Share an afternoon of delicious food, fun games, and, best of all, plenty of laughter.

Block Party Basics
• Telephone several families to help. Set up a meeting to pick a date and make plans.

• Contact your local police department about barricading the street. You might have to submit a special-event form and pay a small fee. Regulations will vary.

• Decide on a tentative menu, and figure out how you will divide the cost.

• Create invitations; be sure to include food and beverage assignments. Use the first letter of each family's last name to assign items (A-E brings side dishes, F-H desserts, etc.). Include requests for extra grills and coolers.

• Decide who will be in charge of what tasks. It helps to ask for more helpers than you really need. Something always comes up, and a few people will back out.

• Set up food stations around the street for easy access. Use sturdy tables for serving.

• Practice food safety by keeping perishable foods in coolers or in trays of crushed ice.

• Consider ages of adults and children when planning activities such as playing in the sprinkler, drawing with sidewalk chalk, and playing T-ball or musical chairs.

Creamy and tangy Egg-and-Olive Potato Salad is sure to be a hit. Place chilled foods in larger trays of ice to maintain safe temperatures.

Shape nonedible Fun Dough into squares for clever block party favors that will delight children. It's so much fun to play in the road. Close off the street in your neighborhood, and start your own festive celebration. With a little teamwork and tempting recipes, a block party will create fond memories. Here's a menu that everyone will love.

"Summer Living: Host a Block Party" is from the July 2006 issue of Southern Living.