Ice Cream Party: 5 Unexpected Ways to Host a Cool One This Summer

There’s nothing more satisfying than an Ice Cream Party to have fun in the summer (or even winter) – especially when it’s done in an unexpected way. With interesting themes and creative serving ideas, hosting a frozen sweet party can’t be predictable for your guests.

In this article, we at CustomAny will share 5 unexpected (but easy!) ways to host a cool ice cream party this time. So, let’s discover how to turn your event into something surprisingly fun and memorable!

1. DIY Sundae Bar Ice Cream Party

Interactive and personalized — a DIY sundae bar allows everyone to build their own ultimate sundae. All you need is a variety of sauces and toppings, and your Ice Cream Party instantly becomes a hands-on (and hands-full) experience that guests of all ages will enjoy.

Decorations:

You can create an eye-catching “Sundae Station” sign so guests know where the fun starts. 

Next, use mason jars or small bowls to hold toppings like:

• Rainbow sprinkles
• Gummy bears
• Fresh fruit
• Crushed cookies
• Mini marshmallows,…

Additionally, it’s easy to set the vibe for your Ice Cream Party with pastel-colored tablecloths and napkins as well as colorful bunting flags.

Tips:

To make serving ice cream easier (and less messy), we highly recommend pre-scoop them into cups and keep them in the freezer until you’re ready. 

Besides, consider adding a fun twist by using custom circle stickers with cute ice cream-themed illustrations (something like cones, sprinkles, cherries) to label each topping jar. You can stick them directly to the jars or put it onto some toothpicks and pop into the toppings. These labels are a simple touch, but it adds a lot of personality. 

A DIY sundae bar makes your Ice Cream Party feel casual and fun, while still being thoughtful and organized. 

2. Ice Cream Truck Experience

With this idea, you recreate the joy of chasing down the ice cream truck for everyone. You can serve classic truck-style treats like:

• Soft-serve cones
• Ice cream sandwiches
• Colorful popsicles,…

It’s a throwback Ice Cream Party idea that both kids and grown-ups will love.

Decorations:

If you can, hire a small ice cream truck (or rent a cart). Give it that fun, vintage feel by adding string lights, striped awnings, and retro-style menu boards. 

To set the mood, play those classic ice cream truck jingles in the background — just loud enough to bring back memories without being too much. These simple touches instantly turn your Ice Cream Party into a memorable summer moment.

Tips:

Want to make your truck or cart stand out? Try our custom bumper stickers to decorate them and bring your Ice Cream Party theme together. 

We recommend some sticker designs with fun text like:

• Chillin’ & Scoopin’ Since 202x
• Honk If You Love Ice Cream
• A retro-style ice cream cone graphic
• “Scoop Squad” in bold bubble letters

You can stick them on the sides, the rear of the truck, or even around the serving window. They’re easy to apply, help create that authentic truck vibe, and make your Ice Cream Party more memorable for guests.

3. Circus-Themed Ice Cream Party

This idea is a simple way to bring the magic and colorfulness of a circus to your Ice Cream Party.

Decorations:

First, let’s set the scene with red and white striped tablecloths and bold pennant banners. You can add balloons in bright colors and use mini popcorn buckets to hold toppings or snacks. 

To make it match the circus theme, consider serving the ice cream in clown cups or animal-shaped bowls.

Tips:

• Let’s dress in simple carnival attire – with bow ties, suspenders, or fun hats. 
• Alongside your ice cream, offer classic carnival snacks like popcorn, cotton candy, and candied nuts to mix sweet with salty.
• Don’t forget to host some circus-inspired games like ring toss, bean bag throw, or a spin-the-wheel station with small prizes. 

With bright decorations, themed treats, and a few games, your circus-style Ice Cream Party will be a hit.

4. Poolside or BYOP Ice Cream Bash

A party thrown at the poolside or a Bring your own pool party is great for both kids and adults. When serving ice cream in these pool parties, it will be even more satisfied, chill and relaxed.

Decorations:

You can turn your party space into a beach day vibe by using:

• Inflatable pool floats in tropical designs like watermelon, flamingo,…
• Colorful beach towels
• Bold color umbrellas
• Bright plastic serving trays

Besides, take advantage of waterproof LED string lights for evening fun.

Food & Drinks:

At an Ice Cream party at the pool, you should:

• Keep it fresh and fruity with tropical flavors like mango, coconut, or lime sorbet. 
• Serve adults frozen drinks or fun floats of soda and ice cream for easy wins. 

These ice cream treats should be served in pre-chilled cups or push pops to help slow the melting, especially in the sun if you throw your party outside.

Tips:

We highly recommend adding personality to your Ice Cream Party setup using custom UV DTF transfer stickers.

These stickers are perfect for decorating clear jars or cups for ice cream and thermal tumblers for water or drinks. Why? Because they look like they are directly printed onto the items thanks to their no background, full-color and 3D raised surface features.

Besides, our custom UV DTF transfer stickers are also waterproof, making them stick well and stay vibrant — even around splashes.

Fun design ideas that you can use for these stickers include:

• Smiling suns
• “Scoop Squad” script
• Tropical fruits
• Mini wave patterns
• Watermelon slices,…

These little touches turn your poolside Ice Cream Party (or even a BYOP party in the backyard) into an extra fun event.

5. “Rarest Tastes” Ice Cream Party

Looking for a more adventurous party experience? A “Rarest Tastes” Ice Cream Party is a fun way to surprise guests and challenge their taste of rare flavors they’ve probably never tried before.

Decorations:

Let’s set the tone for your unique and mysterious Ice Cream party by:

• Choosing dark or sleek color themes like black, deep purple, and silver
• Using dim lighting or string lights
• Creating a sign that says “Enter If You Dare” for your ice cream tasting corner

Hosting Tips:

You need to source or make unusual flavors for ice cream like:

• Lavender
• Chili chocolate
• Goat cheese
• Sweet corn
• Wasabi,…

Keep things interesting by making it a game:

• Covering your serving bowls with cannot-see-through lids
• Label each of them just with numbers.
• Allow each of your guests to take turn and taste all the ice cream flavors
• Let  guests jot down their guesses after everyone’s had a turn.
• Offer a tiny prize for whoever correctly identifies the most flavors.

This Ice Cream Party style works great for those who love adventurous things. It also encourages conversation and laughter. 

Last words

Planning an Ice Cream Party doesn’t have to mean just scoops and cones — now you’ve got 5 creative ideas to make it totally different for the next celebration. From an exciting ice cream truck to a surprising rarest flavor challenge, each theme we’ve discovered above brings its own fun that works for people of all ages. 

Besides, if you’re looking for more fun and personalized ways to celebrate, check out our other themed party blogs packed with creative ideas. And if you need simple but fun decorations or labels, consider printing custom stickers on our website — they work great for setting the theme or adding a personal touch to decorations, containers, party favors, and more.