If you were bummed out by the postponement of the Summer Olympics last year, then you might be pleased to know that they’re in full swing for this year. The Olympics are a great time to inspire socialization and fun, but you shouldn’t feel the need to throw a lot of money into an Olympics party. There are so many ways you can enjoy yourself as you celebrate the Olympics, so you can easily entertain guests, celebrate your favorite teams, and make memories that will last.

1. Keep the Party Small
Although vaccinations are more common and things seem to be going back to normal, you should still keep your Olympics party small. It is still hazardous to get a lot of people together, so you should keep your gathering as small as you can. This will actually help you to save a lot of money too. By cutting down on the guest list you can cut back on the food and drinks needed for the event. Plus, you won’t have to worry about accommodating numerous people at once, which makes parities a bit harder to plan anyway.

2. Themed Foods
There are so many amazing foods that you can make for your guests. However, if you really want a round of applause then you might consider making some themed foods for everyone to enjoy. This might sound like a hard task, but after a quick internet search, you should have plenty of inspiration to get you going. One simple idea is to present rings of foods that show off the colors of the Olympics. For this, you might consider olives, strawberries, kiwis, and so on. Another fun idea is to make Olympic torches out of ice cream cones. You can also choose to make dishes that represent the various cultures participating in the game that you are watching. There are lots of tutorials online if you’re not sure how to do this.

3. Go Non-Alcoholic
Alcoholic drinks are going to cost you a lot of money, especially if you’re hosting more than a few people. So, if you can, skip out on this portion of the party. You can still have some fun drinks that even feature an Olympian theme, but you won’t have to budget as much money to your food and drink budget if you leave out this key element of the party. Plus, drinking in a social setting might be something many people haven’t taken part in for quite some time. Since this can cause a problem for so many, it might be wise to skip the drinks anyway to ensure that everyone is able to have a good time.

4. Know the Schedule
One of the best things you can do before planning your party is to know the Olympic schedule. Typically, you will be able to catch a variety of events during the same time frame, but since the games are in Japan you may find the schedule may be at a time that is really late or early. There should be recaps of the events, but you will need to know when these are on during local hours. Once you have the schedule, you should be able to choose events that you can plan your party around. This will ensure that you won’t have everyone gathered up for an event or two and find out that nothing is actually being broadcasted at that time frame.

5. Make Predictions
Another simple way to bring some fun to the party is to add some predictions to the entertainment schedule. Before an event begins, you can have everyone write down their predictions for the game. You can make it as simple as which country will get the gold, or as complex as actual swim times and so on. You don’t have to stick with the event happening at the time of the party either. You can have people predict which country will get the most medals and so. You can do this for fun or add simple prizes to the mix to give people a little more incentive to participate.

6. Crafts
One of the easiest ways to keep everyone entertained is to bring out some crafts. There are so many fun things you can do that offer an Olympics theme that it might be hard to choose. You might start the process by choosing things with supplies that you already have at home. One of the easiest things to make is Olympic medals. You can do this with ribbon and paper, or you can attach chocolates to the ribbon to add to the fun. Apart from that, you can recreate the Olympic rings, make a torch, create an Olympic crown, and so on. If you want to think outside of the box a little, then you might also consider having a competition where everyone designs their own mascot. This can add a creative element to the games that you might not normally get to experience.

7. Concession Stand Snacks
Another part of the Olympics that people love is concession stand foods. Since most people won’t get to attend the Olympics, you might bring the sporting event cuisine to your home. Stock up on popcorn, hot dogs, and other cheap foods that tend to frequent sporting event concession stands. You might also check out what is typically served in Japanese concession stands. You might be surprised how cheap some of these dishes are to make and how much fun they can be at parties.

8. Food Competition
If you’re worried about your food budget, then you might also consider bringing a touch of competition to this aspect of the party too. You can ask people to bring in some of their favorite dishes or pick a theme. Then, everyone can vote for their favorite dishes. This will help provide everyone with plenty of food while adding a touch of the Olympics to the party. You can even create medals for the best food in different categories, which will entice people to participate all the more.

9. Trivia
Adding trivia to your themed party can also be a good way to bring some fun to the occasion. You can host rapid trivia during advertisement breaks or you can keep the fun going for as long as possible. If you’re not sure where to begin when it comes to Olympic trivia, then there are numerous resources that you can pull from the internet. You can even find obscure questions that will stump some of the biggest fans in the room. To add to the fun, you might create medals to deliver to the winners or you can choose a variety of other small prizes to encourage people to win. If your party is small, you can even encourage people online to join in on the fun by posting questions to social media.

10. Host Your Own Games
One of the best things you can do during your party is hosting your own games to keep everyone busy. If the weather is nice, set up obstacle courses, relay races, or simply organize a game of your favorite sport. You can even keep the games similar to those that will be playing during your party. If the weather isn’t nice, then there are still plenty of fun games that can be enjoyed inside. If you’re shy about ideas, then there are lots of ideas online that will ensure you can plan out plenty of activities that will feed the competitive spirit of the occasion.

Hosting an Olympic Games party should be fun. Worrying about the budget doesn’t have to get in the way of your plans. These ten tips should help you and your guests have a blast while you embrace the games and cheer on your favorite teams and athletes.