grocery store and serve residents yourself, or coordinate with a local ice cream truck to cater the event.
To keep the “social” in your ice cream event, organize activities and contests to engage residents:
- Set up a toppings bar for residents to decorate their sweet treats with syrups, nuts, and candies. Add some competition by hosting an ice cream decorating contest. Encourage residents to snap a pic of their ice cream creation and post it to social media before it melts.
- Host games like an ice cream blind taste test — and award the winner a gift card to a local ice cream parlor.
- Create a photo booth with an ice cream-themed backdrop and suggested hashtag. This doubles as a way to promote your community and get the word out to other residents.
- Provide crafts and games for kids. Print out ice cream-themed coloring sheets, and provide colored pencils and markers. Share ice cream trivia questions for kids to answer. Set up cornhole boards with lots of beanbags.
Include ample tables and chairs to encourage residents of all ages to sit back and chat with their fellow neighbors as they enjoy their ice creams.
If your community has a pet-friendly policy, consider inviting your canine residents to join in on the fun. Serve up doggy “ice cream” made from plain yogurt, mashed bananas, and peanut butter.
9. Sports tournament
Enjoy the season with a summertime sports tournament. Athletic events are a great way to get residents outside and interacting with a bit of friendly competition. This event can be targeted to kids, adults, or residents of all ages.
First, select an appropriate venue for your event, such as a lawn or courtyard. If your community lacks sufficient space, consider hosting the event at a nearby park.
Next, identify the sports in your tournament. Fun options include soccer, frisbee, and badminton. If your community is home to a tennis court, consider hosting a tennis or pickleball championship. Other ideas include basketball, volleyball, bocce ball, and golf or mini golf (hosted offsite).
Ask your residents to RSVP, and then divide up the leagues as applicable, such as by age groups, men and women, or skill level.
10. Community yard sale
Turn your community’s courtyard into a marketplace by hosting a community yard sale. This event encourages residents to declutter and discover new treasures from their neighbors.
To pull off a successful community yard sale, preplanning is essential. Identify a space to hold the event, and calculate how many tables the space can support. Ask residents who want to sell their items to sign up in advance. Encourage sellers to bring their own folding tables and chairs, and provide extras as needed. And always check the weather forecast beforehand!
Some municipalities require registering yard sales in advance, so don’t forget to check with your local city or country rules to find out if permits are required.
Advertise the event several weeks in advance to encourage attendance. If items remain after the event, make sure sellers clean up after themselves. If your community is large enough, you can also schedule a pickup with a local organization to occur at the end of the day or the following morning.
11. Tie-dye party
Looking for a bright, fun way to bring residents together? Throw a tie-dye party. This summer event is a hit among kids and adults alike, and it’ll create memories — and T-shirts — that last for years.
Identify an outdoor venue to host your event, and set up stations with fabric dye, rubber bands, and gloves. You can encourage residents to bring their own white T-shirts. Alternatively, give out — or sell — branded shirts stamped with your community name. Make sure to keep a few staff members on hand to help instruct residents on the process and supervise the stations.
12. Pizza night
A crowd pleaser, pizza is sure to bring out residents this summer. Advertise your pizza party for a summer evening, and encourage your residents to RSVP to get an accurate headcount.
Buy your pizzas in bulk from a wholesale grocery store, opting for favorites like pepperoni and cheese. For a different approach, throw a pizza tasting contest, and ask different pizza parlors in your area to donate a pizza or two for the event, and have your residents vote on a winner. Announce the winner on your social media accounts, tagging the winning pizza parlor.
To keep residents engaged for a few hours, pair your pizza night with a game of bingo or trivia, or play a movie during the event.
Looking for more community event ideas?
Keep your residents engaged year-round with these tips:
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