Make your holiday party fun, safe, and memorable!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! It’s that time of year when friends and family gather to celebrate and spend time with one another. With how busy the season can be, we wanted to take the guesswork out of creating a memorable holiday party. Here are 6 tips for throwing a holiday party that you will enjoy as much as your guests!
Tip 1: Make a list and check it twice!
The holiday survival guide you’ve been looking for will come in the form of a well-thought-out list! Creating an organized list of all the things that need to be completed or purchased will allow you to feel stress-free while you plan. Asking guests to help with party-related tasks can also make them feel more involved, so never be afraid to ask for help in preparing. You can include things in your prep list such as the food, activities, drinks, guest list, and a plan to get guests home safely.
Tip 2: Play some holiday hits!
Since it’s a party, you’ll want to set a fun tone for the night! Having some festive music playing in the background will fill any gaps in conversation and prompt your guests to sing and dance all night long! Having some classic holiday songs with a modern twist on your playlist will get the vibe rolling and is guaranteed to get your guests singing and dancing!
We’ve created a Spotify playlist with our favorite holiday hits to help take one thing off your list! You can listen to our playlist here.
Tip 3: Bring guests together with games!
Who wouldn’t love to have some laughs while playing a party game? We know our Trypsters love to have fun playing games and sparking some healthy competition amongst friends. We’ve compiled some easy-to-set-up holiday games that take the guesswork out of what to play:
- Christmas Minute to Win It: You’ll have two players for each game that will be going head-to-head against each other. Here is a list of 25 Minute to Win It Game Ideas to choose from.
- Christmas Name That Tune: Play a series of popular Christmas songs and challenge guests to be the first to name it correctly! The person to guess the highest number of song titles right wins!
- Holiday Charades: Have players act out holiday words or phrases and get their team to guess them before the time runs out. The team with the most points wins!
- Holiday Kisses: Ask each player a series of true or false holiday trivia questions. Each correct answer means you get one Hershey Kiss to cover your tree. The first one to cover the tree wins! We’ve created a printable version for you to download by clicking the button below!
Tip 4: Create a festive food menu
The most important part of any party is the food! It’s always exciting to arrive at a party to find that the food laid out not only looks delicious but tastes good too! As a host, you don’t want to be working in the kitchen all night. Think about preparing any food you need in advance so you’ll have time to enjoy the party and socialize with your guests. One easy way to serve all your guests is to go buffet style; that way, it isn’t too formal, and people can chat while others serve up their plates.
Some great appetizers you can include in your menu are:
- Spinach and artichoke dip
- Swedish meatballs
- Veggies with onion dip
- Buffalo chicken cheese balls
- Pizza wreath
- Easy cheese board
- Christmas tree deviled eggs
Thanks to Food Network, you can find all the recipes mentioned here.
Lastly, think about some festive desserts! Here are some ideas that will have guests coming back for seconds:
- A variety tray of cookies and small bars
- Homemade fudge
- White chocolate bark with peppermint stick
- Any of your holiday favorite treats
Check out some of our favorite holiday dessert inspo here.
Tip 5: The Drink Menu
Mocktails are a great option for guests who are driving; these are so fun and flavorful that your guests won’t have to miss out on enjoying a festive beverage with friends!
Here are a couple of our favorite mocktails; check out our weekly holiday mocktail videos on our Instagram account for the full recipes.
- Punch-Style Mocktail
- Holiday Paloma Mocktail
- Tropic Flip Mocktail
- Peach and Tonic Mocktail
When enjoyed responsibly, cocktails can also be a great addition for adult guests who are not driving. Here are a few fun ideas:
- White Christmas Margarita
- Vodka Cranberry Punch with Apple Cider Ice Cubes
- Santa’s Sleigh
- Holiday Party Punch
- Winterberry Cocktail
- Jingle Juice
- Classic Eggnog
Check out these recipes and more here!
Tip 6: Drive home safely!
Holiday parties are always a fun way to connect with people. With all the excitement, it’s important to make sure all of your friends and family return to their homes safely. Encourage guests to have a designated driver plan in place. This could mean that one partner (if coupled) enjoys the mocktails while the other enjoys the cocktails. Another idea would be to have a “key bowl” at the entrance; if a guest drives to your place, have them place their keys in the bowl overnight to make sure they don’t drive home impaired. Encouraging your guests to give up their keys is a friend code to not drink and then drive. Guests can take an Uber home, or you can offer them a bed to stay overnight if you have the space… but couches are pretty comfortable too.
The most important portion of your holiday is having fun and making memories. You want everyone to have fun and to be safe. These 6 tips will help you throw an amazing holiday party that will have your guests talking for years to come!
Happy Holidays! Stay safe and enjoy hosting your holiday party!
