Video Championship Sleepover -10yr- Computer Cake

Video Game Championship (sleepover)  My 10 yr old son is really into dueling his friends on the computer games.  We decided to use this for a party theme. 

We sent out invitations that looked like video game cases with CDs inside.  We invited 4 friends (boys and girls) and set up a competition: four players (two on the computer, two on Gamecube) lots of different games (fight, maze, sport) the winners duel each other until one champion is left.  This lucky kid got to go against my son for the grand prize.  Prizes were given along the way so that everyone won something. 

For fight game they got punching bag balloons and goofy, old kung-fu movie. For maze game (called Pig Out) they got can of Spam and bags of candy. For sport game they received hand held water games (like pinball--you get balls in hoops) and sports bags with drink bottles.  The grand prize was discs of several games and some cheat codes. The cake and decoration followed the theme. 

The cake a computer screen (sheet cake cut up and frosted lt blue/drk blue) with licorice cord to cupcake mouse and cookie CDs.  The placemats were "screen shots" of my sons favorite games. The usual streamers, baloons and a homemade banner with more screen shots and my son's face "morphed" onto some of the pictures.

We forced the little couch potatoes outside for some outdoor sports. (it was July after all) They played water balloon dodge ball (which we called Space Invaders The Wet Version) winner got a bag of water balloons. 

We also did Pac Man Tag where the kids took turns being Pac Man and following a maze through our backyard (using flags like the electric company uses and laid down hose kept in place with croquet(?)hoops).  They had to collect dots (carboard painted) and make it to goal without being tagged by the "ghostly" other kids. (We used a tape of sounds from the real game to time things and the kids had to walk fast not run.  Also the Pac Man kid got to collect special squares (cardboard again) and chase the ghosts home. Winners received Uno card packs. Mario's Treasure Hunt was our last outdoor game.

We hid little boxes (painted with question marks--just like the Mario games) around the yard and inside were mushrooms, flowers or stars (painted on the inside top of the box) that gave either a clue or no clue to where to find more boxes.  A few of the boxes held "coins" which when collected could be turned in to choose a box prize (anything from a wrench --Mario is a plumber--to a red cap or small art supplies packs). One box held the princess (a Barbie dressed princessly) and that got a grand prize: A bag of chocolate coins and tokens for our nearby video arcade. 

I also let the boys and girls do midnight sillystring and watch a few silly/scary movies while filling up on theme related snacks.  The kids were all tired and happy and fell asleep right after lights out.  According to my son it was cool and his friends all talk about it.  Success!