Hosting a Championship Worthy Basketball Party

I love basketball because it is such a fast paced game and there is hardly ever a dull moment. If you combine the fun of basketball with family, friends, and tasty food and drinks, you will easily have a championship worthy basketball party.

When we have people over to watch basketball, I like to have a snack bar set up with finger food and snacks that everyone can graze from throughout the game. OREO basketballs are always a hit because they are fun and delicious. I also typically serve chips and salsa as well as veggie cups, which are cups with sliced veggies that have ranch in the bottom of the cup (no more double-dipping!). Of course, hungry basketball fans need a satisfying drink to complete the snack experience, so for this party I visited Safeway and picked up some Coca-Cola Zero™ to complete the snack table. But there is more to hosting a successful party than serving good food. A fun atmosphere, hospitality, and attention to detail matter as well.

To celebrate March Madness, I am sharing my ideas for a basketball-inspired tablescape, party tips, OREO basketball instructions, as well as a tutorial for DIY pom poms. Like everything at Celebrating Family, the tips and tutorials are simple and straightforward. Take these ideas and use them to celebrate and enjoy all the upcoming games with your friends and family.

OREO Basketballs

OREO cookies taste good dipped in just about anything. If you dip them in orange melted candy melts you end up with a treat that is both tasty and fun.

You Will Need:

• OREO cookies (any variety)
• 2 bags of orange colored candy melts
• Black gel writer

Instructions:

1. Melt candy melts according to instructions on packaging.
2. Dip OREO cookies, one at a time. Place cookie in melt and turn with a spoon to coat. Place dipped cookie on a lined baking sheet.
3. Once the cookies are dry, draw basketball lines onto cookies with gel writer.

Tablescape and Party Tips

Your party snack table should be bright and attractive.  You can decorate with your team colors or just stick with basketball orange. Simply hanging party streamers on a wall creates a festive look that even kids can create. Consider placing small toy basketballs and trophies on your snack table. I like to keep my sports-related gatherings simple and casual so I use paper plates and plastics cups and utensils.This helps everyone feel more relaxed and allows more play with the colors and theme. I also try to make sure I include a variety of snacks that are salty, sweet, and savory. If I am serving sweet treats I make sure I am serving fruits and vegetables as well.

My gatherings usually include children and teenagers so creating a bright and casual table reduces the tension parents and kids often feel when they are at a more formal event. Everyone can relax and enjoy themselves and not worry about broken dishes and expensive glasses. Seeing your friends and family members smile and have fun at your celebration is quite rewarding.

Another way to cater to your guests is to give them some extra little choices. I usually serve Coca-Cola products but my guests can chose to drink from the can, have a cup with ice, use pretty paper straws, or even add special little touches to their drinks. For example, I like to make slices of limes and lemons available right alongside the Coke Zero.

DIY Pom Poms

A craft table can be a fun addition to any celebration. Craft tables are also a clever way to keep the kiddos focused and involved in the festivities. One fun activity for your basketball party is to create pom poms the kids and adults can use to cheer the team on. These DIY pom poms are made from plastic table cloths so they are quite affordable.

You Will Need:

• 3 plastic table cloths
• Electrical tape
• 4 dowels or wooden sticks
• Scissors
• 4 chip clips (or 1 if making one pom pom at a time)

Instructions:

1. Unroll the plastic tablecloths leaving them folded. Stack the tablecloths on top of each other. You should have a long and skinny stack of tablecloths, about 14 inches by 108 inches.
2. Keeping them together, fold the tablecloths in half and then fold in half again. You will now have a thick stack of tablecloth plastic that is approximately 14 inches by 27 inches.
3. Use the scissors to cut the tablecloth in half both vertically and horizontally, resulting in four stacks of plastic approx 7 inches by 13 inches.
4. Secure a chip clip on each stack to hold the layers together before cutting (see picture above). Use the scissors to cut each stack into 1/2 inch wide ribbons that are approximately 5-6 inches long, leaving an inch along the end uncut.
5. Place dowel onto the corner of the uncut plastic and secure it with electrical tape (see picture above). Slowly roll the plastic around the dowel and use tape to secure plastic after about every three rolls. Once fully rolled, tightly cover entire taped area with about 6 inches of tape, wrapping around several times.
6. Pom poms will be flat when finished. They can be used this way, but for fluffier pom poms, separate the plastic pieces and ruffle them up a bit. This works best if your hands are damp or well moisturized.

Hosting a championship worthy basketball party takes a lot of work, but it does not need to be complicated.

Recipes your guests will enjoy:

Red Sea Party Punch

Marinated Veggie Kabobs and Ribeyes

Taco Burgers

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Skewers (and Tofu Skewers)