So it's time to plan a party; whether it's for your son, daughter, significant other, 
or any other group here are some ways to incorporate some pizza!

Party for the Kid's

You know deep down inside that you always want to out do your friends when it comes to providing a party for your kids, if your a parent then you know what I mean. Here are some possible solutions that may just put you over the top.

Having Pizza at your party - Make it Fun!

• Make your own pizza dough. By making your own pizza dough or purchasing already made dough, you could cut the dough into smaller dough balls approximately 4"-6" and have the kids create their own pizza. Simply go to the grocery store and purchase the toppings needed, most kids only like pepperoni and cheese. Press out the dough balls on a few cookie sheets, I would only recommend 3-4 per cookie sheet because the pizza will grow a little when baking. Place the toppings in some bowls and create a topping line for the kids to go through. Dough - sauce - cheese - other toppings. When they are finished topping them, cook them at around 450F for approximately 8 minutes. The kid's will have fun making the pizza's and enjoy eating them because they created them!

• Tour the pizza shop. Did you know that some pizza shops offer tours for kid's? Some pizza shops will allow a group of supervised kid's to come into the pizza shop and create their own pizza's. I have found that the majority of the pizza shops that do this, are shops that have a place to sit down. The cost per kid again is relatively cheap as I have found, they usually charge $3-$5 per kid. This price includes a pizza or a couple of slices and a drink. With a pizza shop tour, the kids will love making their own pizza and  you won't have any mess to clean up!

• Have a pizza dough contest. Make a game of it for the kids. Simply make some dough and divide it up into several dough balls and play a game of toss. You know that game you used to play when you were a kid. You start by pairing up the kids in groups of two and then forming a line. Toss the dough back and forth. Every time the kids toss the dough, they take a step back. The group that is able to last the longest is the winner. Pizza dough is cheap to make, so why not let the kid's have fun with it!

• Make dessert pizza dough. Make some pizza dough and have some cookie cutters of the latest fad that your kids are into. Roll out some dough and let the kids cut out some shapes with the cookie cutters. Place them on a greased cookie sheet and bake them at around 450F for about 5-6 minutes and top them with cinnamon and sugar.

• Have a pizza cake. Use a thicker pizza crust and place the candles in the pizza.

• Search the phone book. If your not up to having the party at your homestead, search the phone book for pizza shops that cater parties. There are a number of places that cater pizza parties and have a ton of fun activities for the kids to enjoy. Two that I can think of off the top of my head are Eatza Pizza and Chuck E. Cheese's. Both of these establishments have accommodations for parties and they provide games to keep the kid's active!

Pizza for other parties

Pizza is so great because almost everybody loves it and you can order a pizza to accommodate almost anyone's taste bud's! Here are some other simple idea's to involve pizza with your parties or gatherings.

• Football. Well what day is the biggest football gathering? The Super Bowl! This is one of, if not the, biggest pizza days of the year. So why not join in the fun! Here are some tips if you are going to order pizza on the Supper Bowl.
  
   1) If you're going to order pizza on the Super Bowl, plan ahead! Call the pizza shop a day or two before the big game and place your order. The majority of pizza shops will take your order for specific times, they may not guarantee that it will be done exactly on time, but at least you know your order will be ready around that time.
  
  2) Know what you want before calling. If you choose not to plan ahead, at least make sure you know what you want to order when you call. Speaking from past experience, this is the worst of the worst. Picture yourself in this position. You have 7 lines ringing, your 15 orders behind, 5 customer's standing at the counter, and your oven is backed up and the pizza's are beginning to burn. What would you be thinking to yourself in the back of your mind if you were in this position and you have a customer on the phone saying, hmm I'm not sure what I want? Yes, I'm sure.... Knowing what you want to order when you call is such a relief to the customer service rep's on the phone. This let's them get your order taken care or in around 45-85 seconds so they can go onto the next call.
  
  3) Try to place your order at an odd time. On game day, the rush begins about 30-45 minutes before kick off. Once the rush begins, anything can happen inside those 4 walls. If it's a new promotion that the pizza shop just kicked off, it's almost certain that they will backed up till about halftime.
  
  4) Place your order for pick-up. Once again this is a huge day for the pizza industry, so if they get backed up or are understaffed for the game you'll be waiting awhile to get your pizza. If you feel bad about not being able to tip the delivery guy because you picked up your pizza, toss a few dollars to the inside crew. After all they are the one's doing the hardest job of the night.

• Graduation parties. Another big time for the pizza industry. What do you see the most at graduation parties? Pizza and pasta. If you're planning a graduation party and want to have pizza, shop around. Call up different pizza places and ask if they have any kind of catering specials or graduation specials. Most of the time they are going to ask how many slices you will need. The rule of thumb when I was in the business is the following; if you're just having pizza then figure 3 slices per person. If you're having pizza and other types of food, figure 1.5 slices per person.