On Sunday, everyone will be in one location—sitting in front of their televisions, watching the Super Bowl. Game night can be entertaining for the whole family if you have a plan in place and some fun activities, crafts and snacks.
Here’s everything you’ll need to host a kid-friendly Super Bowl party and get those tiny tots just as excited about the big game:
Field Goal Food Favorites
One word: Snacks. Finger food is perfect for adults and kids alike on any game day. For tiny tots, small bites mean little fingers can handle everything while you still get to watch the game.
- Healthy Start – choose fruits and veggies and some yummy dips, like hummus, dill dip and a yogurt fruit dip. Carrot sticks, celery, cucumbers, apple slices and pear wedges are just a few dip-able options.
- Shaped Football Desserts – Add a dash of amusement and make some football-shaped treats; kids will have a blast helping you make these delights. Football-shaped cookies can be made from scratch or from a refrigerated roll from the grocery store. Just slice, or cut, into circles and then make those circles slightly oblong and pointy on either end. Frost the baked cookies, or just use some white icing to add the football laces. Same plan for brownie bites; they can be bought or baked in a mini muffin tin. Add icing laces for a finished football effect.
- Pigs In a Football – a little heartier football fun food kids will love! Take refrigerated dough and mini hot dogs—or cut hot dogs in half—wrap like pigs in a blanket, but pull dough to completely enclose the hot dog. Take a toothpick and draw football laces on. Bake as directed on the dough package. Add a quartered slice of American cheese for a scrumptious, cheesy version.
Touchdown Games
Keep kids interested, occupied and entertained during the game. Make football or team-themed gift bags for prizes with some treats, football-themed party novelties or even gift cards inside.
- End-Zone Dance Contest – Before the game starts break kids up into two teams; one team will represent the Denver Broncos and the other team will represent the Carolina Panthers. Have each team come up with a short dance they can perform each time their team makes it to the end zone during the game. Give prizes for best dance, the team who gets to perform their dance the most, or a good sportsmanship prize for the team who gets along the best.
- Super Bowl I Spy – Have the little ones search alphabetically for items on the television during the game. Make a list of objects—or a bingo game card for a different game—to make it a little more interesting. You can also break the alphabet up by quarter, so, for instance, only things seen during the 4th quarter starting with T-Z count. There are a bunch of different themes of the day for either I spy or bingo: Team player names, colors, numbers, commercials, or half-time show.
- Game Day Predictions – Pass out pieces of paper before the game for everyone to write down their Super Bowl predictions: who will score the first touchdown, the first field goal, the points spread at the end of the game, and who will ultimately win. Yell out the child’s name and applaud each correct prediction.
Half-Time Crafts and Activities
These activities can be done before, after or during the game to show support for a favorite team—or just for fun!
- Megaphone & Pom-Poms – break out the construction and crepe paper, markers, crayons, tape and glue. Kids can decorate their own sports-themed megaphone and pom-poms and then use them throughout the game to celebrate team victories.
- Football Paper Chain – Have tiny tots help decorate the food table by drawing football laces on brown construction paper strips and then link them together for a quick decorative chain.
- Coloring Pages and Word Jumbles – The internet is full of printable football-themed coloring pages and word searches. Print some out to have on hand when all else fails.
Enjoy the day, the game and the family time. Go, Super Bowl Sunday!
