Cowboy Party -6yr- Panning For Gold

My son wanted to have a cowboy party for his 6th birthday.  First, the invitations were made from a border I had on my print shop.  It has a cowboy in the left hand corner and there is a rope border like the cowboy had a lasso. 

The invitation read:  Howdy Partner!  Get your boots and yourself in gear We're having a party celebrating Jake's 6th year!  For his birthday he wants to join his pals playing cowboy games and even milking a cow.  There will be chuckwagon grub ice cream and cake.  All we need is you so don't be late.  I tied strips of a bandana around the invitations before I mailed them.   The party was held at our church's gym/activities building.  As the kids arrived there was a western sign that said It's a Party.  Welcome Buckaroos!. 

We purchased western bulletin board items at our local school supply store.  At the table under the sign the kids got a cowboy hat a sheriff's badge and a lunch sack to put prizes in.  I also had a CD playing "Western Music for Youngins".  Each kid then had their picture made "in jail".  My father-in-law made a jail out of a refrigerator box.  It was covered in a rock type paper with wanted posters on it.  There were also big wanted posters on a piece of lattice by the jail.  (The jail looked just like the one you can purchase from Shindigz or Stumps but so much cheaper).  We did purchase the rock paper from this company. 

We also had a livery stable made out of cardboard covered with paper that looked like wood (from party store) an old wagon (also made of cardboard) and a trading post.  The trading post had a big bull's skull hanging from it (purchased at Party City).  We also had an area like a barn with cardboard animals (chickens sheep pigs a horse and a cow.  In this area we put a giant cow which you could milk.  (We have a local vendor who rents it out).  He puts some solution in water so it really looks like milk when the kids milk it (Kids loved it!).  The kids each got a plastic horse if they milked the cow. 

We also had an Animal Lasso game.  We printed off pictures of cows horses pigs and sheep.  I then put each of them on a 2-liter bottle.  You then take rings (like you use in a pool) and the kids tried to get the ring on the bottle.  For a prize the kids got a marshmallow rope and rope licorice.   The next game was Cactus Rodeo.  We had a big blow up cactus which was in a galvanized bucket.  The kids then had to try and throw a hula hoop over it.  The kids got a horse finger puppet if they played this one. 

The next game was Panning For Gold.   We used a small plastic pool with sand.  We added pennies nickels dimes and quarters and gold fish rock.  We used silver pie tins with holes in it to pan.  If the kids got any money they got to keep it.  If they got a gold coin they could trade it in for gold coin bubble gum.  They also played Rattlesnack Round-Up.  We had three boots.  The kids stood on a hay bale and tried to drop small rubber snakes in the boots.  For a prize they got rubber snakes and I bought individual boxes of malted milk balls but I put labels on them that said "rattlesnake eggs" with a snake on them. 

The final game was a "Shoot Out".  We had one of those games where it looks like cans on a piece of wood.  When you shoot at the right place the can pops up and breaks in half like they were shot in half.  For the prize for this the kids got bendable cowboys and Indians.  We also had a cowboy hat pinata. 

Now we also decorated the food area.  For the entrance we put down two pieces of lattace to make an entranceway.  We covered this with paper that looked like a barn (purchased at Party City).  We also had big cardboard black columns with latterns on them.  We had a big sign hanging over entrance that said "Jake's Roadhouse" (made out of the wood looking paper with black letters).  There was another sign inside that said Jake's Roadhouse then had different western cutouts hanging around.  On the tables we had red and white checked tablecloths.  we had small galvanized tubs filled with peanuts (like the restaurants have) and tied red and blue balloons on them.  We also had small cowboys and Indians sitting around. 

We served hotdogs a variety of individual bags of chips and drinks.  The cake table had a tablecloth that matched the napkins with a western scene.  The centerpiece matched it.  From that table we served cake ice cream and cookies shaped like a star and said "Sheriff". 

I forgot to mention that while the kids were playing the man I rented the cow from came back.  He had just got in a big chicken.  It looks like he is riding it like a horse.  His feet are down in the legs but fake legs hang off the side like they are his.  He can manever the chicken like it is real.  The kids loved petting it. 

As the kids got ready to leave they got treat bags.  The bags were made from lunch sacks but I folded them over and punched holes in them and tied gingham ribbon on them.  I also put a label on them that said "Happy Trails to You" with a cowboy on horse too. Inside was candycowboys and Indians and Western stickers. They also got magnetic Wanted posters.  (I am sure you have seen those magnet things where you put hair on the bald guy)  It is similar to those only you put mustaches and beards on the cowboy. 

Finally the guy I rent things from came back and asked if I had rattlesnake eggs to give them.  I said no.  He came back with these envelopes that said rattlesnake eggs for me to give the kids.  I did not know what they were but when you open the envelope it "rattles" like a real snake.  It is made out of a washer and you put a rubber band through it.  It is attached to something that looks like an open bobby pin.  You twist the rubber band then put it in the envelope when some one opens it it makes you jump.  I am not kidding.  All the kids had a great time.  The parents were already asking me what we were doing next year.  (Most of the prizes were purchased through Oriental Trading.)  "