10 Prep-Ahead Plays for Your Super Bowl Party

This Super Bowl Sunday, gather your friends and family around the TV and host a winning Super Bowl party. Kick-off your game-day plans by preparing high-scoring snacks and fantastic decorations ahead of time, and you'll be able to spend more time cheering on the Denver Broncos or the Seattle Seahawks. Let's countdown to touchdown with these 10 prep-ahead plays for a successful Super Bowl party.

1. Send the invites. It's not a party unless you have people to celebrate the big game with! Keep invitations simple and send them either by email, social media, or another e-invitation service.

2. Make a list and shop! Plan ahead and create a shopping list of everything you'll need to throw the best Super Bowl party for your family and friends. Be sure to include recipe ingredients, drinks, and anything you'll need to make festive football-themed decorations. Tip: Don't leave shopping until the morning of the game so you are guaranteed to get enough tortilla chips before they are sold out.

3. Be prepared for messes. Parties can be chaotic. Use NFL-themed Bounty paper towels to tackle messes. These NFL printed paper towels are 2x more absorbent* than other paper towel brands. That means you'll just need one sheet to clean up the soda your husband spilled on your coffee table as he jumped in raucous celebration. Available at Walmart.

4. Set the scene on your turf. Get crafty and make your own party decorations. Cut a strip of artificial turf for a table runner, or spread out chalkboard contact paper and label foods with chalk, resembling football game plays. Make a pendant banner cheering on your favorite team. Find a metal washtub to put ice and bottled drinks in for a unique beverage tub.

5. Prep your spread. Spinach and queso dips can be prepped the day before and reheated as guests arrive. Cold dips like onion dip and guacamole can also be made ahead of time. Just be sure to put lime juice into the guacamole and cover it with plastic wrap in an air-tight container to keep it from browning. Prep vegetables, chips, and crackers for easy dipping on the day before the Super Bowl. For a sweet treat, bake sugar cookies and brownies in the shape of a football. Frost with brown icing and decorate with white icing for the laces.

6. Chill drinks. Don't forget to put various beverages in the refrigerator to chill the night before the big game. Also, stock your freezer with plenty of ice.

7. Set the table. Use paper plates and plastic utensils and cups, so dirty dishes don't pile up in your kitchen sink. Provide a permanent marker so guests can write their names on their cups, and furnish plenty of paper towels for easy cleanup of messy snacks.

9. Create kid-friendly activities for bored fans. Kids may get restless during the game, so keep them entertained with sports-themed coloring books and crayons. Before the game, teach kids how to make and play with a paper football and give them table-space to have their own game.

9. Prep a game for adults, too. Get everyone involved for a fun game of football bingo. Create bingo cards with items that could be seen during the Super Bowl, like a face-painted fan, fireworks, and a missed field goal. Use candies in team colors to mark each square. Or, have everyone score the commercials. Print scorecards and at the end of the Super Bowl, determine what commercial was everyone's favorite.

10. Clean as you go. Make it easy for party-goers to throw away their dirty utensils and cups by placing a garbage can near the food table. Clean up between quarters, so you won't have to cut your victory dance short at the end of the Super Bowl.

*vs. Custom-Size-It ® brand 11" x 5.5"

Content by Ali Cherie.