22 Super Bowl Party Games Worthy of a Touchdown
Celebrations of all stripes are once again looking a little different this year, thanks to Omicron, and the Super Bowl is no exception. Still, we could all use something to look forward to and this yearly sporting event fits the bill. So how do you give a nod to game day without throwing your usual invite-everyone-you-know football party? Easy—you celebrate the occasion virtually with a big Zoom bash or party in-person with just your household. But, aside from a safe celebration, the most important thing is that you pull out all the stops to ensure game day doesn’t feel like just another football season Sunday—and that’s precisely where these 22 Super Bowl party games enter the picture. Our top picks of things for kids and families to play include everything from minute-to-win-it games and themed variations on classics like charades, to outdoor field goal kicking competitions and cornhole wars. Time to bust out the bite-sized snacks and have some fun.
RELATED: 40 Mini Bite-Sized Super Bowl Snacks
1. DIY Shuffleboard Game
All you need is a piece of wood, some paint and a pen for a pre-game craft that promises to deliver plenty of half-time entertainment. This DIY shuffleboard is quick and easy to make, and the edible shuffleboard pieces (M&Ms) are sure to make the friendly competition even sweeter for everyone. Bonus: The candy factor will keep little kids coming back for more play, which means parents can retire to the couch and watch the game.
2. Rate the Commercials
Chances are not everyone in your family or pod shares the same degree of enthusiasm for football itself; Super Bowl commercials, on the other hand, are reliably entertaining for all. Equip everyone with these printable score cards and turn every commercial break into a rousing game of “rate that ad” for a major improvement on the typical passive viewing experience.
3. DIY Cozy Craft
Kids (and anyone else who prefers a crafting event to a sporting one) will be happy to turn their attention to a game day decorating project. This festive cozy craft comes together with only a few inexpensive materials and the process is completely kid-friendly. Most importantly, the finished product promises to keep everyone happy by preventing the major bummer that is a lukewarm beverage.
4. Super Bowl Bingo
Some like to scream at the flat screen, while others have a more subdued way of enjoying the Super Bowl—you know, like with one eye on the screen and the other on a bingo card, for example. Keep those in the latter category engaged in the game with some free printable Super Bowl bingo, which covers everything from what goes down on the field to the commercials in between.
5. Football Doughnuts on a String Game
Keep the party going after the game is finished with a hilarious race in which players compete to be the first to take a bite out of a dangling doughnut...with their hands behind their backs. To set this one up, you can do some pre-game baking or just add white frosting laces to store-bought chocolate donuts instead. Either way, the winner gets a sweet reward. Best of all, if guests are willing to bring and string their own doughnut, this game is just as much fun to play at a virtual party, too.
6. Mini Football Cornhole
You don’t need to have pro-footballer skills to enjoy a game of hand-eye coordination. Case in point: This crowd-pleasing, football-themed cornhole game. Try your hand at this DIY for a party attraction that members of your family or pod can play at their own leisure, and kids in the group are sure to love. (And don’t worry—it’s not that difficult since you start the craft with a ready-made cornhole board.)
7. Football Squares Pool
No athleticism is required to join this football pool, a printable party feature in which guests (yep, that can just be your immediate family) compete for prizes in a game of luck. This one’s as family-friendly as gambling gets (i.e., the prizes can be candy bars) and since the outcome is tied to the touchdowns happening in real time, everyone is guaranteed to be watching the big game with bated breath from start to finish.
8. Super Bowl Word Scramble
Keep yourself (or the kids) occupied with a little brain teasing challenge in the form of a Super Bowl word scramble. This game day puzzle is challenging enough to be a quick but fun diversion for adults, but not too hard for kids to unscramble—and since all the words are football terms, it might even set in motion a helpful refresher course on the rules of the game. You know, in case you forgot what a field goal is (*raises hand*).
9. Flag Football
Flag football is a fun family game to play pretty much any time, but it’s a particularly useful activity during the Super Bowl when stir-crazy kids are clamoring to play rather than just watch. Plus, this sport not only promises a breath of fresh air and a much-needed screen time break, but it also ensures the whole event isn’t interrupted by an emergency room visit. (Three cheers for no-contact play!)
