Spirit Party -5yr- Read The Book During the Party

My daughter chose to do a Spirit, Wild Stallion of the Cimmaron theme for her 5th BD party.  She and her guests had a great time and it was all very cheap and easy to put together.  Here's what we did: 

For decorations I took the easy way out and bought Spirit themed tablecloth, paper goods, and invitations.  But instead of hanging the usual streamers from the ceiling, I strung rope back and forth (purchased a bag of 50 ft for a few dollars at a hardware store).  I put red helium balloons around, which represented the apples seen throughout the movie.  I'm fortunate enough to live on a small farm, so I brought in a couple bales of hay, although you could also buy these at a farm supply store.  On one bale I placed a Western-style blanket and a pony saddle.  Through the other bale, I stuck a stick pony. 

As the kids entered, I had them sit at the table, which was decorated with an Indian teepee, some feathers, some more rope, and some Spirit and Rain figurines.  I gave them each a coloring book I had put together by downloading and printing coloring pages from a website I had found. 

Once everyone arrived, I sat them all down on the floor (on another Western-style blanket), and read the first bit of a Spirit book we have, as I figure not all the kids had seen the movie.  I read to the part where the wranglers lassoed Spirit, then I had all the kids take turns at wrangling by giving them each a bandana around their necks and putting a cowboy hat on.  Then they tried throwing a lasso around the stick pony.  They each got 5 turns, and if they got it, they got a sticker. 

Then I read to the part where Little Creek rode Sprirt out of the fort, so then of course they all got a turn with that by putting on an Indian headband and riding the stick pony through an obstacle course I had set up with some small jumps and a rope to duck under and stuff.  They were each timed, and the winner got a sticker. 

Then I read to the part where Spirit and Rain were roaming around together and ate some apples from the tree.  For this activity, I had tied apples up so they hung at child height, and had all the children try to eat their apples with their mouths only, no hands!  This was very funny to watch.  The winner was the one who had the most bites out of the apple after 5 minutes. 

Then I read the rest of the book and had them put their coats and boots back on and took them to the back yard, where I had brought one of my ponies up.  It was cold and all snowy, so we didn't do rides, but they each got to pet, brush, and feed apples to the pony, and sit bareback for a minute or so. 

When we came in it was time for cake and ice cream.  Afterwards, we opened up presents by doing a hot potato game by passing around a little stuffed pony.  My daughter was in the middle, and we used pillows on the floor instead of chairs.  The person "out" each time got to go give the BD girl their present, and sit in the middle with her to help open it.  This avoided the crowding mob this usually becomes, and afforded a better photo op of the BD girl opening each present along with who gave it to her. 

We palyed "Rain, Rain, Spirit" while waiting for the parents to pick up, and each child went home with their coloring book, a bandana, a little stuffed pony, a red balloon, and a few other trinkets.  This was the calmest party I've ever hosted!  I think reading to them in between really kept it under control.  The kids loved the story, and pretending to be different characters (wrangler, Indian, horse).