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Stay At Home Street Party

Posted on 17 Apr, 2020 by Sarah Hart

Lots of people are now talking about a Stay At Home VE Day party….and why not?! We can’t mark the occasion with a Street Party due to current restrictions, so let’s hold a celebration in our gardens or homes. I think it’s a fabulous idea!

VE Day celebrations

In a few weeks, many people will be hoping to mark a landmark anniversary of the day the Allied Forces won the Second World War. Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) will have its 75th anniversary on Friday 8th May. As part of festivities around this date, the early May Bank Holiday was moved from the first Monday of the month. However, with the current coronavirus pandemic lockdown measures, this has put a dampener on plans people may have had to mark the anniversary.

With the government’s announcement this week of another 3 weeks in lockdown bringing us up to 7th May, this year’s May Day bank holiday is almost certainly going to be spent in lockdown. So let’s look to celebrate with a “Stay At Home Street Party.”

Ideas for a Stay At Home Street Party

1. Decorate your house in red, white and blue!
2. Get the kids to help create Union Jack bunting to string up in the garden or on the front of your house.
3. Hold a picnic where ever you can – inside if it’s raining or have no garden, in your front garden/drive or your back garden.
4. Get the face paints out and paint one another’s faces in your family in red, white and blue.
5. Younger children might like to make paper crowns.
6. Put together a few traditional garden games lists (see below for more ides on this)
7. Participate in the 2 minutes silence at 3pm, marking the exact moment when Winston Churchill announced that the war in Europe was over.
8. Create a WWII quiz for the family to join in – you can include other family members not in your home and all use Zoom to play along.
9. Join in the with BBC One’s singalong as part of their VE Day broadcast.
10. Spread the word on your street – post invitations through the neighbour’s doors inviting them to do the same (maintaining social distancing of course!)

Garden Games Ideas

Skittles – Unless you have a set of these already, collect up some plastic bottles over the next few weeks, half fill with water to add some weight to them and get bowling!

Garden Quoits – This is a family game that everyone can have a go at, simply throw the rope rings at the scoring pegs – the highest score wins. If you haven’t got a quoits set (and let’s face it, I’m guessing most of us haven’t!) you can have a go at making your own. I’m setting my children the challenge of making us a set using plastic bottles glued to some pieces of wood that we’ve got kicking around in the garage. But if you don’t fancy making your own, these are reasonably priced: https://www.traditionalgardengames.com/products/garden-quoits

Keepy-Uppy Challenge – how many keepy-uppys can each family member manage?

Obstacle Course Race – design an obstacle course in the garden and time each family member. Who’s the fastest?!

Egg & Spoon Race – all you need are some hard-boiled eggs and kitchen spoons (younger family members could have larger serving spoons) and hold races in the garden.

Boules – Collect up your tennis balls and 1 golf ball and play your own version of Boules!

Involving younger children

Thomas The Hero: VE Day – Published just this month, Thomas the Tank engine lovers will love this story, in which Thomas learns all about the role of the planes and heros from the WW2.

Paper Chains – with a little help over the next few week, even younger children can help glue strips of red, white and blue paper to create paper chains to decorate your home on VE Day.

Colouring pages – Twinkl have a whole range of VE Day/WW2 themed worksheets for primary age children. Here’s a colouring sheet suitable for younger KS1 children: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/ks1-ve-day-colouring-page-t-tp-69696

Ice-lollies– have a go at making red, white and blue ice-lollies – basic idea HERE – but perhaps have strawberries, vanilla smoothie and blueberries (which a tiny drop of blue food colouring) for the flavours!

Baking – Let your children bake with you ready for the party. Help them decorate a cake using blueberries and strawberries to make a union jack pattern. Or, make some buns and help your little ones make cupcake Union Jack flags from these print outs (only gluing needed!): http://www.earlylearninghq.org.uk/celebrations-festivals/diamond-jubilee/union-jack-cupcake-flags/

Photograph Your Day

Yes, we are celebrating an historical event, but we’re also creating history right now. Your grandchildren and great grandchildren will love to hear about what we all got up to in the Coronavirus pandemic lockdown! Make sure your camera to hand and document your day. Whether you dress up 1940s style, design a feast fit for a king and queen, or spend the day in giggles, take photos! This too is a bit of history. Record your day with lots of family photos (mums, set your self timer and make sure you jump in some images too!) Here’s why it’s important for mums to also exist in family pictures.

I’ve put together this VE Day Celebrations Pinterest Board for further ideas and inspiration on celebrating VE Day at home this year.

There’s a huge amount you can do to create a special Stay At Home Party! Leave your ideas in the comments to share with others – I’d love to hear from you!

So, get planning (involve the kids in the planning too) and I’m sure we will all share a happy Stay At Home Street Party to commemorate VE Day. All we need now is some fabulous sunshine!

Enjoy!

Love, Sarah x

PS. Don’t forget the Pimms for the adults!