It is that time of year again and even though the Bengals season didn’t go as most of us Cincinnatians had hoped, we can still enjoy the rest of football season and, of course, the Big Game! My family and I host a party every year, no matter who is playing, and we find ways to make it fun, even if the teams playing aren’t the ones that are near and dear to our hearts. So, I am here to share with you some tips and party games we do to make the Big Game Day fun for everyone!
Football-Themed Food
No game day is complete without food! There are the typical game snacks, dips and appetizers, but we try to make sure there are some type of football-themed foods, too. My mom always makes Jell-o jigglers in the colors of the teams that are playing, and I usually have some type of football cookies or cake, too!
Football Squares
This party game makes watching the football game a little bit more fun, especially if you don’t care who wins. All you need is poster board and guests willing to buy some squares. Fill the poster with a row of 10 and a column of 10, making 100 squares. Assign one team rows, one team columns, then randomly put numbers in all the squares. Next people can buy each square by putting their initials in a square. You decide the amount per square for whatever is preferred by you and your guests. At the end of each quarter, check the score, and the person who bought the square that matches the last number of each team’s score wins the money! We usually do a winner a quarter, which means the pot is divided in fours, but you could do the half or the whole game for one big prize!
Decorations
Simple football decorations can help your Big Game party come to life! I have generic decorations like a grass field tablecloth and football-shaped bowls and dishes that are easy and convenient because they go with whatever teams are playing since nothing is color coordinated. I love this because I can reuse the same ones year after year!
Wardrobe
No football party is complete without the right team colors! Even if you had to store your favorite team’s jersey away for the season (sigh, Bengals), you can still coordinate with the teams that are playing. If you don’t have a jersey or shirt from the teams that are playing, you and your guests can still coordinate your wardrobes by wearing the color of the team you want to win!
Bingo
This has become one of my favorite Big Game party traditions. This is a great way to get all your guests involved because even people who are not football fans can play. Simply make your own bingo cards or you can find some online, too. Fill the bingo cards with things you will see on TV. This could be related to the game, the halftime show, or even the commercials. We do one winner a quarter. We also give out prizes for the winners. The first year we did bingo, I was busy getting ready for the party, so I sent my husband out to get prizes. I thought he would get some small gift cards, candles, or things like that. But he came back with random items from our local thrift store, like a Styrofoam penguin and a statue of an old man fishing. Clearly, we had different ideas, but everyone thought the prizes were hilarious and now every year, our bingo prizes are funny thrift store items. It has evolved into a fun little tradition! However, if you opt for more traditional prizes, I don’t blame you!
I always find that having a small party for the Big Game is a good way to see everyone and bring some excitement to winter after the holidays. No matter how you decide to celebrate the Big Game, I hope you find a way to enjoy it! And as for our Bengals, there is always next year!
