Here's
a quiz for you. Besides Leap Day, what else comes around only
once every 4 years? The Summer Olympics, of course! This August,
the entire world will be watching and cheering their country's
athletes at the Olympic Games being held in Beijing, China.
Why not bring the Olympic enthusiasm to Michiana by hosting
your own Olympic party?
Invite
guests to "go for the gold" at the "[Smith] Family & Friends
Olympics". Invitations can feature the Olympic circles with
a gold medal adhered to the center ring. Invite guests to
come dressed in the attire for their favorite summer Olympic
sport; you can then have everyone try to guess what sport
each guest has chosen.
Decorate
using red, black, blue, green and yellow (the colors of the
Olympic circles) balloons and streamers and flags from around
the world. (Flags International on McKinley Highway in Osceola
has a wide selection.) If your yard is large enough, place
colored hula hoops in the shape of the five rings in the Olympics
emblem on your front lawn to welcome guests.
Play
the Olympic theme music and the soundtrack from "Chariots
of Fire" (available at Amazon.com) to get everyone in the
Olympic spirit.
Greet
guests with an appetizer in that continues the Olympic theme.
Cover a large baking sheet with foil. Create the five ring
symbol of the Olympics with overlapping rings of cold shrimp.
Label it "The Official Appetizer of the 2008 Olympic Games"
Get
everyone in the mood by having an "Opening Ceremony". Provide
plain white ball caps (available at craft stores) and a selection
of decorations; glitter, feathers, pipe cleaners, faux fur,
fabric, etc." and ask everyone to design a hat the country
of their choice to wear in the opening parade. Once the hats
are complete, have everyone "parade" to the back yard where
you can light the Olympic "Tikki Torch". An alternative for
creative is to invite guests by sending a flag of a country
along with a plain hat. Tell them that they have the "honor
of representing X country at the [Smith] Family & Friends
Olympics" and they should decorate their hat to show off their
country. Either way, you can award medals for the most creative,
best theme, silliest, etc.
Depending
on your crowd, you can watch the games on TV or just stage
your own version of the Olympics.
Some
fun "Olympic" games, courtesy of Party411.com:
