We’ve all seen the viral board parties that have taken over social media the last couple years. A host hosts a “board party”, informing guests that the usual ‘party favor’ they bring should be in the form of a themed board filled with fun foods and treats.
Last week, I was invited to my first board party. Queue a wave of anxiety to wash over me in full force. I had always labeled myself as the ‘bad gift giver,’ it seemed to me that I didn’t possess the thoughtfulness bone in my body when it came to bringing materialistic gifts. Much like other people, I also possess the fear of not bringing a good enough board. I know I know, this is an incredibly stupid thought, I mean how can you bring a “bad board” -a board is a board. But I fear not all boards are made equal. Leading up to this party, I think I panicked a bit too much, when truthfully it did not deserve that level of thought. After suffering my own overthinking thoughts for the 2 weeks leading up to this night, I wanted to create a comprehensive list of the night’s board hits but also my tips!
My first tip, stay simple! The best boards are the ones that weren’t executed too far.
My personal winner of the night ….. (Drum roll please).
Chicken Nuggets! Yup, a chicken nuggets board. That’s all it was, chicken nuggets and sauce. I would argue that most people lean to the sweet idea of a dessert board but before all the chocolate and candies were gone the chicken nuggets were the first to disappear.
Which leads into my next tip of the night – Bring real food. People are hungry and want sustenance. I’ve learned from my mistakes and will 100% be bringing something easy and filling.
While the nuggets were obviously a hit here is a list of other ideas:
- Chocolate board: All things chocolate: cookies, peanut butter cups, chocolate pretzels, chocolate covered strawberries, oreos.
- Dip and Chips (a classic): Bring your favorite dips whether that be Guacamole, Queso or anything else fun!
- Candy board
- Trader Joes Board: Literally just a variety of sweet and salty Trader Joes snacks
- Cheese Board (another classic)
- Drink board – be creative
- Country board: A board full of snacks and treats from your culture or home county
- Fruits and whipped cream board