Regardless of if you’re a Carolina Panthers or Denver Broncos fan, or even a football fan at all, for that matter, celebrating the Super Bowl is an all-American pastime that can’t be missed—the perfect excuse to gather with family and friends among nachos, wings, original commercials and plain old good times. If you’re the host of this year’s festivities, no need to panic! Here are the three main components of hosting a Super Bowl party at home that’s an all-around win, no matter which team claims the victory.
The Décor
Adding decorations for the occasion has the power to set the entire atmosphere from the get-go. If you love DIY, then you’re in luck! There are plenty of creative ideas out there for a football-themed party, most of them extremely simple, such as coasters cut out of AstroTurf to resemble a football field, which can be purchased at any hardware store. Real Simple even suggests taking it a step further with an interactive table runner made out of chalkboard contact paper. Draw on the lines of a football field, and encourage guests to strategize their own plays throughout the evening. Of course, incorporating football décor throughout your home is another approach to take. According to celebrations.com, football-shaped confetti, cut-outs, garlands and more can add a nice touch.
The Activities
Let’s face it—not everyone is going to be paying attention to the game. To keep the party lively, be sure to have some activities lined up for the night. Bingo is a Super Bowl party favorite! A Taste of Home advises creating your own cards with key words associated with the game such as “first down,” “punt,” or “field goal,” and plan to give prizes to the first person to fill his or her card. Today Home also shares downloadable bingo cards for the commercials at half time for a variation of this game. Another suggestion involves setting up a pool of predictions for the final scores at the end of each quarter. Real Simple suggests additionally having each guest predict the winner’s final score at the start of the night. Whoever has the closest number wins.
The Snacks
Food presentation can be a wonderful opportunity to showcase your creativity, and supplement any football-related decorations you may already have on display. Serve simple appetizers that all will enjoy, like cheese, crackers and pepperoni, and position them in the shape of a football. Today Home also shares the recipe for a “stadium seven-layer dip,” which amazingly creates the image of a field with sections of guacamole, spinach dip, lettuce, tomato, cheese dip as well as yard lines and end zones of sour cream. A Taste of Home has nine additional delicious football-shaped appetizers, sandwiches and more for you to try out. Real Simple advises the use of mostly finger foods to keep things casual and opportunities to snack throughout the night available for guests at all times. Food Network agrees, sharing “all-in-one-bite” recipes that are easy to eat, allowing guests to mingle or stay focused on the game.
