Minnesota Night to Unite Neighborhood Block Party Packet

The Woodbury Public Safety Department recognizes that a neighborhood which has strong ties and a sense of community provides a high degree of safety and well-being to residents and their property. Block parties are a popular way for neighbors to meet and socialize.

Neighborhoods are encouraged to plan a block party during the summer months. The following information may assist you in planning and implementing your individual neighborhood block parties.

Getting started Here are some simple steps to get started: 1. Set date and location 2. Obtain necessary permits 3. Get equipment, making sure it’s in good condition 4. Plan menu and supplies 5. Set fees or donations, if needed 6. Send invitations to participants or post flyers around the neighborhood 7. Make rainy day alternate plan 8. Plan children, adult and family activities 9. Prepare awards if needed

Invite a Public Safety team member Neighbors can invite members of the Public Safety team (firefighters, police officers or emergency medical personnel) to their parties. If your neighborhood would like a Public Safety team member to come, it is encouraged that the party is held in conjunction with Minnesota Night to Unite, an annual event held on first Tuesday of August. Due to staff availability, there is a higher likelihood that staff will be able to attend events on this day.

Make sure to fill out the Special Event Request form online if you are requesting a visit from Woodbury Police, Fire or EMS. Visit the Police and Fire Tours and Events page to fill out a Special Event Request Form.

Plan the event Gather a few neighbors to help with the planning. Do what works for you, but respect your neighbors’ property and privacy. If you use the street for your party and need to block off access, keep in mind you cannot block residents who do not want to participate. Be sure that emergency vehicles are able to enter the area at all times.

Coordinate activities Your imagination is the limit when planning activities that will make your event memorable. Be sure to plan activities that accommodate for different age groups and are safe and fun. Some suggestions are listed below and others are detailed in the Block Party Game Ideas.  Water games  Obstacle course/relay races  Face painting  Sidewalk chalk art  Horseshoes, bocce ball or other lawn games  Bike decorating contest  Cakewalk  Scavenger hunts  Neighbor trivia

Keep it simple Potluck dinners are easy. Many people are near their homes, and it is likely convenient for them to use their own facilities and utensils. Ask neighbors to bring their own lawn chairs to the party site.

Helpful hint: Try picking a theme for your party:  Hat Party  Old Fashioned Picnic  Karaoke Night  Construction Party  Woodstock Returns  Cave Bash  Win, Lose, or Draw

Inform your neighbors Get the message out to everyone about a month or so prior, and distribute reminders the week of the event.

Helpful hint: Make your flyer/invitation catchy and informative. In addition to the date, time and place, list all necessary items to bring, such as food, beverages, ice and paper goods. Suggest extras, such as lawn chairs, coolers, bug spray, sunscreen and athletic equipment. Give a brief preview of the party agenda. List the contact information of organizers.

Have fun and keep it going Once the block party begins, relax and enjoy the fun! Visit with neighbors to gauge their interest in future activities of this type. Some neighborhoods may wish to plan regular activities that promote neighborhood interaction. Anything that fosters a sense of community is a welcome event in any neighborhood! Consider other events such as annual neighborhood garage sales, a spring clean-up, holiday parties and beautification projects.

Don’t forget! Keep the arrangements as simple as possible and the atmosphere relaxed and informal. Nametags are recommended, especially in newer neighborhoods. After all, the point is to get acquainted!

Block parties are a good place to discuss neighborhood concerns, but don’t make your block party into a business meeting. It is okay to distribute a newsletter or literature and circulate a sign-in sheet where neighbors can fill out a neighbor information sheet with contact information.

We look forward to receiving block party/Night to Unite Special Event Forms. We know that your neighborhood is a vital part of the community, and we are here to help you whenever we can.

Minnesota Night to Unite

Block Party Game Ideas

Ice Breakers Large gatherings often include people who don’t know each other well or perhaps haven’t seen each other for a long time. A few ice-breaker games will get things moving and get people acquainted.

