Carter's Cowboy Birthday

Hey Friends, This is a sample of Carter's Cowboy Birthday Party that I helped plan for my dear friend Amy. Unfortunately, she lives ALL the way up in Seattle so I couldn't be there personally, but I sent her a fun step by step party plan that she can easily pull off all on her own! So, here it is, and maybe it's something that might help someone else!

1st, Invitations:
Take a picture in a cowboy hat or western scene and make a cool wanted poster as the invitation.

2nd, Decorations:
I would borrow 3 or 4 card tables and chairs. Cover them with red table cloths and over that I would lay white or brown butcher paper. If you are having it outside, or even inside, I would then take rope and tie the corners of the cloth to the legs of the table in a rough knot. Get a few cheap tin buckets, www.bucket-outlet.com/2qthook.htm, and put a bandanna inside for some color. Tie a rope around it and use them as centerpieces. Fill them with crayons, stickers, markers etc…and just let the kids have a ball writing on the tables.
I would buy some red and white checkered fabric and use that on the buffet, and/or dessert table. If you have a wicker basket, throw a couple of bandannas in it and fill it with bread or chips, etc. You can buy cheap bandannas at the craft store, like Michaels or Hobby Lobby. I think they are about 1.00 a piece.
Get a bunch of balloons, I always like to use 50 or so, and I think the colors butterscotch, real red and jade are great. You can get a pack of 6 for .75 at http://www.buycostumes.com/
I also always use streamers. I love to twist them, and hang them in the doorways, archways, etc. These are the colors I would use, flame red, turquoise and brown. You can find these also at buycostumes.com for $1.00 each.. I like to twist two colors together and just alternate. Then, use a stapler to attach them to the walls, staple holes are so tiny, and they don’t leave behind a big mark.
I would buy a pack of red solo cups and fill each one with a napkin(probably yellow), a set of plastic utensils and a straw. You can place one at each chair or line them all up at the buffet.
The Giddy Up Cowboy 10” Dinner plates are perfect to set out at the buffet. Also available at http://www.buycostumes.com/

I love the idea of having a little western scene that you can have each child get their picture taken at… Then, use those pictures later as your thank you cards.
It’s not necessary to make a huge cutout. You could just find an empty corner and use these cute cowboy, cactus and barn wall decals to make your own(probably easier). The cowboy is $3.00, the cactus is $7.00 and the wall decals are $3.00 at http://www.buycostumes.com/.

3rd, Games and Activities:
First after all the kids arrive gather them up and have an adult teach the kids how to be a "real cowboy."

1) How to dress like cowboys (give them their hats and bandannas)
2) How to talk like cowboys (say 'howdy' for hello, 'grub' for food, etc.)
3) How to walk like a cowboy
4) How to 'rope' like a cowboy (with a hula hoop, plain or wrapped in rope)

Once the kids have learned how to be cowboys, they get their deputy badges (cheap silver badges from the party store). You can buy 12 for $4.94 on ebay, and they also have some the kids can write their names on…too cute!

Next have a mini rodeo…
Take a hula hoop and wrap it with rope to simulate a lasso… Make a Horse using an old sawhorse or a stuffed animal, and set it up as a lasso game. Give each kid 3 tries to rope the horse, 1 point if they get close, 3 points if the rope him, and -1 point if they overshoot…

Use some old burlap bags or brown pillowcases, and have an old fashioned potato sac race.

And finally, have a barrel race. Buy a couple of stick horses, or make your own with brown paper and wooded dowels from Lowes. Then take 3 coffee cans, or large round buckets and cover them with a paper sac and draw lines down the sides of them to make it look like barrels. Set them up in a triangle shape and have the kids race around them in a clover pattern. Time each kid, and the fastest one around without knocking any over wins…
The good thing about these games is that if you have help, you can have 2 or 3 kids at each event and then rotate… at the end have a winners circle and they can get these cute rodeo medals to take home… http://www.perfectpartybycody.com/welcome/Rodeo_Cowboy/a1_b416.html

Food:
I would use disposable pie tins with the clear plastic lids. You can get a pack of 2 or 3 at Wal-Mart for a dollar or two. And then make the kids box lunches, with maybe a sandwich, or piece of fried chicken, bag of chips, baked beans or beanie weenies and a fruit cup. Then maybe set out a buffet of BBQ, beans, coleslaw and drinks for the parents.. A few chips and dips for snacking, etc…
I would then make cupcakes, or buy them, in Carter’s favorite flavor. And decorate the tops with a simple miniature plastic horse, or have the bakery make them with a cute cowboy theme.

At the end of the party, all the kids get a small paper sack with a $ sign on it… Their “loot” bags, tied with a little twine around the top, filled with chocolate gold coins, trail mix, cowboy stickers etc…

Since Carter's party isn't til next month, I have been promised some pictures. So, I will definitely post them when I get them!
I hope my cowboy themed party inspires you!