It’s Super Bowl time and you’re wanting to invite some friends over for a fun night watching of watching football, playing games, and having a good time. What do you need for a successful party where everyone can have fun and you can enjoy the game too?

To host a successful Super Bowl party in your apartment, you’ll want to follow these 7 steps:

1. Plan out the details.
2. Prepare your rooms for entertaining.
3. Decorate for the occasion.
4. Provide entertainment beyond just the football game.
5. Provide tasty snacks and drinks.
6. Make cleanup easy.
7. Keep everyone safe.

Now lets cover each of these in more detail below so you can have the best Super Bowl get-together ever.

Plan out the details

A little planning goes a long way and pat yourself on the back for doing so. Here’s a few things to think about as you plan your gathering:

• Inform your landlord and neighbors. It doesn’t hurt to let them know and they’ll appreciate it. Also, if your landlord has limits to how many people can be in your apartment, it’s better to know beforehand than during your party.
• Decide how many people you want to invite. You want enough to make it fun but not so many that it’s crowded and people can’t enjoy the game.
• Be selective of who you invite. Don’t invite your mother if she won’t approve of your life choices. Or, if you have friends that may not get along then it’s better to not mix.
• Send out invites. Email, phone, instant message, chat – however you want to invite your friends and family, make sure you do it sooner than later.
• Make a grocery list. Now that you know who is coming, figure out what snacks and drinks you want and put a grocery list together. Or, better yet, go potluck and have your guests bring food and drinks too!
• Figure out parking. Apartment living usually means limited parking, and there will probably be other tenants celebrating the Super Bowl too. Either instruct your guests to car pool or park down the street.

Prepare your rooms for entertaining

Your apartment is set up for living in, rather than hosting a party. As such, you may need to get additional seating or move your TV.

• For your main Super Bowl room, make sure the television is set up so that everyone can see it. As your guests socialize, they’ll want to keep an eye on the game. You may even want to have the game playing in multiple rooms.
• You may want to move around the furniture to provide better seating, or a better view. Borrow additional chairs if needed. Make sure there are clear surfaces to put drinks and snacks on.
• Remove anything fragile. As people cheer on their team, things may get knocked over and drinks spilled. You want to minimize the damage as much as possible!
• Prepare the other rooms for guests too. Not everyone will be watching the big game so a separate room (away from the cheering) is good for chatting.
• If it will be cold outside, designate a place to stow coats.

Decorate for the occasion.

To really get into the Super Bowl, you probably want to decorate. The easiest way to decorate is to put up streamers in the same colors of the competing teams, and use football-themed table cloths, napkins, and plates. You can find these items at your local party supply shop.

There are also plenty of great Super Bowl decorating ideas to be found on Pinterest or Etsy.

Provide entertainment beyond just the football game.

The main entertainment will be your TV or multiple TVs showing the Super Bowl in gridiron glory. However, there’s breaks at half time and commercials. Also, not everyone will be interested in watching the game. Some guests may be there for the commercials or for socializing – so make sure to provide some additional games to keep it interesting.

• Super Bowl Squares – Also called Football Squares, guests can put a little money on the game by buying squares that correspond the scores of the Super Bowl teams. Each square purchased gives the buyer a chance to win a payout! This keeps people interested in the outcome of the Super Bowl since they have a chance to win. Typically 100 squares, there is also a 25-square version that may be perfect size for your group (people can buy multiple squares). For more info, read How to Play Football Squares or search for a 25-square version on Etsy to download and print.
• 10-Line Football Strips – Similar to football squares but you use the combination of both football team scores. This is perfect for groups of 10 or less.  Visit this page on 10-Line Football Strips for more info.
• Super Bowl Bingo – Bingo is an easy game that everyone already knows. With Super Bowl bingo, you can mark off squares for things like commercials, score, cheerleaders, and more. This is a great way to keep people engaged and you can give away from prizes with it too. You can find lots of great ideas on Pinterest or buy them and download them from Etsy.
• Super Bowl Trivia – This is the truest way to separate the fans from the spectators. You can give prizes for the winners of trivia too. You can find plenty of great options on Etsy to download and print.
• Socializing – Part of any Super Bowl is just catching up with friends and family. By putting snacks in strategic places throughout your apartment, you will encourage guests to circulate and mingle.

Provide tasty snacks and drinks.

Just as important as having the game playing on the TV, you need good food and drinks. Standard fare for a Super Bowl includes finger foods like chicken wings, pigs in a blanket, sliders, chips, etc – snack foods that you can load up on and snack while enjoying the game. Or you may want to provide a full spread but make sure to keep it buffet style so guests can grab food during breaks. If you’re looking for great food ideas for the big game, do a search on Pinterest. You’ll be surprised at the culinary creativeness you’ll find there.

Beer is a necessity for most Super Bowl gatherings but don’t forget about providing other drinks. Soda, sparkling water, mixed drinks – these are all good options. Just think about who is coming and what they’ll want to drink. And if beer will be at your get-together, make sure you include several types of beer to cover everyone’s tastes.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to request your guests to bring food and drink. You’re already hosting the gathering and you may get a better variety of food by making it a pot luck.

Make cleanup easy.

To make cleanup easier, make sure to use disposable plates and cups. You probably don’t want to be washing dishes for hours after everyone is gone. If you’re lucky, you may be able to enlist some of your straggling friends or family to help out.

Be strategic with your garbage can placement. By keeping it visible and easily accessible, people will more likely use it . Be quick to replace the bag too when it gets full.

As you pick up and vacuum, keep an eye out for anything that your guests may have forgotten. That way you can give them a quick call before they get too far from your apartment.

As you take out your garbage, make sure that no glasses or trash were left by your guest outside. You don’t want your landlord or neighbors seeing any mess!

Keep everyone safe.

If there’s been drinking, make sure everyone is safe to drive home. Be prepared to have someone crash on your couch if they aren’t good to drive, or find someone to drive them home.

If it’s icy, make sure that the path is de-iced and safe to walk on. Help people to their cars if needed.

Have a broom and dustpan handy just in case something gets spilled or broken. It’s best to be ready for such mishaps.

Final Thoughts

Remember that you’re hosting this so it’s your party. Make sure that you enjoy yourself too! If you follow this checklist, things will go a lot smoother, and you’ll be able to have fun with your family and friends.

Lastly, as you say goodbye to everyone, make sure to thank them for coming. Let them know that you enjoyed their company!