Welcome to the Wild, Wild West!

WANTED: a western theme party both cowboys and cowgirls are sure to go WILD over!

At Wild-Child-Birthday-Parties.com, find a collection of quality ideas to create a western theme party both cowboys and cowgirls are sure to go WILD over!

Welcome to the Wild, Wild West! Creative and original birthday party ideas for a western theme party from our collection at Wild-Child-Birthday-Parties.com. By using a more general theme, you’ll find the opportunity to let YOUR creativity run WILD!

Invitations

Using either parchment paper or brown paper with burnt edges will look like an authentic ‘WANTED’ poster. Be sure to print the birthday party information on the 8 ½ x 11 sheet before burning the edges. Using a font similar to Microsoft Copperplate Gothic Bold will give a western theme party feeling to the invitation. You may consider using the following wording

If you’re cowboy or cowgirl is school-aged, take their school picture and reproduce it in black and white, and add it to the top of the ‘WANTED’ invitation.

If you will be hand-delivering the western theme party invitations, just roll them up and fasten with twine.

Party Plan

:30 Guests arrive. Kick the western theme party off by greeting each guest with a warm ‘howdy pardner’ and outfit with a bandana, cowboy hat and a vest constructed from a plain brown paper grocery bag. Deputize each child with a sheriff’s badge.

Next, while the guests are arriving, have the birthday boy or girl show the newly deputized sheriff over to a table set with an assortment of stickers, markers and stamps. This is a great, western theme party ice-breaker and keeps the guests busy while waiting for the entire group to arrive.

Another western theme party ice-breaker activity is to have a guessing game. Fill a container with ‘snakes’ (gummy worms) and have each child guess how many there are. Have sheets of paper and markers for each child to write their name and the number that they guess (some adult assistance may be required). Whoever guesses closest to the number will get to take the ‘snakes’ home.

:30 Activities. Choose 3 western theme party activities as described in the section below. You may only have time for two, but if the games finish quickly, it’s a great idea to have a back-up.

:20 Cake & fun food Kids rarely sit at a table during a birthday party for longer than 20 minutes – they’re too excited!

:20 Presents. You may consider turning present time into a game. This will make present time organized fun! A great western theme party idea is to have the kids sit in a circle with their presents to the birthday boy or girl on their laps. Turn on country music and have the kids pass the boot, snake, bandana – a western theme party item – until the music stops. The child who is holding the item will give their present to the birthday boy or girl to open.

:20 Happy Trails! After presents, you may consider one last activity that will calm the group down before parents pick them up. Ideas might include coloring pages at the same table the kids decorated their paper vests. Or, a game of Lasso as described in the western theme party activities section below.

Have the goodie bags ready to go, near the door as guests depart.

Decorations

If your Round Up is during the summer months, or you live in a warm, dry climate, hay bales are a great western theme party decoration for outdoors.

If the weather in your area is not predictable or the western theme party will be during the colder winter months, you may consider clearing a large family or living area to make room for an indoor Round Up! You also might consider holding some of the more wild activities in the garage if it is not too cold.

Decorating with ropes, red & white checked tablecloths, burlap, twine, cowboy hats, bandanas, and balloons will surely create a Wild, Wild West party atmosphere!

At party supply stores, you can also find a selection of Spirit, Toy Story and Cowboy pre-made western party theme decorations.

You can use cardboard from a large box to create large cactus cut outs, painted green with toothpicks as the prickly thorns.

Another western theme party decorating idea is to create an oversized ‘WANTED’ poster. Then, you can take either a digital picture or a traditional picture of each ‘pardner’ to send home after the party with a thank you.

Activities

Snake Stomp Blow up a good number of long, skinny balloons and lay them around on the ground. Turn up the country tunes and turn out the little wranglers to wrestle the ‘snakes’ until they are all popped!

Western Theme Party Pinata Find a cowboy boot or horse shaped pinata (Birthday Express has a great pinata stock), fill with candy and small toys and Let ‘er Buck! Be sure to set the rules and explain how important it is to follow the rules for safety’s sake. Have a brown lunch sack labeled with each child’s name for their loot.

Wild, Wild West Shootin’ Gallery Place a row of lightweight plastic bottles (20 oz. Size works well) on a hay bale, crate or table and have the sharp shooters test their skills with a squirt gun. Sharp shooters win as many chocolate gold coins as bottles they hit.

Gold Rush Fill a small size child’s wading pool with sand and water. Using a pie tin with holes in the bottom (using nails to make the holes), teach the western theme party skill of panning for gold. Pennies, ‘Fools-Gold’ and shiny tumbled rocks are all treasure. Zip close baggies labeled with each ‘miners’ name can be used to collect treasure.

Lasso Tie a rope like a lasso, with a large circle, and have the kids take turns trying to lasso a rocking horse, sawhorse or ride-on spring horse.

Horseshoes Horseshoe game sets made of heavy-duty plastic for children can be purchased for a western theme party.

Rattlesnake! Use about 8 feet of rope to make the ‘rattlesnake.’ On one end of the rope, use heavyweight cardboard cut out and decorated to look like the diamond shaped snake’s head. On the other end, create a rattle by filling a small plastic container one-third full with beans or rice. Attach the container to the rope and tape the container shut. To play, have an adult swing the ‘rattlesnake’ back and forth on the ground. The kids jump over the ‘rattlesnake’ without touching.

Hay Hunt In a small pile of hay, hide wrapped candies, small toys and coins. Blindfold the child and have them find treasure with their hands. You may consider limiting the prizes to three to five western theme party prizes to be sure there is enough treasure for all.

Pin the Badge on the Sheriff This is the western theme party version of Pin the Tail on the Donkey. Label a badge with each child’s name. Blindfold the child, spin and have them stick the badge on the sheriff. This could just as easily be Pin the Tail on the Horse or Pin.

Peanut Pals Using peanuts in the shell, pipe cleaners cut into small pieces, yarn, cotton, small pom-poms and fine tip markers to make Peanut Pals. Have an adult help make small holes in the peanuts using a tack, to insert pipe cleaner arms and legs. Use just a dab of glue to attach arms and legs. Then have the kids decorate their Peanut Pals using the fine tip markers and add hair with cotton, yarn or pom-pom.

Pole Bending Set up four poles in a line, each about four to five feet apart. Have each child weave through the poles on a stick pony. Everyone is a winner!

Cake & Fun Food

Pie tins make true western theme party plates and serving dishes.

Hot dogs, miniature burgers using small biscuits from refrigerated dough for buns, chips and corn on the cob are popular western theme party fare if you will be providing lunch or dinner. A great idea to keep the condiments in the corral is to use a muffin tin with muffin liners filled with ketchup, mustard and relish. Root beer is another cowboy and cowgirl beverage classic.

For western theme party between meals, simple snacks served creatively will make the little pardners happy. Chips, peanuts in the shell and veggie sticks and dip are all quick, easy and popular.

Make a ‘Rattlesnake’ cake by baking a bundt cake in a smooth, circular pan. Cut the round bundt cake in half, then attach the ends to form a curve.

We have also found a variety of creative cake decorating ideas at http://www.bettycrocker.com, including an easy to bake Prancing Pony.

Another great western theme party idea is to scoop ice cream ahead of time and place the scoops in cupcake liners. Store covered in the freezer until cake time. This is a terrific time saver!

Goodie Bags

A great western theme party goodie bag is to use a square piece of cowboy print fabric tied hobo-style to a branch or wooden dowel. Ideas for goodies include: harmonica, squirt gun, chocolate gold coins, rubber ‘rattlesnake’, miniature plastic horse, beans (jelly!).