Bootcamp Party -7yr- Camo Netting Décor

For my son's 7th birthday, we decided to do a military theme.  I had a friend dress up as a Drill SGT to lead the troops and activiteis.

INVITATIONS:  I downloaded a picture of uncle Sam's 'I want You' poster for the front cover.  The inside read: Official Orders for Private (Last Name).By the order of Uncle Sam, you have been drafted.  Please report for duty for Daniel's Birthday Boot Camp at the (Last Name) Military Base at 13:00 hours, Sunday July 12, 2009.  Please arrive wearing your camos, khakis, green, brown, desert or BDUs (if you have them).  Chow and birthday rations will be served in the mess hall. Please be prepared to run Basic Training drills testing accuracy, survival, agility, endurance, strength and balance skills. You will also participate in other Survival Games. Troops will be dismissed at 16:00 hours. Contact the Base Commanders at (phone #) to confirm your orders, no later than (date).  Military Base location: (Address) We've adopted a soldier and we're suggesting, in lieu of gifts, care package supplies for our soldiers currently serving overseas.  I included a list of suggested items that I had put together from the soldiers we've adopted. I printed them on card stock and used the stencil font for the envelopes as well and topped them off with flag stamps. 

DECORATIONS:  I hung up a camo poncho liner and covered the table with an army green tarp. I also hung up camo netting.  I made signs using the stencil font - Officer's club, latrine, Restricted Area & Military Base.  I also hung Army window clings on the sliding glass door & windows. We had a bunch of Americana stuff and flags up from July 4th.  I called the local recruiter and he gave me a poster and some flyers to put around the house.

ACTIVITIES & GAMES: When the kids arrived, they had their faces painted with grease paint ($3). Then we split them into the Alpha and Bravo companies.  They had a water grenade (balloons) toss.  Next, they lined up for the obstacle course and we gave them the rules (one at a time, down and back, must wear gloves and they were timed).  We put together 8 tires, 2 pallets screwed together to crawl under and 2 more to climb over , a refrigerator box for a tunnel and cones for them to run around and made an obstacle course then . 

I bought camo gloves so no one would get splinters ($ store). After we ate, the kids did drills (jumping jacks, marching, push ups led by the drill sgt.) While the drills were going on, I set the table up for the letter writing stations.  The kids came in and sat down at the table and made letters, cards & pictures to send to the soldiers.  I had card stock, construction paper, lined paper, crayons, markers, pens, pencils, stickers. 

PARTY SNACKS: chow was served in the mess hall.  We served hamburgers and hot dogs, mac n cheese and salads, plus the ususal chips and pretzels.  I also found candies wrapped in camo paper at a local party store and these were scattered on the table.

COSTUMES: we asked the kids to come in camo, brown or green. 

CAKE:  I ordered a 1/2 sheet chocolate cake from SAM's Club.  They scanned a piece of camo scrapbook paper that I supplied onto the cake and the border was brown from the chocolate.  I bought a small army play set from Walmart ($2) and decorated the cake with a helicopter, tank, barbed wire fence, some army guys and a flag on each side and added sparkler candles for the finishing touch.  The kids & parents loved the cake and not a piece was left.

FAVORS:  The recruiter gave me some ARMY STRONG bags and I used these for the goody bags.  I gave the kids secret mission activities which included a secret code and decoder, plus maps.  They each got a ball, bubbles, camo candies, ball & paddle, ARMY pencils and stickers.  Since we had requested donated goods for care packages for the adopted soldiers, I had posted their names, and information I had about them.  We had tubs set up to collect the donations.  I took pictures of the kids running the obstacle course and lined them all up for a group picture to send with the care packages to the soldiers and for the thank you notes.  We had half a dozen neighborhood kids peeking around the corner wanting to join the party - they all loved the obstacle course and each went thru it at least 10 times.  When it was time for the parents to pick up, the kids didn't want to leave and I'm sure the adults were dying to try the obstacle course too!