Cowboys -4yr- Rib Stickin' Corn Bread & Chili

This was a party for my niece who turned 4 years old, Cowboy Round Up and Cook Off Party.  I had to make this appealing for the old since we have so many people that we invite that do not have children.  I incorporated a cook off for the adults and then had cowboy/cowgirl games and crafts for the kids. 

Let's start with the invitation.  I made these on the computer and they were more like flyers that I hand delivered or emailed to each one of our invited guests.  It was not one of my most creative invitations. 

However, the decorations were a site to see.  If you have read any of my parties on this site, you will know I am the bargain shopper.  I found everything I needed at all the local discount stores and thrift stores.  I found bandanas that were actually very thin red table napkins, 4 for 1.48, at one of the thrift stores.  I also found child cowboy hats, .99 each, at another resale shop.  How ever, I did not find enough, so I went to a local teacher/party supply store and found brand new ones for only 1.19 each.  I got one in each color, blue and red, to place in the General Store, this was where the kids would go to get or "buy" their prizes and rewards. 

I found adult straw hats at the Dollar General of all places for $3, but later returned since I do not need them.  I found more bandanas at the teacher/party supply store, .80 each.  I only purchased a few of these for the General Store.  I made a centerpiece of my old cowboy boots, rope, bandana, and cowboy hat for the breakfast table.  I took 2 of the used child cowboy hats to hold the cups and spoons along with wooden plates and bowls that I already had to hold the cook off food on the main dining area. I covered the part of the table with red/white-checkered tablecloth.  I only covered it partially since my house is already rustic; the long wooden table was part of the decorations. I

 took the same wooden bowls, plates, and cowboy hats with red/white-checkered tissue paper and placed them on the large island we have in the kitchen/family room to hold the other food items.  I placed fake mini cactus, leather pieces from an upholstery project, and cactus shot glasses filled with various candies under and around the food.  We took some scrap wood we had from another project, some rope and hung CHUCK WAGON over the island, COME AND GET IT on the main dining table, and SALOON next to the beer and drinks counter. 

I also made signs for the games like Shooting Gallery and Gold Panning, which I will get into later.  My husband just built these box shelves and placed them on the walls, so I used them to hold the prizes/rewards for the kids and the adults. 

This is where I placed the GENERAL STORE sign.  Now on to the round up and cook off activities, as I said before we had a cook off for the adults and the categories were BEST ROOTIN TOOTIN CHILI, BEST RIB STICKIN' CORNBREAD, and MOST SWEETTOOTH SATISFYING DESSERT.  All the items were placed in the front on the long table, so it would be easier to circle around to try each item.  I placed a brown paper bag next to each entry with a number on it.  I gave each guest a penny to place in the bag of the one they like best in each category.  .  I bought oven mitts, potholders, big glass beer mugs, and shot glasses for the prizes.  This was the easiest way to count and be more secretive. 

We had several activities and games for the kids.  I got most of them off of the various websites I used to help plan parties, but most of them off of here.  I wanted to do the grocery bag vest, but I could not find any plain brown paper sacks anywhere.  So I purchased 4 in gold star die cuts, wrote Deputy (child's name), and pin them to the kid's.  .  I had a few games lined up was only able to get to a couple. 

We had the kids pan for gold nuggets, which were rocks taken from my landscaping and painted with gold spray paint.  We filled a tub with play sand and water, which was very messy, and threw in some rocks and gold nuggets.  The kids used a small wire strainer to pan for the gold.  The kids took the nuggets they found and purchased items at the General Store.  Before I go on any further, items at the General Store, cowboy hats, bandanas, water guns shaped like pistols, marbles, jacks, plastic colorful deputy badges, spinning tops, harmonicas, plastic handcuffs, and old western dvds.  I also took candies and placed in old fashion glass jars, such as root beer barrels, candy necklaces, pixie stixs, bit o honey, and old fashion taffy.  All of this  purchased all of this at dollar stores.  

Back to the games, another game was the Shooting Gallery.  We painted aluminum soda cans black, placed them on a wooden shelf we made, and had the kids shoot them down with an Airzooka.  For those not too familiar with this toy, it is a large barrel gun, with plastic and a cord that shoots out air when pulled back and let go.  Well this was the plan, but many of the kids could not pull the cord back far enough.  So, we ended up not doing this and took the Airzooka back. 

I knew around Easter that I was going to do this party.  When shopping all the Easter clearance I found yellow Easter grass that was the same texture as the hay, .19 each bag  It took me forever to decide what to hide in the hay for the kids to find, but found little rubbery snakes about 2 days before the party.  So I named the game Snakes in the Barn.  Each child had 30 seconds to find as many snakes as possible.  Each child traded in each snake for a gold nugget to purchase items in the General Store.  By the way, I figured this did not smell like hay and would be easier to clean up.  I was wrong, I used a tarp and it still got everywhere.  I suggest not doing this in the house. 

Another game I had lined up, was Cowboy Hat Game.  It is just like musically chairs, but with hats.  The kids would circle the hats until the music stopped and then race to put a hat on, the child left with out a hat would be considered out of the game.  The winner would get a cowboy hat to take home.  We did not have time for this.  We did have time for a jello-eating contest.  I used lime Jello, set them in pie tins, and put them on the tarp. The kids leaned over and chowed down.  This was one of the most amusing games for the adults to watch.  Also, each kids mouth had a green all over it.  This winner got the other hat. 

I made party favors for everyone, mini loot bags.  I made old fashion burlap money bags with of course burlap fabric.  I cut out the fabric into 6 in squares, placed 10 chocolate poker chips in the center (I got these from a friend a while back, but you can find them at World Market), pulled up the sides and tied it up with twine.  I took a black permanent marker and drew a dollar sign on both sides of it.  I really did not go all out on this part as I originally intended because I wanted to keep cost down. 

The next day I took everything that I did not need or want to keep for another party back to the stores, such as the fake cactus plants, cactus shot glasses, and unopened prizes.  It was overall a good party, but not my proudest.  Stay tuned for my next party for my nephew in June, POKEMON POOL PARTY.