Not in the mood to head out to a family gathering? Why not throw a fun home tailgate party instead. You can hang out at home, be together with your family, and have some delicious treats as well.
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So Why Should You Throw A Home Tailgate Party?
Well, there are so many reasons why you should do this. Fun, food, family, and warm memories. Here are some home tailgate party ideas to get your started on what could be a yearly or even monthly family tradition.
So How Do You Throw A Tailgate Party At Home?
First of all, there is no right or wrong way to do it. You just need to figure out what works best for your family. Now is a great time to get together with your family to see what they would enjoy. However, if they are anything like mine, you will often get the “I don’t know” answer. So, if you keep reading, I am sharing some great tips to get you started!
Step #1: Set the mood for your party.
This is always a fun thing to do. You can do your favorite sports team as your theme, maybe a kids’ theme too. For us, it is all about the Summer months, so we decided on a fun beach theme.
If you are having your party later in the evening, have some fun solar lights set up so you can enjoy your home tailgate party long after the sun goes down.
Step #2: Grill up some goodness!
You can’t have a home tailgate party without having some delicious things to eat. And something grilled is the perfect thing. You don’t have to be stuck in the kitchen while everyone else is outside, and you save some money on your electric bill by using a gas grill. You don’t have to have a fancy one, check this simple portable propane grill we purchased a few years ago.
It doesn’t take up a lot of room on your patio or deck, and it folds up for easy storage. You can get the propane in any camping section of your local stores.
And you absolutely need some great grilling recipes, so here are a few to get you started:
- Grilled Lemon Chicken Kabobs
- Grilled Hawaiian Brat Burgers
- Shrimp On The Grill
- Grilled Pork Chips With Rosemary Rub
- Lime Margarita Grilled Salmon
- Grilled London Broil
- Sweet Chili Grilled Chicken
- Easy Grilled Pizza
- Cheesy Salsa Stuffed Peppers
- Grilled Mackerel Fillets With Green Goddess Dressing
The possibilities are endless if you want something fancy. However, if you are into just the basics, then hot dogs & hamburgers are where it is at. Want more grilling ideas? Good Housekeeping’s Ultimate Grill Cookbook is a great place to start.
Step #3: Leave the electronics inside the house.
I know this will be a hard tip to swallow, especially for those teenagers. But you would be surprised how once they are outside and interacting with one another, the electronics will probably be forgotten.
At least until a friend/boyfriend/girlfriend decides to text and see what is going on. This would be a great time to invite them over to join in on your fun because the electronics will head back on the table again.
A great alternative would be having tunes playing on a speaker. My husband loves his I-Pod for the tunes and this fun Death Star Bluetooth Speaker.
Step #4: Plan a special dessert.
A hallmark of a great party includes a delicious dessert. You can have something like a fun rainbow sherbet sheet cake to add color to your party. Or anything involving chocolate.
For us, something as simple as a good bowl of ice cream is the perfect sweet treat. There isn’t a lot of work involved, yet it is a delicious addition to your party.
Step #5: Listen to your favorite team on the radio.
What marks a fun tailgate party like listening to your favorite sports team on the radio. During the Spring/Summer it is baseball and, of course, Fall is for football. If you are lucky enough to have outdoor weather all year round, you may even be able to catch a hockey game!
What Are Some Home Tailgate Party Activities?
Not into sports? No problem. A home tailgate party doesn’t have to involve sports at all. You can do things like:
Have A Family Game Day
You don’t just have to play board games inside your home, you know. A home tailgate party is the perfect time to put up your patio umbrella, grab some seats, and start one of your favorite games. Some of our best memories involve cut-throat UNO. One of those cards was rubbed off, so we ALWAYS knew who had the red four.
Other fun games you can play include:
Go Retro With A Slip n’ Slide
Who remembers these from Summer? I think I have had more fun with the Slip n’ Slide during the Summer than I did swimming at our local pool! What a great way to share with your kids(and, well, other adults too)the fun things you did during the Summer.
If you aren’t able to find one around you, a smooth tarp and a hose holder will work just as well.
Have A Water Balloon Battle Or Hose Fight
This is probably going to be one of the highlights of your gathering because everyone can get involved, even the grandparents. Give them a big water gun, and they can sit in a chair and be part of the action.
Water balloons can be made ahead of time in secret(won’t your kids be surprised when you ambush them)and kept nearby for the perfect start of your water fight.
And, if you don’t have any of those items handy, a good garden hose and nozzle will be the most amazing weapon. And the bonus is that your lawn will be watered at the same time. SCORE!
Play Hide n’ Seek
Back in the day, one of our favorite things to do as kids was to play flashlight tag. Gosh, we would be out for hours, and not have a care in the world! Now, you can’t really do too much of that. But you can play a modified version in your backyard. Have awesome neighbors like we do? Ask their permission if you kids(and even you)can expand your territory to their yards.
Have Fun With Lawn Games
Now, if you have been to a tailgate before, you know there are usually lawn games involved. You can have things like cornhole, spikeball, lawn bowling, and the classic game of croquet.
So there you have it, some great home tailgate party ideas you can use to start a fun, family tradition. There is something for everyone, and you can make some amazing memories that will last a lifetime!
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Things To Make Your Tailgate Party Great
Here are some great products that will have your home tailgate party as awesome as it can.
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