Just because the Big Game is only a few days away doesn't mean it's too late to plan on hosting a party!
Whether your other plans fell through, your SO decided they really, really, really want to have everyone over, or you've decided you'd rather host so you don't have to battle the winter elements to go to another party, we've got you covered. No matter what team ends up winning, your party will be the biggest win of them all.
Don't worry too much about decorations--all you really need is food and a TV.
Food & Snacks
Everyone knows that the most important part of a party is having the right kind of food. For Sunday, think of it as a kind of indoor tailgate. There's no need for extravagance here, though--the diehard fans are going to be more concerned about watching the tv, anyway.
Munchies: Everyone likes snacks to munch on because they require less focus to eat. Plus, nothing's easier than opening up a bag of potato chips and tossing them into a bowl, right? Pretzels, popcorn, mixed nuts, crackers with cheese, and écrudits with dip to munch on are easy favorites for large gatherings like these. Plus, you can tell everyone to bring a bag of their favorite snacks to share!
Buffet: If you want to include "food food" on your Super Bowl menu, setting up a buffet is much, much easier that trying to plan a traditional dinner. Everyone can take what they want when they want it. Leave everything in the kitchen or set up the buffet on your dining room table with all necessary plates, napkins, and dinnerware.
Hands-On Food: If you're going with a buffet setup, you can still keep it simple. Finger foods and hors d'oeuvres are excellent options. Stay away from recipes and foods that are more high maintenance and require constant supervision or modification. If a food needs to be kept and served hot, for example, limit your choices to those that can be left in a crockpot. Nobody wants to be kept busy at the stove when a game-changing interception happens. Crock pot chili, hot dogs, wings, or pizza are excellent choices. If you plan on ordering pizza or wings, don't wait until the last minute--this Sunday is going to be a busy day for most pizza shops.
Festive Snacks: Keep things interesting by theming some of your treats! Buy candies that match the teams' colors, for instance. For this year's game, you can't go wrong with a lot of black, red, white, and blue. With Valentine's day approaching, too, you can try some DIY chocolate-dipped strawberry footballs--just add some white icing "laces." You can also try making these Oreo football cookie balls.
Drinks: To keep things simple and easy, stick to bottled and canned drinks. This way you don't have to worry about ice, cups, and hopefully fewer spills if everything is contained. If you have room in your refrigerator you can keep them all in there for easy access or in coolers (or even outside depending on the weather!).
Entertainment
If there are going to be little ones at your party (or anyone else who is only interested in the commercials), consider having some activities that they could enjoy.
Board Games and Puzzles are an adult alternative to football watching, and the younger ones can enjoy these, too! Dedicate a space away from the television where fellow non-watchers can congregate and play games/socialize.
Coloring is an easy and relatively mess-free activity for all ages. If you don't have any coloring books on hand, you can easily print out free coloring book pages from websites like Crayloa.com. They have themed pages, including sports, so you can print off football coloring pages, as well as animals, Disney characters, and more.
Adults and children alike enjoy bingo. To keep everyone's interest, Studio DIY has a free printable Game Day Bingo available on their website here. Keep some small prizes on hand for the winners--candy, foam footballs, or even a Replica Trophy.
For the adults attending your party, you can always make things interesting by starting your own pool. You can find easy instructions on how to create your own pool here.
Now might not be the best time to think about your TV, but if you (or anyone else in your house) have been looking for an excuse to buy something bigger, now's the time. Besides Black Friday shopping sales, TVs tend to be discounted more in the 2 weeks leading up to the Big Game.
Finally, it's important to make sure you have enough comfortable seating for your guests! Small ottomans, poufs, or oversized pillows are great for small children who don't mind sitting on the floor.
If there's not enough room on your sofa and chairs for your guests, don't hesitate to ask if anyone wouldn't mind bringing a spare seat or two. You never know who has a beanbag or spare camping chair they wouldn't mind bringing with them. Setting up a designated "kids space" for the little ones not interested in football would leave more room for adults around the tv, and would also give the kids more room to color or enjoy their own activities.
