How to Host an Awesome Game Day Party

Have you been glued to the TV watching the football playoffs this winter? Our favorite teams are out but we’ve been enjoying cheering for new teams and trying to guess who is going to make it all the way to the big game. We usually host a big game watch party every year so I’m quite the expert on how to host an awesome one. Most of it comes down to the food. However, I have a few other tips to help you set up for success.

1 | Clean the House

This seems like a no-brainer but if you start with a clean house, it’s actually much easier to clean up all the party mess. I find that when my house is sparkling clean it also makes me excited to have people over to show it off. With 2 rowdy boys our house isn’t clean very often so I have to make the most of those rare opportunities!

In addition to making sure your house looks clean, you definitely want it to smell clean. Grab a Febreze ONE Bamboo Starter Kit. This fabric and air mist gently removes odors with just a hint of bamboo scent. It will help your home smell fresh, clean and party ready!

2 | Set Up

Make sure you have your living room set up in a way that makes it easy for game watchers. They likely don’t want to miss even a second of the game so make food easy to grab. I like to cover the coffee table in brown kraft paper and lay out some chips and dips there. I always have a few Bounty Select-A-Size Super Rolls set around the room too because spills happen and you never know when you will need a paper towel.

Also, make sure you have decorations. You can go all out but I love to keep things simple. One easy idea is to grab a black marker and draw some plays onto the kraft paper you used to cover the coffee table. Or instead of kraft paper you could use green wrapping paper or a green table cloth and use a white paint pen to draw the yard lines. So easy but really cute and festive.

If you need more simple ideas for decorations, here are a few of my favorites:

3 | Plan Your Menu

You can’t throw an awesome party without great food. Make sure you have lots of finger foods that are easy to grab and eat. As I mentioned above, I love to set out chips and dips on the side tables or coffee tables. This makes it easy for the die-hard fans to snack while not missing a second of the game.

If you need some easy recipe ideas for the big game, here are a few of my go-tos:

4 | Organize Some Games

It seems like most game day parties these days have the football squares game. If you’ve never played, it’s really fun and a great way to get people involved in the game. However, there are tons of other fun game options out there. I love Bingo because it gets people who normally aren’t into the game involved and watching. Here’s a list of my favorites:

Football Squares Rules // Football Squares Printable
Football Bingo
Big Game Prediction Prop Pool
Big Game Trivia (Easy or Hard)

5 | Clean Up

The worst part of the party is cleaning up, but if you have a strategy it will go quickly. I love to use my Swiffer Sweeper to keep my floors under control. It’s so simple, does a great job and stores easily when not in use. If you don’t have one, you can grab a Swiffer Sweeper Starter Kit at your local Walmart

Big game parties often have lots of greasy food. This means it’s best to get any linens in the wash as soon as your party is over. I am a master stain remover thanks to NEW Tide Ultra Oxi PODS. They combine the Tide you love with the power of Oxi to remove even the toughest of stains. All your game day jerseys, tablecloths, napkins and dish towels from the party will be as bright as new. Add a little Downy Liquid Fabric Conditioner in April Fresh to the load and they’ll smell good as new too!

My other tip is to use Dawn Original when washing all your dishes. The blue bottle is simply magic and does such a great job of cutting through grease and grime. It makes dish time a breeze.

For all of you planning a big party for the big game, I’ve got some great news for you. There is a sweet ibotta offer live right now! If you buy one participating product, you get $0.50 back, PLUS you can earn an extra $1 bonus back when you purchase and redeem 2 of these P&G products at Walmart and use the ibotta app. The ibotta is valid on all the products mentioned above as well as Charmin Ultra Strong Mega Rolls, Gillette ProGlide, LUVS Super Absorbent Leakguards Diapers and NEW Crest Gum Detoxify Deep Clean Toothpaste.