FIVE TIPS FOR HOSTING A BIG-GAME PARTY

Around here, we’ll throw a party for just about any occasion! When a big game is on, we love to get everyone together with good food, fun games and (of course) a few decorations! Hosting a Game-Day Party doesn’t have to be difficult!or expensive! Here are my FIVE TIPS for hosting a SUPER big-game party:

1. Set up two viewing areas Seriously, this is a game changer! Whenever you’re hosting a party on game day, you have to know, your gang will be split into two groups: the die-hards who want to watch every minute of the game, and the socials who are there for the party. My best tip for keeping the peace and creating a party that everyone will enjoy is to set up two viewing areas! For the Superbowl, we set up the main family room for the die-hards and created a second viewing area in the dining room for everyone else. It was as easy as moving the dining room table to the center of the room, bringing in a small couch, and setting up a second tv. We dubbed it the “commercial” room and it was a hit! In the commercials room we chatted throughout the game without fear of being “Shushed” – it was perfect and everyone had a great time!

2. Plan some conversation starters On game day, the MAIN event is watching the game – but that doesn’t mean your whole party has to be spent lazing in front of the TV. Plan a few easy to play activities for your guests to enjoy during the game. During the Superbowl, we played “Rate-The-Commercial” where guests rate commercials one (change the channel) or five (LOVE it!) It was a fun activity that was SO easy to put together! Simply type up the cards, print them on cardstock, and glue both cards with a craft-stick in-between.

3. Play Games. Always play games!  My crew LOVES  games – so we play a game (or two) at every party. Game-day-games should be easy to play while not taking away from the TV viewing (think BINGO). We LOVE to make “squares” (aka box grid pool). A Box Grid Pool keeps the game interesting for all party guests because even people with no working knowledge of the game have a fair chance of winning. At our house, no money is exchanged; the way we play is that all guests get the same number of squares and the winner of each quarter wins a scratch off lottery ticket. Keep it fun. Keep it simple. Keep your guests interested!

4. Decorate Creating a fun atmosphere doesn’t have to be difficult (or expensive) Simply incorporate your favorite teams’ colors into the serving ware and table linens, hang up a thematic banner, and set up an appealing food/drink table. I always have a roll of brown kraft paper on hand – it makes a perfect backdrop for a photo booth and a great base for dessert table. For football games, use a ruler and a little white paint to draw field lines onto the kraft paper for a thematic (and easy!) diy table cloth.

5. Have plenty of FOOD Game Day and Good Eats go hand in hand. Stick with classic game-day grub or treat your crew to a fresh menu; either way, a successful big-game-party-menu is full of easy-to eat foods and icy cold drinks. This is not the party for a multi-course, sit down meal. Keep it simple and your guests will love it

Do you have a tip for hosting a SUPER big-game-party? I’d love to hear it!
Please share in the comments below! xx