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Planning and hosting a championship game party can be stressful. Learn championship game party basics, and a few tips and tricks to host a stress-free big game party.
A championship game party.
The thought of planning and hosting it creates a lump of dread in your throat. Scattered ideas spin around in your head until you can’t see straight. You’re so busy with everything else that your knees wobble at the thought of adding a party on top of your already-overflowing plate.
Guess what? I have answers for you.
You can host a fun, stress-free championship game party with some easy prep work, and a short list of supplies.
How to Host a Stress-Free Big Game Party
The path to a stress-free championship game party is having a plan, taking action, and keeping it simple.
Here’s a basic game plan (See what I did there?) for planning and hosting a stress-free championship game party. Below this quick and easy championship game party checklist, you’ll find more detailed information and tips on some of the checklist items.
- Invite guests
- Plan menu
- Decide on activities
- Get a final headcount for guests
- If you’re asking guests to bring a dish, confirm what they’ll bring
- Ensure you’ll have enough seating – borrow chairs or ask guests to bring a folding chair if needed
- Buy paper goods – plates, bowls, cups, napkins, forks, knives, spoons, disposable table cloths
- Choose and buy party favors
- Buy some pre-packaged snacks to round out your buffet
- Clean the public areas of your house (Kitchen, living room, bathrooms) – you can use my free monthly cleaning checklist or check out my post on keeping your house clean to get your house clean in the week leading up to your party!
- Move furniture and set up serving tables and paper goods
- Prepare food
- Arrange buffet
Paper Goods
Fun paper goods give your party a festive feel, and save you from having to do a ton of dishes afterward. Sounds like a stress-free championship game party to me!
I like to have at least twice as many plates, bowls, and cups as I have guests. the last thing you want is to run out of paper goods and start pulling plates out of your cabinet!
You can get matchy-matchy with coordinated plates, bowls, cups, and napkins. Or, you can go with team colors for both teams. When push comes to shove, plain white products will do just fine.
A disposable themed or colored tablecloth is also nice. You know, to cover up the Mod Podge stains on your craft table cum buffet stand.
Personally, I don’t buy paper goods with the individual team’s name or logo. They tend to be more expensive because they are NFL-licensed, so I steer clear.
Big Game Party Favors
Everyone loves getting a little gift at a party! It doesn’t have to be anything big – something fun and themed always does well. Here are some cute championship game party favor ideas:
Football rubber duckies. Aren’t these adorable? They’re unique and unexpected. I’d love to get this as a party favor and have it floating in my bubble bath! It’s probably the most fun I’d have with football ever. Ha, joking! (Sort of)
Mini foam fingers. Because the full-sized ones will be hitting other party guests in the face.
Mini cowbells. I have a fever, and the cure is mini cowbells!
Cowbells are a favorite at many sporting events (Unless you’re sitting next to the guy with the giant cowbell). They create excitement and enthusiasm. These pint-sized bells will ring life into your party, and make a nice favor for guests.
Mini football stress balls. These are fun to toss around, and will come in handy if your favorite team loses! And if your stress-free championship game party becomes even the least bit stressful… well, you know.
Big Game Party Activities
We all know it… no one goes to a championship game party just to watch the game. A hallmark of a stress-free championship game party is guests who are enjoying themselves and each other.
How do you achieve that? Provide some additional activities for guests to avoid boredom and keep the party from getting stale.
Games and activities allow partygoers to stretch their legs, connect with others, and escape the halftime show. (Or the game itself!) Getting guests to engage in a little friendly competition also adds to the fun and elevates the mood of the party.
My Favorite Big Game Party Games
Cornhole. Also known as bean bag toss in some areas. This is always a hit at my get-togethers. It’s easy, fun, and appropriate for all ages. Get a football-themed set, or one with your favorite team’s logo.
Darts. Darts have become a forgotten party game, but they’re so enjoyable and can get super competitive! I like to protect my wall from wayward darts by taping a wide piece of cardboard to the back of the board. If the board won’t lay flat as a result, you can hang it using a longer piece of twine. That’ll help flatten it out.
Football. Seems obvious, right? Believe it or not, watching 2 awesome quarterbacks lob the ball inspires people to try their own hand at a spiral. Why not get in on the action by tossing around the pigskin?
Take that impromptu football game outside, though. You don’t need your living room lamp on the receiving end of an incomplete pass.
Easy, Stress-Free Big Game Party Games
You can also check out this list of 10 football party games. They’re quick, easy championship game party games that don’t require a ton of supplies.
Cooking and Baking for the Big Game
As I said earlier, one of the best things about championship game parties is the food! Create a unique experience for your guests with these culinary tools:
Football-themed cookie cutters. “Oh look, they’re little footballs!” (Tell me you remember that from Ace Ventura!) Seriously though, the little things are what make parties special. Football, helmet, and jersey-shaped cookies are sure to up the awesome factor at your party.
If you have kids (or adults) coming who aren’t terribly interested in watching the game, why not offer cookie decorating as an alternate activity?
Or, have a 1-handed cookie decorating competition during halftime! Tie 1 hand behind each competitor’s back and have each decorate a cookie. The person with the best-looking cookie wins!
Football cake pop molds. Because, cake pops. These would also be fun to do with rice cereal treats or melted chocolate. Could you shape the cake pops or cereal treats by hand? Sure. Mine always look, um, irregular, so I go for the mold.
Crock Pot Swing and Serve slow cooker. I don’t have a cavernous kitchen, so serving space is at a premium. This triple-duty trio of slow-cookers/food warmers frees up counter space and allows you to offer a variety of warm foods. If you’re stressed about space, this thing is a life saver.
You could do pulled pork or chili in the bottom pot, or drop your buffalo wings in to keep them warm (Add this Budweiser wing sauce and they’ll be golden!).
Cheese dip, Vienna sausages, or fajita veggies would be awesome in the duo of mini Crock Pots up top.
You could also do a pasta bar with marinara and alfredo sauces above, and football-themed pasta below.
Big Game Snacks
Cute cookies and fancy foods are awesome, but premade snacks are perfect for grazing and make less work for you. One of the biggest secrets to a stress-free championship game party is probably choosing unique, premade snacks. As a result, you’ll beef up your buffet with just a tiny bit of effort, and be able to focus more of your time on preparing your main dishes.
Let’s go beyond the roasted peanuts and snack mix with some newsworthy nibbles, in rapid fire:
- Guinness chips. (Yes, Guinness, like the beer)
- Guinness fudge. (Even more weird, right? Again, Guinness like the beer!)
- Variety pack of healthy snacks. Because there’s always that 1 person at the party wishing for something healthy to eat. (Usually it’s me)
- Jell-O shots. Okay, not exactly unexpected, but always a hit nonetheless. My tips – make only about 2 per person, and ensure everyone has a designated driver!
- Bacon cheddar peanuts and chili lime peanuts. I always love surprising my guests with unexpected – and delicious – versions of classic party snacks.
- Crispy jalapenos. These crunchy, spicy little rounds are the best on top of chili, tacos, burgers, and nachos.
Stress-Free Big Game Party: Conclusion
Hosting a championship game party can be overwhelming. But with some on-point paper goods, football-themed party favors, fun activities, unique snacks, and the right cooking supplies, your party will be bouncing in no time.