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Step 1
GamesThe best way to throw a healthier Super Bowl Party and ward off couch potato disorder is to include games. My favorite is Tailgate Toss. It comes with two team logo boards featuring your favorite NFL team logos and eight bean bags (two sets of four with each set featuring a different team color) to match your favorite team's board design. Players take turns throwing the bean bags through a hole in the board. Any bag that goes through the hole is worth three points and any bag that stays on the board is worth one. Since teams take turns throwing from the same end, you can try to knock your opponent's bags off the board!
I also like NFL Football Toss. Players toss “bolos” (two footballs tied together with rope) at the uprights of the goal and score points for each bolo that catches on an upright. The game includes six football bolos and two metal goal posts (50 by 25 inches) with your favorite team’s logos and colors, four team logo goal post flags and two team logo goal post pads.
Both games are available from Wild Sales (see Resources below for links).
Don't forget to add some activity games for the youngest fans in the family. I find that ring toss and bean bag games are perfect. Sports-themed versions of these games are available and are well worth getting for your Super Bowl party (see Resources for links).
And for a super Super Bowl party, why not make a game out of those strange and almost incomprehensible signals made by referees during the game? I mean, have you ever seen the referee put his hands on his waist or turn his arm in a huge circle? Didn't you wonder what it all meant? There are scores of official NFL Football Referee Signals that are ripe for turning into a charades-style game. Print out the graphics of the signals from the NFL website (see Resources for the link). Then, during your party, break your guests up into two teams and give each 10 official signals. Team members can take turns performing the signals (charades style) and opposing team members can guess what they mean. The team that gets the most correct answers in a specified time wins a Super Bowl ring (fake bling), a load of lottery tickets or some Official NFL swag (see Resources for links). -
Step 2
Football Pool: Make your Super Bowl party a little more interesting this year by including unexpected results in your pool to trip up all those guests who do Vegas research before coming to the party.
Here are some samples of the kinds of questions I have in mind:
What team will win the coin toss?
Who will score first?
Will the combined score be an odd or even number?
Which team will be ahead at half time?
Will Jack Nicholson attend the game?
Write all the results on a chalkboard so guests can follow the progress of their bets as the game goes on. I use a free-standing board like the kind you’d see in the team locker rooms. You can get them from US Markerboard (see Resources for link). -
Step 3
Painted FansDon’t you just love seeing crazy fans at football games? Set up a face painting station so your guests can get their fanatic on. I use NFL Fan Lockers to anchor the station and fill them with Official NFL Fan Faces, NFL Youth Uniform Sets, pom poms from WinCraft, wigs, rally horns, face painting makeup, fan fingernail polish, football maracas, cheering bells and anything else that will make noise! (see Resources for links)
Guests can channel Will Ferrell and Cheri Oteri’s famous “roll call” spirit squad cheers. Here’s the roll I created for "Live with Regis and Kelly:"
His name is Regis
He hangs with Trump
He's got a Z Pack
So check him out!
Her name is Kelly
She don’t do drugs
She rocks high heels
So check her out!
His name is Gelman
He’s very smart
He looks great blonde
So check him out!
His name is Art
It rhymes with fart
You just said fart
So check him out! -
Step 4
Food in a Football GrillThese days you want to serve healthy food at your Super Bowl party--but you don’t want anyone to know that. So here are some simple rules and "how tos."
For starters, cut down on processed foods. Here are some ideas:
Skinny Pigs in a Blanket
I know we are messing with a classic, but this version is cool. Just grill all natural chicken sausages, wrap them in puff pastry, bake according to the pastry directions and serve with a variety of mustards.
Vegetarian Chili Bar
Make chili with vegetables and no meat. Put out a ton of hot sauces so guests can choose what kind of “kick” they can handle!
Buffalo Spiced Chicken Strips with Blue Cheese Salad
Use chicken strips instead of the usual fatty wings.
All-American Banana Splits
Instead of ice cream, serve frozen yogurt smothered with fruit and nut toppings.
Present the pigs and chicken strips on small barbeque grills (display only--never grill inside). I use the NFL Team Logo Keg Grill from WinCraft and the football grill from American Tailgater (see Resources below). -
Step 5
Ball decorWhen you're planning your Super Bowl party, create an atmosphere with your decor. I found everything I needed to decorate my home for the party at WinCraft--seat cushions, pennants, player standups, snack helmets (a classic!), stickers, banners, the works!
Put some AstroTurf on the floor, snag a couple of football tablecloths from Plum Party--and you're ready to rumble!
Have a great Super Bowl!
Comments
AllanaBaroni said
on 2/20/2008 Thanks for the recipe tip SpiderWriter...I'll be sure to take a look at it! I hope you enjoyed game day!
mpodlesny said
on 2/5/2008 a different look at spending the superbowl with some friends...I like the ideas.
qbyjones said
on 1/29/2008 so refreshing to have a healthy take on what is typically a event full of calories and fat! Thanks Allana!
JoeyC said
on 1/28/2008 Can someone say Zima?
SpiderWriter said
on 1/28/2008 Great eHow Allana, thanks for your tips! For those looking to bend the healthy rules, you may want to try searching for my recipe called "How to Cook Jalapeno, Corn, Bean & Cheese Dip - Recipe" it's what I'll be munchin on during the Super Bowl!