Plan a Progressive Dinner

As an adult, maybe you’ve been to a progressive dinner. It’s fun because no one has to do all the work and hosting duties are shared. How about having a progressive dinner where the kids lead the way?

• Choose the stops. Get together with your neighborhood friends and plan the stop, and the order you’ll go in. The adults will probably have to do this part, unless you have a very logistically minded pre-teen. This can also be decided based on if someone is especially keen to make dessert.

• Choose the dishes. Now, for the fun part! Ask the kids in each household to come up with what they want to serve at their stop, perhaps their all-time favorite dish, and KEEP IT A SECRET! Parents might want to discuss, if anyone has food sensitivities, but they should not worry about whether the food will “go together”. This is an opportunity for the kids to share their favorite things with their friends – sheer delight!

• Keep it simple. Paper plates and plastic silverware are going to be your best friend, unless you want to wash plates at every stop. This is more about the time spent sharing hospitality and less about spending hours in the kitchen and on clean up.

• Encourage the kids to help. This is an awesome opportunity to teach your kids how to make their favorite dishes. I still have to look up a recipe for one of my favorite sides my Mom made for us growing up, I wish it was muscle memory! Start ‘em early!

Does this sound like something your family would enjoy, or would it stress you out not to have full control over the meal? What do you think your family would want to serve? Share your favorite recipes with us!

Originally posted on Kivity.com on June 1, 2022