It’s July already and that also means it’s time for the 4th of July weekend. Most years, you might host a cookout, play some games and light sparklers with your close friends and family. This year, however, will look a little different. You can still spend time with your loved ones, but with a few social distancing practices in place.
Sketch out your ideas
SOURCE: PIXELS
If you want to invite some guests, make sure you set up your furniture and keep enough space between everything. If you have a backyard, instead of lugging everything outside to figure it out, sketch out your ideas on a pad of paper. Draw rough circles or shapes to represent where you plan to but tables, chairs, the grill and fire pit.
Once you have a general idea of how you want things to look, you can get outside and move everything around.
Set up family tables
Set up your tables ahead of time so that guests can remain six feet apart. You might have to break out the tape measure for this task.
Wait until you have the full RSVP list to do this step — you don’t want to reserve table space for people that might not show up. Have placards that designate where families should sit, too, so that there’s no confusion.
Have a designated food area
SOURCE: PEXELS
If you spread the food out in multiple spots, guests might get in each other’s way and have a hard time social distancing. Instead, make one table or area for food only, then encourage families to load up their plates one at a time. Have one person serving food to avoid multiple people touching the same forks and spoons.
Create natural barriers
SOURCE: PIXABAY
People instinctively want to get close to chat. As the host, you can use furniture and outdoor items to create natural barriers and encourage social distancing. For example, a fire pit is an excellent focal point that people can loosely arrange chairs around. You can also set up decorative container plants, like sweet potato vines, geraniums and palms, to add space between seating.
Try a fireworks drive-in
If you can’t make it to a fireworks show this year, like the event at the San Diego County Fair, host your own display. You don’t have to get everyone in a tight-knit crowd, either. Instead, host a drive-in event.
Ask your friends and families to park their vehicles and watch you light off Roman candles, firecrackers and bottle rockets. If you don’t have space for lots of cars, set up a viewing area with beach chairs six feet apart.
Have fun, but stay safe this 4th of July
Everyone should stay safe and follow health guidelines during this time. However, you can still host a Fourth of July party and have a blast. Follow the tips above to throw a festive get-together and maintain social distancing.
AUTHOR: KACEY BRADLEY
Kacey Bradley is the blogger behind The Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Along with writing for her blog, she has written for sites like U.S. News, SUCCESS, Guides for Brides, Hotel Online and more!
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