The Super Bowl isn’t just the biggest game of the year: it’s also an opportunity to party! If you’re planning a Super Bowl party this year, there are many things you should do to prepare for the big event. Making the guest list, planning the food, choosing a theme, and buying the decorations are all steps you’ll need to take to plan your event at home.
Getting started early is key to ensuring that you’ll have the crowd you want to have, and will be able to accommodate them in your home. Here’s what to do to kick off the planning process.
Make the Guest List First
Making the guest list is the first plan of action when planning nearly any party. This is important because once you’ve established the guest list and invited your friends, you’ll be able to plan everything else around how many guests you can expect. Waiting for RSVP’s can take a little while, so it’s important to invite your guests early.
Planning is harder when you don’t know how many people will be there, so be sure to establish an RSVP deadline that gives you enough time to purchase everything you’ll need for the event. When you’re trying to determine who should come, ask yourself how many people you can accommodate. For friends who have kids, spouses, or significant others, add the whole gang to your head count.
Make a Food Plan
Have a rough idea of the food you’d like to serve, even before you know exactly how many people will be coming. Once everyone has responded to the RSVP, then you can finalize the plans. Unless you’re planning to have the event catered, plan to serve food that’s ready-made (deli food) or can be prepared in advance, so you won’t spend the whole day in a kitchen.
Unless you happen to know every dietary requirement from every guest in attendance, plan to have foods that serve a range of people, including some vegan options. Self-serve options are best because they’re easy for you and give your guests control over their meal. For example, a taco bar with a range of taco fillings including meat and beans would serve vegetarians, vegans, and people who eat meat.
Plan to serve a range of drinks and give your guests many beverage options. Remember that your guests will want a lot of ice for their drinks. Accommodate this need by buying ice and keeping it in coolers where people can reach it.
Choose a Theme, Buy Decorations
Decorations make parties more fun, and themes make decorating easier by providing you with direction for making it happen. You can choose your theme even before you’ve sent out the guest invitations, and can incorporate the theme into the invitation design.
If you’re not sure what type of theme to choose, consider going to your local party store, where you can see different themes in action. This will make it easier to choose your theme, and you’ll know for sure where you can get the decorations you need. If you can’t find the decorations you need for the chosen theme, consider online sources for party favors.
Have a Plan for the Kids
If you’re inviting families with kids, assume they’ll be bringing their children. Many kids don’t care about the Super Bowl and can add chaos to your party space, so have a plan for where the kids can spend time while they’re at your event. If you have a play room or family room, this is best. If there is a television in the room, plan to put on a movie. Stock the room with toys, crayons, coloring books, and games on hand for kids of all ages.
If you don’t feel this will be a good party for children, specify your guests in advance. Not all parents may be able to leave their kids at home, so consider this carefully as you decide not to allow children at the party.
Have Games Ready
Kids aren’t the only ones who can benefit from games at your Super Bowl party! Plan to provide games to your other guests as well. You can play games before the Super Bowl starts, or you may even choose to play Super Bowl themed games during the football game itself.
Super Bowl Bingo, Super Bowl Trivia games, prediction games, and others can help make your Super Bowl party more enjoyable for guests. Know the rules in advance so you can quickly explain them to the people at your party. If the game requires pieces, be sure to have enough for all the people who may want to play.
Make It An Outdoor Party, or Both Indoors and Outdoors
One way to make your Super Bowl party more enjoyable is to utilize your home’s outdoor space. Outdoor hosting is fun and can help keep the mess outside.
Even if you want to utilize indoor as well as outdoor space, taking the party half outdoors can give guests more room for mingling. If you have outdoor living space like an outdoor kitchen, plan to use this area for guest overflow, mingling, and serving drinks. If it’s an option, set up an outdoor television for easy game viewing.
It’s at times like this that multi-panel sliding glass doors can make life easier. When fully opened, these patio doors create an indoor-outdoor space that is accessible to all your guests. Having the right windows and doors for parties just makes life easier.
Enjoy Your Super Bowl!
Now is the perfect time to be planning your upcoming Super Bowl party. As you think of Super Bowl Party ideas, write them down. Keeping these ideas flowing and recording them before you forget is a great way to ensure that your Super Bowl Party will be memorable and enjoyable.
