How to Plan a Summer Olympics Party

Celebrate the 2008 Summer Olympics in style! The opening ceremony 8/8/08 is coming closer every day. Now is the time to start planning your Olympics Party! Follow these tips to cheer your team on in Beijing while creating a memory that friends and family will not soon forget.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Invitations
• Decorations
• Chinese Food (or your team)
• Party Favors
• Creativity

1. Make, Address and Mail Olympic Style Invitations. The Olympics has various logos. Pick one and use it for your invitation. Examples include: the Olympic rings, the torch and the 2008 Beijing Olympic logo. You may also choose to use the colors/logos of the team you are supporting. Theme related specifics to add on the invitation may include a unique RSVP card mandating that the guest RSVP as a Participant, Judge, Spectator, or Referee or that the guest choose a team, or wear a specific color.
2. Decorate Olympic Style. Consider using flags from different nations, tiki torches, or blown up pictures of famous Olympic athletes. Also, any equipment used for the summer Olympic games can be used as props and displayed as decorations. You can use balloons in Olympic colors to signify start/finish lines or just to decorate the party area with. You may want to consider naming the location of your Olympic Party, such as "Olympic Square" or "Olympic Partyville" and displaying a banner and signs for directions leading up to the area.
3. Dress your guests! In order to get EVERYONE entrenched in the party theme present guests with olympic style visors, pins, glasses, shirts, pom poms, etc. In fact, I am a big fan of shirt decoration at parties. Set out a table with markers, sequens and craft materials. Provide each guest with a simple shirt/tank top (maybe ironed on w/ a team name) and hold an Olympic shirt decorating contest at the beginning of the party.
4. Prepare Olympic themed food. For example, because the Olympics are taking place in Beijing, you may want to serve Chinese food. Other options include food from the Country you are supporting or throwing a potluck where each guest brings food from a country he/she is representing.
5. Plan the Olympic Games! Games can include relay races, choice selections of Olympic Games (ex: badmitten tournament, gymnastics competition, mini team triathlon, etc.), or traditional party games. Each team member should receive a medal for the event. This way, every person will leave with medals around their neck!
6. Enjoy your memorable and amazing Olympic Party and be sure to take pictures!

Tips & Warnings

• Never force a guest to participate in an activity if he/she does not want to. Offer this person the position of judge or spectator and encourage him/her to cheer for his team so that he too is involved.