Without a doubt, summer is prime time to reinforce that sense of community bond among your park residents. How about kicking off the season with some summer excitement?
7 ways to kick off summer with your mobile home residents
So with a pen and paper in hand, take notes and let’s get planning. There are many fun ways to bring on the summer fun!
1 – Host a memorable block party
Unquestionably, block parties are the quintessential community get together. It can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it. Block parties are relaxed gatherings for members of a community to celebrate life together and become better acquainted with one another.
At a block party, your mobile home park residents can bond over food, games, contests, and more.
Hosting a block party entails blocking off a section of road in your neighborhood. This is where the party will take place – grills, tables, and more can be set up in this area. But before you get the ball rolling on plotting out the details, check with your local city government. There may be ordinances involved that prohibit a block party or you may be required to buy a permit.
If a block party does not seem feasible in light of local regulations, don’t give up too easily. Think outside the box. Do you have a community center? You can host your block party there, on the lawn outside the premise. Or even better, take it to the park if you have one.
After you’ve established the location of your block party, think about the motif you’re going for. How do you want to do food? A potluck?
Figure out the time, and delegate the hosting of games and various activities to your volunteers. The icing on the cake would be a fun contest that revolves around the theme of your block party. You could do the best costume, the best-decorated bike, etc.
Finally, type up the details and print out an invitation for residents. Your mobile home park community will love the idea.
2 – A fun summer camp for the kiddos
Another fun way to kick off the summer excitement is by organizing a fun summer camp for kids.
Summer camp is a great way to connect parents and kids in your community with one another. And it doesn’t have to be costly if everyone pitches in to help.
It can really break up the summer routine and provide children with a fun and educational experience. This camp can easily turn into a yearly highlight of the summer.
Parenting.com has some helpful tips for pulling together your own summer camp.
3 – Summertime activity list
How about mailing out a summertime activity list to your residents? It’s a kind gesture and you’ll be delighted to see residents implementing some of the ideas as time goes on.
Your activity list can be comprehensive with ideas for varying ages – from children to seniors.
Here’s a sampling of ideas we borrowed from RealSimple and Woman’sDay.
Backyard stargazing. This can be done from sleeping bags in the backyard, or from comfy rocking chairs on the back patio. With a special app on your phone, you can help the kids identify constellations.
Outdoor movie night. With a blanket hung up and a projector in hand, you can get that popcorn popping. Set up those inflatable mattresses out back and invite some friends to enjoy an outdoor movie experience.
Chalk drawings on the pavement. Time to whip out the chalk and hit the pavement. Summer is a good time to get some doodling done on that asphalt and concrete. Don’t like your work? No worries, it washes right off.
4 – Ice cream bash
Here’s a fun idea. Who doesn’t think ice cream is perfect for combatting the summer heat? Host a little ice cream bash. Turn up the music and invite residents to pitch in by bringing ice cream toppings.
5 – Picnic at the park
Next up in our slew of ideas is a picnic. This is an easy idea to pull together as everyone who comes is responsible for their own meal. So this frees you up to focus on the games for the kiddos and adults.
6 – Kite festival
Host a little kite festival. You could even host a contest for the best homemade kite. Lay out the parameters of your content. You could also add an ice cream bash into the fun.
7 – Volleyball game
To get off the couch and up on your feet is good for anybody. If you have a volleyball court, invite your residents for a fun afternoon of a competitive ballgame.
Don’t let the lack of a volleyball court stop you from running with a fun idea. Work with what you have – if basketball or baseball is easier to pull off, that’s fine too.
Time to kick off the fun!
As has been noted, there are many ways to kick off the summer fun with your park residents. With all the summer plans on the horizon, you may want to build a community announcements board.
About Dan Paton