 Who Am I: Make cards ahead of time with the names of famous people, characters or objects on them. As people arrive, tape a card on their back without letting them see it. Each person can ask others questions with “yes” and “no” answers (examples: “am I alive?”, “am I a sports star?”, or “am I green?”). When a person correctly guesses his/her identity, he/she may remove their card. The game is over when everyone has correctly guessed their identity.

 Mingle, Mingle: For this game everyone must get in a big group and mingle. A leader is selected who yells out pairs for people to match up with (example: “one person with earnings and one without”, “one person with blue eyes, one without, etc.). Immediately, the group must try to get into pairs corresponding with the leader’s call. Those who cannot find partners are out. The leader says “mingle, mingle” and the process is repeated until the next call is made. The last pair still participating is the winner.

Games for up to 6 years old

 Run Rabbit Run: The children are divided into two groups of rabbits and foxes. One area of the playing space is designated the rabbit’s home. The rest of the playing area is the woods. The foxes roam throughout the woods and the rabbits venture forth in search of food. An adult leader calls “run rabbit run”, which signals the foxes to chase the rabbits. If a rabbit is tagged, he or she becomes a fox until all rabbits are caught.

 Balloon Bat: Divide the group into two teams. Put rope across the playing field for a divider. An inflated balloon is tossed in the center and each team tries to have the balloon hit the ground on the opposite side.

 Big Snake: Begin by stretching out on stomachs and holding the ankles of the person in front of them to make a two person snake that slithers on the ground. They soon connect to four, six, etc., until the whole group is one Big Snake. Feats such as roll over mountains, wriggle through holes, up trees, etc., can be tried.

 Hot Potato: Pass a bean bag or ball in circle quickly. When leader blows whistle, the one who holds the bag or ball is out. Eliminate down to one person, or one person per team.

 Balloon Pop: Blow up balloons. Tie one to the ankle of each person, letting the balloon drag on an 18-inch string. The children try to pop others’ balloons by stepping on them without getting their own balloon popped. The last person with an un-popped balloon wins.

Games for 6-8 year olds

 BLOB: One person is it. When he tags someone, they connect to form a “BLOB”. Their outside hands can tag others, who must become part of the BLOB. Soon everyone gets caught. Set up short boundaries and decide how many times the BLOB is allowed to “split.”

 Bottle Snatch/Steal the Bacon: Teams of equal number face each other with a distance of approximately 20-50 feet between them. Number each person in the line consecutively having No. 1 at opposite ends of each line. Place an empty bottle, handkerchief, etc. in the center between the two lines. The leader then calls a number and the two players with that number run toward the item. They try to snatch it and get back to their line without being tagged. The other team cannot tag the “snatcher” until the item is touched. The “snatcher” can fake all they wish, but once the item is touched, it must be taken. Two points are scored each time a player is successful in returning to his line with the item. One point is scored for the opposite team if the attempt is unsuccessful.

 Yale Lock Race: Two contestants make a team. Members of each team stand side by side, each facing the opposite direction. Players lock right arms. At signal they run to the goal line about 20 yards distance, one player facing forward, the other backwards. The partners race to the goal line, then back to the starting point without turning around. The first team back is declared the winner.

 Paper Plate Toss: Place a waste paper basket or hat box on the floor. From a line 10 feet away, toss paper plates into container. Score 1 point each.

 Spoon and Potato Race: Each contestant carries a potato balanced on a teaspoon for a distance of 20 yards. The contestants walk or run with one hand behind their back. If the potato falls, the contestant who dropped it must “spoon it up” with only one hand before continuing.

Games for 9-13 year olds

 Wheelbarrow Race: Done by partners. One person holds the legs of his/her partner up in the air and that person walks on their hands to a designated spot where they change places and go back to the starting point.

