Super Bowl Party Planning

The Super Bowl is a huge deal in most American households, whether your team is in the big game or not. Since most people wind up hosting gatherings for Super Bowl Sunday, I thought I’d share a few ideas for making your super bowl party one to remember.

Why wait until kick-off for your party to take shape? If you were actually at the big game, you’d be sitting on your tailgate, breathing in the aroma of freshly grilled meats and cold beer. Why not bring that fun to your own home? When sending out your invitations, be sure to announce that your party will start with tailgating at your place. Everyone should be encouraged to bring items that they’d normally bring to a tailgate party e.g. meats to grill, side dishes, chips and beverages. You can supply the paper plates and utensils and the grills. Guests should camp out on your front lawn, around your picnic table or in the back of their mini-vans, just like at the game! Have a radio or TV set up with the pre-game show and have a few footballs, baseball mitts and gloves, and frisbees out for people to toss around.

Explain to your guests that the contests are optional, but fun! Each guest can answer as many contest questions as they like, but for each question answered, they must include $1.00 for their bet.

Leave out several small sheets of paper or 3x5 cards and pens. Prepare several sheets with different game related questions on them and lay out along a table or counter top. In front of each question, place a medium sized bowl for guests to place their answer cards and $1.00 in. Be sure to tell them to write their names on the cards. Questions might include:

• Which team will score first?
• Which team will have more penalties?
• How many field goals will be kicked during the game (total)?
• How many yards will the longest FG of the game be?
• What will the point spread be at half time?
• How many times will QB x get sacked?
• Which player will have most rushing yards on the day?

At half time, answer those questions that can be answered at that point. At the end of the game, do the same. The winner gets all the money in the bowl that corresponds to that question.

Your invitation might specify that you are hosting a Super Bowl party in which each guest prepares their favorite chili recipe and brings it along. You supply the corn bread, shredded cheese, sour cream, oyster crackers and diced onions as well as the chili bowls. This is the perfect way to keep warm and fill up on a cold football Sunday.

Sure, the sponsors spend millions to put on a great half-time show, but you can have more fun and get guests moving around between halves with these great ideas.

Set up a karaoke machine and have your guests put on their own half time show. You can even rate each other’s performances and have a prize for the winner, who will be chosen based upon cheers and applause.

You might even have a half time field goal kicking contest. If your property is big enough, set up cones and mark your lawn with a 10 yard, 15 yard, 20 yard and 25 yard line as the distance from the cones. Players will draw cards and attempt to kick the field goal from the designated line. Keep track of how many people make and award a prize to the one who makes the most FGs.

You can purchase a large piece of plywood (10x10 ft). Saw a hole in it toward the upper end that is large enough to allow a wobbling football to pass through. Have two people hold up the board and others take turns throwing a football at the board. The object is to get the football to pass through the hole. Definitely not as easy as it sounds!

This is easy to do by simply placing a TV in each congregate space in the home. This includes the den, living room, kitchen and even bathroom! Of course the TVs will all be tuned in to the game. As a good host, you can play waiter or waitress and be sure that drinks and snack plates stay full at all times!

Whatever your plans, have a great Super Bowl Party!