Cowboy/Indian Party -7yr- Campfire with Marshmellows

We had a cowboy/indian party for my son who turned 7. It first started out as a small sleep over party for just a few of his friends. My son couldnt keep it to himself so we had to then invite all the boys from his class to avoid insulting any children. The party would no longer be a sleep over, it would have to end just before bedtime.  

Our invitations read "Let's say howdy and be rowdy, for its our son's 7th B'day Party. Time, date, at our "Ranch".  Give us a holler to RSVP. Sure hope you can do-si-do over for some boot stomping fun. Yeehah!" The party was called for 5 pm. While all the children were arriving they could decorate and make either indian headband or cowboy vests.  We cut them out of brown grocery bags and provided markers,feathers and tape.  Once they all arrived we ate dinner(pizza). 

Following dinner the games began.  Out of tissue paper I cut out bears and stapled them onto my fence. Each bear had a childs name. At this station there was a wagon with a bucket of water and waterguns. Each child stood infront of their bear and the first to shoot a hole in the bear,won. If water refills were needed, the bucket was very handy. 

The next game was shoot out the candle.  We had two teams, Indians and Cowboys.  Each team lined up behind their candle and had to shoot it out with the watergun. As each extinguished the flame we relit it and they proceeded to the back of the line. First team done, won.

Next game was snake in a boot.  We had cowboy boots on bails of hay. The two teams lined up and had to toss a lizard and snake into the boot. We then had a rope with a head fitted on the end to make it resemble a large snake. We moved the rope along the floor and the kids had to jump over it without stepping on it.

Next was lasso the horse.  We opened a wire hanger making it into a circle and tied a rope to it.  The children had to toss the rope and lasso a wooden rocking horse. 

Finally, with the aid of our pecan tree we had the cowboys and indians find and gather pecans. They had to bring them to their stations and count them.  We had a Little Tikes fort for the cowboys and a great teepee I borrowed from a friend. 

As is a tradition with our kids, we had to have a pinata. We followed the pinata with a birthday cake which I decorated with cowboys, indians, teepees and alike from my lincoln log frontier set. 

After the cake there was only a few minutes of light.  We started a camp fire.  I had an aluminum tin filled with sand with a comercial fire log. We placed a circle of stones around it so the kids knew their boundries and how far away to stay from the fire.  We sat on the bails of hay and read some cowboy stories like "How I spent My Summer Vacation" by Mark Teague.  I was very surprised but the kids sat quietly and listened to all the stories.  We then handed out sticks that we picked before the party, and marshmellows.  Thats when all the kids chimed in this was the best party they have ever been to and that they had never did this before.  After  3-4 marshmellows each we put out the campfire and brought everyone into the house.

Those that brought PJ's changed and they sat quietly and watched a movie.  We brought a newly released movie to avoid the "I so that already".  Following the movie there was a few minutes till pickup.  The kids sat in a circle and each child opened the present they brought for my son and presented to him.  They really liked that. They each gave their story why they thought my son would like it and how cool it was. 

The clock struck 9.  The parents came, we handed out waterguns and harmonicas as well as their pinata candy bags. (We were supposed to hand out the harmonicas at the campfire but I forgot). The kids all left, and I had a very happy little birthday boy who said" no one ever had a party like this before, you’re the best Mom". After four hours of entertaining a class of boys we all slept soundly.