 The Big Bite: One paper napkin for each contestant is spread out flat on the ground (about two feet apart) 25 yards from the starting line. Contestants line up on the starting line and at the word “go” race to the napkins, get down on their hands and knees and pick up the napkin with their teeth and race back to the starting line. Using hands disqualifies the contestant.

 Sack Race: An old favorite at every party. Each contestant is given a gunny sack. At a signal they jump into a sack, hold it waist high and hop to the finish line 20-30 yards away. Best on grass, or soft ground.

 Capture the Flag: Each team hangs a flag (rag) in their territory. The flag must be visible. At the whistle, teams may run into the enemy’s territory and try to capture the flag. If anyone is tagged in the enemy’s territory, they are taken prisoner. He or she can be rescued by a teammate who tags them free. Both get “free passage” home. A team wins when the enemy’s flag is captured and brought back to “home territory.”

Games for Adults

 Balloon Head: Partners stand face to face and each couple presses an inflated balloon between their foreheads and tries to walk 40 feet to the finish line, one of the pair walking backwards. If a balloon falls or bursts, the team is eliminated. The first couple across the line with the line with the balloon in place wins.

 Cracker Eating & Whistle: Each contestant is given a cracker and eats it at the signal. The first to whistle audibly is the winner.

 Toothpick Pass: Players on each team get a straw to hold in their mouth. A toothpick is placed in the starter’s straw. The object of the game is to transfer the toothpick from straw to straw to the end of the line faster than the other team can.

Relay Races

 The Downstairs Race: Bend knees, holding on to heels, walk to a certain line, walk back in same position and tag next teammate to begin.

 Dixie Cup Water Relay: Each teammate holds an empty Dixie cup by their teeth. The first person’s cup is filled with water. She or he tries to pour the water into the next person’s cup and so on down the end. The team with the most water in the last cup wins.

 Marshmallow-on-a-Spoon: Players run with a marshmallow on a spoon held in the mouth or hand to a bucket at the other end. The team with the most marshmallows at a given time (2-3 minutes) wins.

 Walk, Run, Hop Relay: Each player per team is assigned a specific locomotive movement (run, walk, hop, leap, skip, slide, or gallop) to the goal line and back.

Water Games

 SPLASH: The group sits in a circle and one person is chosen to be “it.” The chosen person picks a category (example: colors, kinds of cereal, cars, shoes, clothing items, candy, etc.) and tells the group. Without telling the players, “it” picks an item within the category (example: if the category is blue, he or she secretly choses red, blue, green, etc.). With a cup of water in their hand, “it” walks around the circle and each person tries names an item from the category out loud. The first person to name the same item that “it” has chosen gets SPLASHED. Then, a new “it” is chosen and the game continues with a new category. Paper cups work best.

 Drip, Drip, DROP: This game is played much like Duck, Duck, Gray Duck. The group sits in a circle, with one person being “it.” He or she goes around the circle and says drip, drip, drip, etc. with a cup of water in hand. When “it” is ready, they say “DROP!” and dump the water on the chosen person’s head. The person that got dropped chases “it” around the circle and back to their original spot. The person that was dropped on is now “it.” Paper cups work best.

 Water Balloon Toss: This is a partner game. Each set of partners lines up across from each other, about one foot away. One side is handed water balloons, at the signal the side with the balloons toss across to their partners. When the partner catches it both players take one step backwards. As balloons are dropped those teams are disqualified. The last team with the balloon and the most distance apart is the winner.

 Water Balloon 500: A group of people stand about 10-15 yards away from the “thrower.” The thrower grabs a water balloon and picks an amount (50,100,150,200, etc.). The number called is how much the balloon is worth if caught without breaking. Negative numbers can be called, as well. The first person in the group to reach 500 wins, and is the new thrower.

Have fun and be safe!

Minnesota Night to Unite Neighbor Information

Thanks for coming to celebrate with the neighborhood! Please provide some contact information about your family for a neighborhood contact sheet!

Family name Home address Phone number