| Savings & Tips
Group of diverse friends celebrating summer Olympics at home

It’s one of the most celebrated times of the year (every couple years when they come around, anyways)–time for the Olympics! (Hint: If you didn’t know, they’re August 5-21.) Grab a team of friends and show your support for our nation’s athletes like a true gold medalist. There’s really no better time to celebrate our patriotism than when our country competes in the ultimate sports showdown, right? So let’s go for the gold! Here’s how to make it an award-winning shindig no matter where you live!

#1: Delicious, patriotic bites sure make a sweet and salty statement. Get in the spirit with some festive foods! Try creating a USA-themed fruit salad using bananas, blueberries, strawberries, and other fruit to create the American flag. Or make these fun “torches” out of ice cream cones, popcorn, and Cheetos®! Sounds like salty sweet goodness!

#2: Make it an international potluck. Ask each guest to bring a tasty dish that originated in a country they’re rooting for. Fans of Italy could bring a pasta dish (lasagna, anyone?), Great Britain could bring fish and chips, and fans of Brazil could bring BBQ meat! You may want to start practicing cheering on a full stomach now…like right now.

#3: Fun touches like ribbons and labels really add “oomph.” Handy with a computer and printer? Create witty labels for drinks and food, like this mom did with water bottles and labels reading, “Rehydrate.” Or, make up your own fun names for foods, like “Discus Delights” for round tortilla chips! The more creative, the better.

#4: Themed cocktails with the Olympic rings are fun and easy. Pour ginger ale or sparkling cider into clear plastic glasses and drop blue, red, yellow, and green Life Savers® candy into every glass, as shown here! It’s a fun way to add some Olympic zest and color to your bubbly drink.

#5: Commercial breaks were made for friendly competitions. You can’t say “Olympics” without saying, “competition,” right? The two words are practically inseparable. In the handful of minutes you have between javelin throws and ping pong swings, keep the party going by playing quick and easy games like the card game Speed or the dice game Bunco. You could even host a mock “Javelin Throw” using wrapped paper straws! Hand each guest a paper straw and have them tear off one end of the paper. Use your living room as a playing field and have guests blow into the uncovered end of the straw. Whoever blows their wrapper the farthest, wins!

#6: Order fun prizes for friends to take home. Look for inexpensive medals at the dollar store or even online (one of the best places to find cheap party favors and even cheap car insurance)! You can get a dozen medals on OrientalTrading.com for about $5. Win! Perhaps every guest leaves with a gold medal, because hey, we’re all winners, but maybe the winners of your commercial break competitions take home a little something extra like a homemade batch cookies or a box of their favorite candy.

#7: Create a photobooth area for fun keepsakes. Now that most of us carry a smartphone with a camera in our back pocket, why not create a simple space for people to take advantage of their serious photo skills? Create a fun, Olympic-themed backdrop using strong boxes or milk crates that are sturdy enough to stand on. Set them up at different heights and label them for first, second, and third place!

So how are you celebrating the summer games? Leave us a comment below and let us know. Whatever you and your friends choose to do, make it sweet, simple, and maybe a tad competitive! Want more party tips? Follow Direct on Facebook and Twitter for delicious recipes, fun sweepstakes, and more!

 

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