Lord of Rings -9yr- Happy Birthday Baggins

My son is a huge Lord of the Rings fan, and wanted a Quest for the Ring as his 9th birthday party. 

The invitation was printed on parchment paper and read as the following:  You are invited to join the Fellowship of the Ring.  There will be much danger involved, and your skill and courage are required.  Please meet --- Baggins at the shire of the Brushwoods on the twenty and ninth day of the ninth month of the year two thousand and seven.  Join in celebration of Master Baggins' 9th birthday.  You are expected to arrive at the fifth hour past the midday sun for nourishment before the quest begins.  If you have advanced learning this is the rune form for you. 9/29/07 at 5 pm #### Address RSVP ###-###-#### I used a fancy font for the writing on the invitation, but clear writing for the runes" portion so there would be no mistaking the information.  We sealed the invite with wax and addressed each one to the child and their character from the story.  For example Lady Eowyn Warrior.

We moved our little playhouse to our front porch to serve as Bilbo's house at the Shire.  We made a sign that said "Happy Birthday" ---Baggins!  We had streamers put up all around and the natural landscape of bushes flowers and trees gave it the Shire look.  My son was dressed as Frodo and gave each guest a bag of gold for the journey (mesh gold bags filled with gold colored glass pieces we found at Michael's).  My husband dressed up as Gandolf and met the travelers at the Shire.  We found a Lord of the Rings checker game (Avon)that used plastic authentic looking rings.  We strung the rings on leather cording and Gandolf gave each child a ring to carry throughout the journey. 

Next they went around back and entered into our kitchen that was decorated like the Prancing Pony Inn.  We had a large wood table and authentic food for the guests.  I was dressed as the innkeeper's wife and served cheese bread cut up apples and hobbit sized chicken (chicken wings).  They drank ale (Ginger Ale).  I charged them one gold piece for their dinner.  My daughter dressed as Arwin and met them at the Inn after their dinner.  She told them that Gandolf couldn't make it and would they follow her to Rivendale.  She took them back around the front of the house to our living room. We set up a metal wedding arch and covered it in plastic vines and flowers.  We set out a table and chest filled with light up plastic swords (Walmart) and Lord of the Rings character cards that had a picture and explanation of who each charater was.  She asked them if they would be willing to destroy the ring by carrying it to Mordor and throwing it into the pits of Mt Doom. 

Once they agreed they received the sword "Sting" and their card so they knew which character they were.  My husband as Gandolf met them at Rivendale and took them on a longer outside journey.  They ran into an "orc" which was a scarecrow that we attached a printed out picture of an orc head.  We used a real bow and arrow and had each child shook the orc before moving forward.  We took them back into our house and to Mordor.  This was our crawl space where my husband set up a maze equipped with a giant spider which he moved around.  The kids climbed down into the maze using the light of their swords. 

They battled the spider found the lava of Mt. Doom (red and orange lights and cloth) and threw in their rings.  My husband retreived them after and gave them back to the children as part of their party favors.  From there they returned to the Prancing Pony for a celebratory dessert.  I bought glazed doughnuts and frosted runes on the sides of them so they looked like the official rings.  They spent another gold piece and ate their cakes.  After that we opened presents and watched the animated version of Lord of the Rings (we felt that the original motion pictures were too scary for the age group).  They left the party with a ring on a leather cord a light up sword a character card and their mesh bags full of the gold they hadn't spent.  The children had a blast and are still talking about it a week later!"