Tips And Solutions Detail

When it comes to planning an outdoor party for kids, the sky's the limit. Hosting an outdoor party opens up a whole new world of options. More space, more fun! And there's no need to spend a lot of money to have a lot of fun. If you're planning a party during the summer months, check out some of these fun and easy games and a few menu suggestions to go along with a western party theme. Test their squirt gun skills with "Sharp Shooters", allow them to sneak up on the Sheriff in "Giddy Up, Whoa!", and let your li'l buckaroos search for hidden cowboy toys in a "Haystack Hunt".

Checklist

• Lifetime Picnic Table or a folding table with chairs
• Lifetime wheelbarrow
• Squirt guns
• Empty cans
• A bag of plastic cowboys, indians, or horses
• Hay
• Sheriff's badge or cowboy hat
• Bandanas for decorations and costumes

Sharp Shooters

Checklist

•  A squirt gun for each child to use and take home
• Empty pop cans or plastic cowboys, indians, or horses toys to use for targets

Steps

• Line up targets in a row on the table
• Have each child stand at a reasonable distance facing the table and take a turn shooting at the targets.

Giddy Up, Whoa!

This is a variation on the old favorite, "Red Light, Green Light". The object of the game is to be the first child to tag the Sheriff.

Steps

1. Choose one child to wear a cowboy hat or badge which designates him/her as the Sheriff. Have that child stand at one end of the yard.
2. Have the rest of the children line up across the other end of the yard to wait for the signal from the Sheriff.
3. The Sheriff turns away from the children and hollers "Giddy Up!" which is the signal for the children to run towards him/her.
4. After a couple of seconds the Sheriff whirls around to face them, hollering "Whoa!" which is the signal for the children to freeze in their tracks. If the Sheriff notices a child moving, that child is out.
5. The Sheriff then turns away from the children again with the signal to "Giddy Up!". This process is repeated until the Sheriff is tagged. The first child to tag the Sheriff gets to be the new Sheriff.

Haystack Hunt

Checklist

• Hay
• Plastic cowboys, indians, and horses that the children can take home. Be sure to count them so you'll know when they've all been found!
• A Lifetime Wheelbarrow, or something similar (like a large wagon) to put the hay in.

Steps

1. Before the party, hide the toys in the hay
2. At a designated time during the party, have the children search through the hay together to find the toys (you may have to help to make sure every child finds some).

Suggested Chuckwagon Menu

Try to incorporate authentic western grub on the menu. The following are just a few easy-to-make suggestions.

• Pork-n-beans with hotdogs
• Cornbread
• Wagon wheel macaroni-n-cheese and hotdogs
• Cupcakes decorated with western symbols, like a cactus or a star.

Tips

• Use colorful bandanas for costumes, table decorations, or to wrap up party favors
• Make each guest a simple fringed cowboy vest from a brown paper bag
• Take pictures and develop them with a sienna filter for an old-fashioned western look.