After all the fuss and formality of the holidays, the casual fun and relaxed atmosphere of a Super Bowl party is a welcome change. Score big with die-hard sports fans and those just there for the ads with a no-frills game-day party that’s a cinch to pull together.
Pre-Game Planning
First of all, make sure your television is easy to see from a variety of vantage points. If you have televisions in more than one room, that’s even better.
You’ll want to provide plenty of seating, although some guests may prefer to stand and munch and mingle. Consider having one room, such as the dining room, available for those who would rather sit and chat than watch the game.
Planning a kid-friendly party? Designate a room for the kids to play in. Have plenty of board games or crafts on hand. Try cutting out football helmets in team colors and have kids decorate them for their favorite players. If you have an extra television with a DVD player or gaming console, ask them to bring their favorite DVDs and/or games to share.
Team Spirit
For decoration, think team colors, footballs and pennants. The easiest way to incorporate your theme is with paper plates, napkins and cups. And if you have time, create a playing field on the snack table. Cut out a green felt table runner or use a plain green table cloth and mark yard lines with white tape. You can find mini accessories (footballs, field posts) online or at a party store.
An Unbeatable Menu
Aside from clear reception on your television, the key ingredients of any winning Super Bowl party are the beverages and finger-licking snack foods.
Forget crantinis and champagne: ice-cold beer is all you need to have on hand to impress your guests. If you want to go the extra mile, stock up on brews that somehow reflect the name, mascot or hometown of the teams.
Hearty buffet-style finger foods offer the easiest, least pretentious way to fuel up a bunch of football fans. Just keep it simple, so you’re not stuck in the kitchen all day.
The can’t-miss, go-to classics include:
- Chips and dip
- Chili
- Subs
- Burgers and brats
- Chicken wings
- Barbecue with all the fixins’
For even more ideas, we asked around the office for some staff recipe favorites
Score with Games & Prizes
Challenge your guests to a few games and offer fun prizes to the winners. Kick off the party by having guests predict the game winner, final score and game MVP. During half-time play a football tossing contest and award the person who can throw the farthest or most accurately (if you have a tire swing or something similar).
If it’s too cold outdoors, play football charades. Divide guests into two teams and have them act out football terms you’ve prepared in advance. The team that guesses the most words wins. Some examples are cheerleader, helmet, referee, touchdown, coach and so on.
For a great kids’ game, play hot potato with a football. The last one standing wins. Or play Hide & Seek Football with game related items like team stickers and player cards to find. Everyone gets to keep what he or she finds.
And so the countdown to Super Bowl Sunday begins. Enjoy the big game!