I created this Game Day party as part of a sponsored post for SocialStars and GOLDFISH crackers. #GoldfishCrowd
I come from a big sports family. I grew up attending my fair share of games and tailgating, but one thing rang true throughout pretty much all of them: they were all about the adults, and the kids fended for themselves. Sure, it was cool eating party food and participating in the festivities, but do you know how boring an adult event is to a kid? I do. So, with the “Big Game” coming up soon and inevitable watch parties about to happen I thought I’d get creative and make an easy kids-themed Game Day spread!
Okay so first thing first. Why have an obviously spring-like party in the middle of January? Well, sometimes you just need a big dose of fresh air to shake off those Winter blues! I live in the South, so our winters are pretty mild, and if we can’t actually be at a game we can at least celebrate outdoors in tailgate style! If you are somewhere cooler, you can definitely bring this inside or set up a fire pit for everyone to gather around. Either way, it’s the food and fun that matters!
When creating a tablescape for kids, there are a few basics that I always keep in mind. I will go all out for adults and serve decadent, intricate, gorgeous options that are full of flavor, but let’s face it – kids just don’t need all that. So I keep it basic with fruits, veggies, some snack options, juice, and (my personal favorite) a 30oz box of Goldfish® crackers. Kids love them, and they are great for dipping, crunching, playing games with, and more. These guys are some serious multitaskers!
Since my party was all about Game Day, I used guacamole and sour cream to create a little football field, and then set my Goldfish crackers in as the team. Judah helped me decorate my field, and while it doesn’t look perfect, we had a great time doing it together. I also set up some loose Goldfish crackers in scalloped snack boxes so the kids could grab them and dip.
My other snacks were a tray full of fresh fruit and veggies with a strawberry cream cheese dip along with a “make your own” yogurt/toppings station. The great thing about both of these is that there isn’t really anything I need to work on ahead of time. I can cut the fruit the day before, and the rest I can pour into the dishes. Being a busy mom has made me all about convenience, and it doesn’t get much easier than this!
I chilled a pack of juice boxes on ice for refreshments, with water available as well.
Now that the snacks are out of the way, lets talk activities. Have you ever been to a party where people were just sitting around? Because that’s what happens when you don’t have something fun planned to help pass the time. I didn’t want my party to be super boring, especially for the kids, so I thought it would be fun to print out Goldfish cracker pages and football helmets for them to color for their favorite teams or however they liked.
For my party favors I packed different color paper confetti into push pop molds. Cute, right?
I had a lot of fun putting this little party together, and I can’t wait to do it again! I took way too many photos, so if you want some more inspiration check out these shots below! Also, now through 1/31 you can head to www.GoldfishSmiles.com to create a photo or video that shows off Goldfish crackers in a Big Game theme via Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #GoldfishTalesPromotion to enter. Posts using #GoldfishTalesPromotion may appear in the gallery on GoldfishSmiles.com. No Purchase Necessary. Open only to 50 US/DC residents 18+. Ends 1/31/15. Official rules and more at www.GoldfishSmiles.com. Void where prohibited.