How to Have a Mardi Gras Party

Mardi Gras is always a fun time to get together and play games!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Masks, Costumes, and Necklaces
• Arts and Crafts Materials
• Assortment of Board Games and Cards
• New Orleans Jazz Music
• Cajun Foods

1. Get the house ready by decorating it in the theme colors for Mardi Gras. They are purple, gold, and green. Hang fabric streamers and fun beaded necklaces. Blow up balloons to set out as centerpieces or get some helium balloons to tie to doorknobs and chairs. Check the seasonal sections of larger grocery chains, local party supply stores, or order more decorations from Oriental Trading.

2. Mardi Gras is all about the masks. Encourage your guests to dress up in costume, or at least bring masks. Or, set up an arts and crafts area where your guests can make their own masks. Provide beads, feathers, sparkly paint and fabrics. Oriental Trading is a great resource for needed supplies.

3. Another fun Mardi Gras tradition is collecting necklaces. Keep it more PG by coming up with alternatives to the flashing usually required for women to collect necklaces. Order a bunch of cheap necklaces to pass out. Or, at your arts and crafts area, provide a bunch of beads so people can make their own.

4. Once everyone is dressed up, set up your own Mardi Gras parade. Keep it indoors, up and down all the stairs, or enlist the participation of your neighborhood and take it to the streets. Get some good ol' New Orleans Jazz playing and dance the night away!

5. Leave out a stack of favorite board and card games. People can break off into groups to play games. Monopoly, Uno, and Sorry are fun games for small groups. Pictionary, Taboo, and Scattergories can involve more of your guests at once. Poker is also a hot party game these days.

6. Mardi Gras parties require traditional Cajun foods. Spice up your favorite dishes, serve some jambalaya, Po'Boys, and crepes. Set up some "make-your-own" stations for foods, such as crepes, so guests can make them their preferred way. Or, have a potluck and encourage guests to bring their favorite foods.

7. After the food must come the King Cake! Insert a plastic toy infant into the batter prior to baking. The person who gets the toy gets to be King or Queen of the night, or can win a special prize. For kids, bake multiple cakes with multiple toys for more winners.

8. Do some wine tasting or experimental cocktail mixing. Play some fun drinking games!

Tips & Warnings

• Save yourself some money by having guests bring their own contributions to the fun.
• Mardi Gras is a time for indulging, since you'll be giving up things for the next six weeks. As always, indulge in moderation!

Resources

• Mardi Gras Recipes and Links

[sonni57]

on 3/6/2009 I love parties thanks for the good suggestions.