Indiana Jones Party -7yr- Mummy Dogs

INVITATIONS:  We took plain white paper and on one side printed a treasure map and on the other side was the invite.  Please join Indiana Gregory on his next archaelogical expedition…..be prepared for danger hazardous thrills and water hazards".  We took the paper tore off the edges to look jagged and rough and crinkled it into a ball opened it and laid it out flat on a cookie sheet.  We poured tea or coffee over it and let is soak for 5 min. Then onto a dry sheet popped it into a warm oven to dry for approx. 5 min.  You could also blow dry it or air dry it but I found the baked looked very authentic.  

DECORATIONS: It was an all outdoor party.  We hung totem pole looking signs on a few trees.  We had blow up monkies parrots and palm trees on the table. We had tikki torches in the entrance to the party.  We also decorated under our deck to look like a cave.  I purchased a roll of scene setter with a black background and tall skeletons all over it.  We hung greeen streammers down to look like vines.  We threw huge plastic snakes ants assorted bugs on the floor.  We had a styrafoam cooler which I painted old and filled with sand. Behind it was a stick with a talking skeleton on the top. We made some signs from scraps of plywood saying BEWARE DANGER EXPLOSIVES. We also had the CD from Raiders of the Lost Arc playing all day on outside speakers. 

GAMES:  When the boys had arrived I had a small pouch filled with silver and gold coins.  They had to pick one coin without looking to see if they would be on the SNAKE or SCORPION team.  The first game was Boulder Ball.  We used blow up balls from another game we had which were the size of beach balls. We painted them black and dappled them with white to resemble a boulder.  The party was for 11 seven year old boys and they loved this game and kept asked to play it again. It was basically two teams two balls and they had to try and throw the ball at the other team.  If you got hit you were out of the game it you caught the ball the other team member who threw the ball was out.

Game 2 was basically a sack race which again they loved. 

GAME 3:  Was a water balloon fight but we used balloons that looked like little grenades so it was WATER BOMB BALL. 

GAME 4 Crossing the hot lava while the native shoot poisonous darts at you: We took two scrap pieces of lumber laid them over two yellow table clothes.  Scattered shiney red gift basket filler around the lumber to look like fire.  We made gold rocks from an idea on familyfun.com (treasure rocks).  It was labor intensive to make the rocks but well worth it.  The boys were given little sachels bought from Michaels.  We used hieroglyphics to make a sign and we had written the boys initials on each bag.  The boys had to figure out which bag was theirs.  In the bag was a straw from our local fast food chain (they have wider straws for shaked etc) and 20 q-tip swabs. Two boys one from each team would race acroos the beams without falling off and try not to get shot by the natives.  Nine boys would stand on either side of the lava and load their darts into the straws and shoot at the boys trying to cross over the lava.  It was very funny to watch. 

GAME 5: Archeological Dig:  After crossing the lava each boy was told to pick 5 hot lava rocks and crack them open.  We had bought gems and skull beads wrapped them in tissue paper then tin foil and dripped them into plaster of paris.  When they dryed we painted them old.  The boys had to cracked them on the board to open them and they were able to keep the spoils.  They really loved this and it lasted forever. 

GAME 6:  Temple of DOOM.  We had decorated under the deck to look like a cave and make two torches out of wrapping paper rolls inserted a small flashlight wrapped in yellow and red tissue paper.  It really looked like a torch in the dark.  They had to get through the snakes and ants to the ARC which had ants and snakes all over and a stick with a talking skeleton head on it with flashing red eyes.  Most of the stuff we ordered was from Century Novelty and Buycostumes.com or the local dollar store.  Both great and fast delivery.  At the ark they were allowed to dig through the sand and pick out 5 gold coins.  At the end of the tunnel there was a small golden arc with two goblets filled with a red liquid. They were told they had been bitten by a red ant or snake and had to drink the blood of a snake to survive.  All of them did some questioned what the blood really was.  They all loved this adventure the best.

 GAME 7 Scavenger Hunt.  I gave each team a map and in their pouches they all had compasses.  I had mapped out a course in the backyard sending one team one way so they wouldn't collide.  The map said things like go north and cross the lava to the neareast totem pole find a tree frog.  We had blow up pools and they had to run through the lagoon filled with alligators to the tree house (playset) to find more coins or other bugs.  At last the team was directed back under the deck to the arc where they would find a small wooden box and inside was the Medallion.  The two teams raced around the yard and worked really well as a team.  They loved this too.   

LUNCH:  We made mummy dogs which was on pillsbury.com.  Hot dogs wrapped in cresent rolls.  Fruit salad.  For drink I purchased plastic pinapple drink cups with lids and straws from the dollar store and put each child's name on it.  We made jungle juice (koolaide) and also had a water jug.  This eliminated the need for juice boxes or soda cans.   

CAKE:  I made a sheet cake and frosted it with chocolate then crumbled orea cookie crumbs all over to look like dirt.  I made a smaller round cake made from a ramikin type dish and placed it on top. Once frosted it looked like a cave.  I cut a section out and placed a plastic boulder from a train set and Indiana Jones in front so it looked like He was running from the Temple with the boulder chasing him.  I purchased a small jungle plastic set of animals from walmart and placed the animals all around and some trees too. The night before I scooped ice cream into balls and placed ice cream sticks inside and then put them into the freezer.  In the morning I sprinkled them with different colored sprinkles so when it was time for ice cream I just had to hand out balls with sticks and not scoop it.  I loved this.    

FAVORS:  Each child got a brown bag with their heiroglyphic initials on it again. Inside was a small totem pole lantern a treasure map with activities skull lollipops bubble gum gold coins skull whistle some orange plastic cord and some skull beads so they could string the beads on and make either a necklace or bracelet. They were also allowed to take home their pouches filled with gems beads the darts and blow gun and compass and the pinapple drink container.   

COSTUMES:  My son wore the indians jones hat and had the authentic sachel.  He loved this.    The party was a huge success! "