Hosting a Game Day: 4 Secrets to Success

When colder weather blows in, we love to host indoor gatherings with family and friends that revolve around sports or board games. If you’ll be entertaining during the Christmas or New Year season, use these tips to help you plan and prepare without a lot of stress or hassle.

#1 Focus on the food:

One of the key ingredients for a successful game day is the food, and the star of our recent get-together was a complimentary HORMEL GATHERINGS® Supreme Party Tray, provided in exchange for a review. Sports fans like hearty, delicious snacks, and this party tray was definitely a winner. It’s filled with fresh and savory salami, pepper jack and havarti cheeses, round crackers and olives. I could have easily spent $20 or more assembling this tray myself AND valuable time cutting, chopping and arranging everything. With Hormel’s party trays, you simply lift the lid, cut open the packages, and serve. I love how easy it is to store leftovers; simply reuse the clear plastic lid. And with each snack item individually wrapped, your snacks stay fresher, longer. That means you can get your food shopping done earlier and not have to wait until the last minute!

Here are a few more super easy snacks to serve your sports fans:

• Tortilla chips and salsa
• Snack mix
• Mixed nuts
• Store-bought cookies, cupcakes or brownies
• Sausages and barbeque sauce warmed up in a slow cooker

#2 Make everyone comfortable:

One time, we hosted a Super Bowl party and didn’t have enough comfortable chairs for everyone. Bad mistake! Games last a long time and you want every guest to feel comfortable for the duration. If you can’t accommodate a crowd, then keep the guest list small.

Make sure there’s a convenient place for people to set down their food and drinks (end table, coffee table, etc.).

It’s good to have at least one host that’s willing to detach from the game and circulate, refilling drinks and snack trays, and generally keep the whole party running smoothly.

#3 Limit it to adults, if possible.

My children are great helpers and party planners, BUT for the main event, we prefer to keep it adults-only. Young children tend to do things like:

• Eat more snacks than your guests
• Double (and triple) dip
• Stand right in front of the TV (especially during a big touchdown)
• Ask for drink refills constantly
• Need help in the bathroom or with their diapers!

Obviously, all this is going to put a damper on your party and cause constant interruptions. Invest in a babysitter, or at the very least, plan an activity that will keep young children busy and quiet in another part of the house. Give them their own drinks and bowls of snacks to enjoy and put the oldest sibling in charge.

#4 Spend your money and time wisely.

Instead of splurging on an expensive bouquet of fresh flowers for the table, spend that money instead on conveniences like the HORMEL GATHERINGS® Party Trays and boxes of cookies from the bakery. Sports fans generally care a lot more about yummy snacks than aesthetics!

The same can be said for cleaning your house in advance of the party. Game days aren’t formal or fussy. Your friends just want a clear view of the game, and something tasty to eat or drink. Thankfully, this is one situation where you don’t have to obsess about spotless baseboards or catching up on all your laundry before the big day.

 

 

If you’ve got some party-planning tips to share, tell me in a comment below!