Photo courtesy of baskervillah @Flickr
A Super Bowl Party that includes kids can be a joy or a nightmare. If the Dads are super fans and want to absorb every minute and the kids have typical kid attention spans – it can be a frustrating day for all, especially Mom who spends a large portion of the party playing referee or cheerleader. I have searched multiple mommy blogs and family sites to find some common must dos.
Kid friendly food is a must – make your own pizza, football cut-out sugar cookies, chips…all sorts of kid food that will keep them occupied eating. However – everyone suggests no caffeine. One great cookie idea was to ice half the cookies in the color of one team and the other half in the opposing team’s colors. Let the kids pick and then cheer for that team.
My favorite idea is to play off of the name Super Bowl. Have great big bowls for each kid and let them fill their BOWL with SUPER things they love – - candies, snacks, goodies, etc. The best part – if you find great plastic bowls – they can keep the bowl as their party favor.
Even if each person’s favorite team isn’t in the Super Bowl – everyone is encouraged to wear a jersey of their team of choice to get into the football frame of mind. Also let the kids decorate as they wish – balloons, streamers, banners, etc.
Hanging somewhere in the house should be a stuffed-full football piñata. Every time a first down occurs – someone jumps up (rotating people) and gets one big hit on the piñata. Eventually it will bust and that should keep kids going strong for awhile.
Football Pictionary was suggested by Parenting.com. Paper and Pens for each team and a few creative minds will make it very fun. The only requirement will be the topics have to pertain to football games, stadiums, practices, uniforms, etc.
The secret is preparation and engagement – involve the kids in the planning, tell them what to expect, let them know you truly want to share the experience with them and have things that involve them and don’t just stick ‘em somewhere out of the way. It really can be a super day for everyone.
And if all else fails – leave the kids and dad alone and go to the spa!
This was a great posting… except for the pic of the kids in STEELERS jerseys! I could have done without that
I grew up in a football family – big Steelers fans! The kids were ALWAYS included in the festivities and we all grew up to be big Steelers fans as well. Super Bowl day, whether our team was in the game or not, was always a big deal in our house. We cooked great food and family and friends gathered around the TV for the big game. My older brother would try to teach his little sister the rules of football. They were good times!
Love the ideas and the picture of the kids in Steelers jerseys!!
Great Post, Thank You and what a great idea, reminder to take care of the kids!
A star of Texas cookies, Teaxs chilli, Cowboy cupcakes.
Can wait for next year!
This is an awesome post!!! I also grew up in a football family…I enjoy the family bonding!!! We had tons of games for the kids during the super bowl that kept us occupied for hours!!! The only thing is I grew up a GIANTS fan!!!! Go GIANTS!!!!!!!
My husband is a big-time Steelers fan! Even if your not a football fan (like me) it seems to bring the family together and having great food is always a plus. Great Post!
We just had a Christmas party and kids were invited along with the adults. We set up our basement with crafts and also kid friendly foods seperate from the adult table. It worked out swell!
When I was a kid, we made it a day event. We would cook together and have a fun party. Now that my brothers and sisters have kids, I see the challenges my parents probably had. This is great advice to keep the kids engaged. I think having a plan centered on what can keep the kids occupied with something they WANT to do and letting them make that choice is a great way to make it a fun day for all. Great Story!
Having movies for my nephews just in case they needed a break from the game has always worked for us. Like the pinata idea!
I’m happy to see it’s alright for me to wear my Jet Jersey to the big party this weekend.
Nothing like getting the little ones juiced on sugar and show them a bunch of guys pummeling each other! Then give them a stick and tell them to beat a pinata! Let the good times roll!
What a great post! Lots of ideas for the kids. I think Wii set up in another room just in case is also a good idea. Can never go wrong with Wii…so the dads can watch the game uniterrupted.
With two feet of snow on the ground my suggestion would be to feed the kids well from 3-5 pm, bundle them up nice and warm, turn the outside lights on, shove them out the door, lock the door, turn the volume up on the tube, sit back and enjoy the game.
Football, a family tradition on Sundays. (and Friday nights for the best High School football, western PA). We do a lot of neighborhood football gatherings. We have adults and kids in one room and aleays include them in the festivities. We pick teams, favorite players and even predict the final score. It really gets them involved (and ready for Vegas). The Steeler picture was a great touch to this article!