The Invitation

Canada Day has historically been a fun and casual holiday and one our family looks forward to every year. In Canada, we love the “great outdoors,” commemorating our heritage, and spending time with our families.  What’s better than throwing a patriotic Canada Day BBQ or picnic spruced up by the traditional vibrant reds and crisp whites?

Every year, we host our family’s Canada Day BBQ.  We start with sending out either paper invitation or digital ones, giving all family members plenty of time to schedule it in. To celebrate our nation’s birthday, I usually decorate with plenty of Canadian Flags and red and white table settings.  The focus for this day is on family and interactive games.

Beaver Tails

Water and Lemonade Station

Table Setting

As everyone arrives, they were given a “beaver tail” in the form of a white bandana with red maple leaves on it. The object of the game is to grab other players’ “beaver tails” without losing your own. The only rule is that the beaver tail must be visible at all times and anyone may steal as many as they can. At the end of the day, the person with the most beaver tails wins a prize!

After appetizers, we gather in the back garden where we have Sack Races and Wheelbarrow Races followed by a Tug-of-War.  Then we divide the group into two teams and play Capture The Flag – assigning a flag to team A and B, dividing the playing field in half and assigning one half to each team and creating a border line in the middle.  Each team then needs to ‘hide’ their flag. The goal is for some members of team A and B to infiltrate the opposite side, steal the flag of the opposite team, and return it safely to their own side. The first team to do this wins!

Finally, we have a Scavenger Hunt – again with the same two teams.  Each team assigns a team captain and each team captain is given a list of the items to hunt.  All the players fan out to find the items. As each player finds an item, they put their team sticker on it and return it to home base. The team that finds the most items wins a prize.

By the end of the games, everyone is good and hungry so the burgers go on the BBQ.

While dessert is being served, the awards ceremony is held to acknowledge all the lucky winners. The prizes are all “Canada” related – small tokens such as Canadian Flag lapel pins, cell phone Canada Flag cases, and Canada Flag luggage tags are laughingly bestowed upon the winners. What a wonderful way to gather the group together, enjoy a little competitive activity, and acknowledge our shared heritage!

Sack Races

Scavenger Hunt Board

Salad with watermelon in the shape of maple leaves

Menu

A happy guest in front of bags of popcorn

If you wear red and white you get a prize

Group shot while kids were playing