10. Super Bowl Pick ‘Em
If you’re looking for an excellent way to kick off your game day celebration, this free party printable is a good place to start: This guessing game questionnaire can be completed before the Super Bowl starts by kids and adults alike. It’s also an entertaining activity to have available at both virtual and in-person celebrations—just be sure to appoint a referee, lest memories fail regarding the ‘correct’ answers once scores start to be tallied.
11. DIY Washers Yard Game
This very cool DIY requires quite a bit of hardware (think: mini tube cutter, copper pipes, galvanized floor flanges) and some know-how. That said, if you can pull it off, you and your pod will be rewarded with a challenging ring toss party game in the form of a pretty (yes, really) miniature football field. Neat.
12. Football Knockdown
Have your family warm up before the big game with a few rounds of football knockdown—a game in which players toss the old pigskin at a pyramid of plastic cups. All you need is some brown cups (or brown paint to give any color cup a makeover), a white pen, a football...and voila, a festive and entertaining activity that will get the party started.
13. Football Charades
While you’re waiting for the game to get started, gather your family together for a round of football charades, which is actually just charades with an added challenge: players are limited to acting out football-related words. Hint: It’s the participants who know the least about football that make this game such a riot to play.
14. Inflatable Football Toss Target
So, you’re too busy whipping up Super Bowl snacks to tackle a DIY game board—we get it. Just buy some readymade game day amusement instead. This inflatable football target is a budget-friendly option that can be used indoors or outdoors—but no matter where you set it up, we’d wager that the Super Bowl enthusiasts in your life will be eager to give it a whirl.
15. Pin the Football Game
Feature this birthday party favorite at your family’s Super Bowl bash and your kids will thank you (as will the adults who want to watch in peace). This set comes complete with everything you need—blindfold, adhesive footballs, poster—to get the young ones legitimately excited to play with a wall for a few.
16. Coogam Fast Wooden Sling Football Puck Game
Here, an engaging two-person board game in which players use an elastic firing string to slingshot as many of their pucks (or footballs, as it were) through the center goal while defending against their opponent’s attempts to do the same. The play is fast-paced and exciting, and the rules are simple enough that kids of all ages can get in on the action.
17. MasterPieces NFL Spot It!
Anyone familiar with ‘Spot It!’ knows that this seemingly simple card game is a lot harder than it looks. This NFL version of the game features an assortment of football-themed images and, as with the original, the objective is to spot a match on any given pair of cards as quickly as you can. Hint: There’s always a match, but only the kid with the fastest reflexes and sharpest visual perception skills will find it first.
18. Finger Flick Football Game
The suction cups on these miniature goal posts make them easy to stick to a coffee table so kids can enjoy a frenzied finger-flicking football battle while the grown-ups keep their eyes on the big game.
19. Football Cornhole Set
We already shared a DIY cornhole project above, but if you’re not feeling quite so ambitious you can always opt for a ready-made version of the game. This cornhole set includes both boards and beanbags, plus a football theme that’s oh-so fitting for the occasion. Set it up in the backyard so kids can score their own touchdowns while the die-hard football fans watch the on-screen action inside.
20. ArtCreativity Inflatable Football Goal and Ball Set
Blow up this inflatable goal post and let the field goal training practice begin. The inflatable goal post here features a weight base, so it won’t blow away on a blustery winter day, and an inflatable football that, unlike a real pigskin, won’t do any damage when accidentally kicked in the direction of another little kid’s face. In other words, a whole posse of peewees can engage in some friendly competition without incident.
21. Make Marshmallow Poppers
Who knew yogurt containers had this fun game in them? Shoot marshmallows across the room at a DIY field goal post with balloons. It's as simple as cutting the bottoms off of a few yogurt containers and fastening cut balloons to the tops. Then, the kids can load in the marshmallows, pull back the knot of the balloon and watch their tasty "football" soar.
22. Decorate Glitter Foam Fingers
Get the kids in the spirit by equipping them with miniature foam fingers that they can spruce up themselves. These cuties take about an hour to dry, so decorate them before the big game, break for dinner and they'll be ready in time for kickoff. (And if you avoid glitter at all costs, opt for painting the fingers in your team's colors instead.)
RELATED: 65 Easy Super Bowl Snacks to Make on Game Day
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