Family Fun Ideas for Ice Cream Month 

Did you know that July is National Ice Cream Month? That’s a month of sweet, delicious, sugary ice cream goodness! Former President Ronald Reagan proclaimed July National Ice Cream Month in 1984 and Americans have been savoring the excuse for icy sweetness ever since. With such a wonderful reason to break out the ice cream scooper and make some sweet family memories, it’s the perfect time to have some creative fun, like trying one of these 15 homemade milkshake recipes!  These family fun ideas for ice cream month are sure to be a summertime crowd-pleaser!

Make Your Own Ice Cream

If you’ve never made your own ice cream before, July is the perfect time to do it. You can make healthy and delicious Banana Ice Cream. No matter how you make it, your kids will love eating the tasty treat as much as they enjoy making the ice cream itself!  You can even make ice cream in a bag!   You can even make ‘skinny’ ice cream sandwiches:

Have an Ice Cream Party

Every summer we host an Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Party for our family and neighbors. We decorate the dining room to look like an ice cream parlor and get ready for some cool, summer fun. We line the table with just about every topping imaginable and have about a dozen different flavors of ice cream for people to choose from.

Friends and family can make banana splits, root beer floats, sundaes, or cones that are overflowing with ice cream goodness. We tried having the party outside the first year we did it, but it was too warm and everything quickly became a melted mess. So, if you have enough room inside, we definitely recommend that you head indoors.

Play Ice Cream Memory Match

Since we can’t eat ice cream all day every day during the month of July, we like playing ice cream games, as well. I created Ice Cream Memory Match to keep the kids engaged last summer and it’s been a favorite ever since. I printed it out on cardstock and laminated the cards (you can use a laminator or clear contact paper) so that they’ll last for years to come. Everything gets stored in a zippered bag and it’s not unusual to find the kids playing it throughout the year. It’s just a fun, simple, kid-friendly game!  (find it here)

Go to a Dairy Farm

We’re lucky enough to live near a dairy farm where they sell ice cream they make from their cows. To us, it tastes infinitely better than ice cream from the frozen food aisle at the grocery store! It’s a special treat and the farm store usually has a month of specials in July to celebrate National Ice Cream Month too.

Make Fried Ice Cream

Make Ice Cream Bread
We love to make this two ingredient ice cream bread!  Add whichever flavors your kids like the best & make your own!

Celebrate the tasty goodness that is ice cream this summer and build memories that will last a lifetime. Whether you make your own, get it at the store, or head to a farm to scoop some up, ice cream can be the bond that helps your family stick together during the hot, summer months! Enjoy!