Description: This casual Christmas Cookie Exchange is a great way for young adults to gather and get to know one another while sharing yummy treats.
Get Ready
- Prep Time: Start planning six weeks in advance in order to have plenty of time to reserve a location. Begin advertising three to four weeks prior to the event and encourage young adults to sign-up to participate.
- Volunteers Needed: One host if held at someone’s home. Two to three volunteers needed for setup and cleanup if held at a parish.
- Supplies: Each young adult brings approximately three dozen cookies to share with the group. A container or bag will be needed for each young adult participating to collect their exchanged cookies. The host can provide the container or the invitation should ask each participant to bring their own. Also, the host may want to provide some savory snacks as well, since there will be many sweets with all the cookies to share.
- Reserve the Space: Ask someone to host the cookie exchange in their home or reserve space at the parish. If held at the parish, reserve the space at least six weeks before the event.
- Ideal Group Size: 35 to 40
- Who is this for? Any young adults, single, married, with or without children.
- When is a good time for this? An evening or weekend.
- Publicize the Program:
- Advertise in young adult e-mails and in the bulletin of the parish where the event is being held.
- Use social media to create an event and ask young adults to RSVP.
Prayer for Program Planner: God, we thank you for this opportunity to gather as our community of young adults. May this evening be filled with spirit-filled conversations and deepened friendships. Amen.
Community Building: This event allows a small community of young adults to gather during the Christmas season.
Make It Happen
- In advance, reserve your location and recruit volunteers (if hosting at a parish). Publicize the event and collect RSVPs.
- The day of the event, set up a table (or tables) where the many containers of cookies can be displayed. Have placards available for the name of each cookie to be displayed.
- Have containers or bags available or ask each person to bring a container for the cookies they collect during the exchange. Each young adult can then taste the cookies that are appealing to them.
- Have a separate table set up with some savory snacks and beverages to offset the many sweets already available.
- Adding some Christmas music in the background is a nice touch for this festive event.
Ideas
- Married couples with young children may want to gather as families and have a cookie exchange with their children. They could set up an area for the children to decorate their own cookies.
- To share the recipes of all the cookies, each group can set up a Drop Box folder to deposit the recipes. Then each individual can retrieve any of the recipes they would like to use.
Help
