11629

GI Joe/Jane -5yr- Pin the Medal

July 2005

Jane in East Fallowfield, PA

Special Mention

5yr. GI Joe/GI Jane Party -- Well itæs that time of year again to plan another birthday party for my son.  He is turning 5 years old.  A year ago we went to see President George Bush at a near by town.  My son was so impressed with the soldiers in their full camouflage gear that he said ôWow a real live GI Joe.  So when the time came to plan his party theme, he wanted GI Joe.  Since we had to invite more girls than boys, I called it a GI Joe/GI Jane party.  I made the invitations by finding a clipart of Uncle Sam pointing at you.  I wrote at the top Uncle Same Wants You underneath I wrote the childÆs name I was inviting to the party and at the bottom it said You’ve Been Drafted!  The inside of the invitation read Come celebrate Georges 5th Birthday at his GI Joe/GI Jane Party.  The other side said Please Report to Camp Broadbent at 14:00 (2:00pm)  16:30 (4:30pm) on July 16, 2005 wear you swimsuitö.  We had a turn out of 21 kids. 

For decorations I put a magnetic Mailbox cover of the American Flag.  I also went to a local Army recruiter and got posters and two card board standing figures of Army Soldiers.  I placed posters all over the backyard where the party was taking place.  I put a poster of Uncle Sam near the mailbox.  The kids arrived at 2:00pm and were directed to a sign saying Welcome to Camp Broadbent Report here for Roll Call and Uniforms.  Each child received at white T-shirt with a U.S. Army logo ( I found the logo on the Army website and made iron-on transfers out of it) that I ironed on, a camouflage visor, black sun glasses and a dog tag with an American Flag on the front and a phrase on the back (for example Proud to be an American, I love the USA, Land of the Free, Home of the Brave and Let Freedom Ring).  Each child received a tattoo of the American flag in different shapes. 

After they all got their tattoos I had them stand in front of a 5 foot American Flag attached to my garage door next to a cardboard standing figure of a soldier in full camouflage gear.  I later used the individual picture and placed them in the Thank You note with the picture of my son on the front.  I placed a label on the font of the individual photo saying I Survived Camp Broadbent.  After the photo I had all the children go to a tent.  I placed on the top of the tent a camouflage net to make it look like an Army Tent outside the tent I placed a sign saying Mess Tent.  Once inside the tent the kids all made a craft.  The craft was an old schoolhouse frame with a card written on it was the Pledge Elegance with children of different color on it with their hand over their hearts.  After the craft they had sung Happy Birthday. 

The cake was surrounded by cup cakes.  The cake and the cupcakes was airbrush to look like camouflage with green army men and red, white and blue candy stars.  Each kid got a cup cake and a shooting star ice pop.  The ice pops were Cherry, Lemon and blue raspberry. 

Then we started the games.  They all participated in a water obstacle course.  At the start line and through out the course there were signs place next to each obstacle.  These signs said, Private, Corporal, Lieutenant, Sergeant, Captain, Major and Colonel.  Then each obstacle made each kid go up in rank and work their way up to Colonel. 

At the start line I placed four blow-up tubes to represent tires so they could put a foot in each. Then I had them run around cones that had red, white & blue star wire garland weaved in and out with an American Flag on top.  Then they did a balance beam made from a 2x6 piece of wood on bricks.  They ran around some more cones and jump over a low pole fence in front of my swing set.  Then they climbed up a rascal ramp and slid down a slide into a basin of water.  Then they ran around some more cones and crawled under a spider web that was made out of posts and rope and misting sprinklers were entwined in it.  Then they ran a few steps and did a slip and slide sprinkler and at the end they got up and ran through a camouflage wall of water made out of PVC piping with holes drilled at the top for the water to come down in a straight wall.  At the finish line they were all pinned a Colonel.  I found a picture of a Colonel pin on the Internet and laminated them cut it out and glued to a pin. 

The next game played was tug-o-war over a blown up swimming pool filled with water.  The side that lost landed in the pool.  The next game was Toss the water grenades at the Bulls eye.  I rigged the target with 100 thumb tacks so it would be an automatic hit.  Each kid got two chances to throw the balloons. 

The next game played was Pin the Medal of Honor on the soldier.  They stuck pictures of the Medal of Honor on the pocket of the cardboard standing figure of a soldier in full dress uniform.  I found a picture of a medal of honor on the internet and laminated them. 

The next game was pass the GI Joe around to Military March Music.  It is played as a form of Hot Potato. 

The last game was Drill Sergeant says.  It was basically played like the old fashion Simon Says.  Then it was time for the Pi±ata.  The pi±ata was a Tank.  It was filled the plastic zip lock bags with stickers of Army men, tanks and Helicopters & dog tags stuck on the inside of each bag with the childs name on it for name recognition.  I filled each bag with blue and silver USA gum coins, flag wrapped tootsie rolls, gummy green Army men, Uncle Sam felt covered blow pops, born in the USA cookies and star shaped bags filled with read, white & blue jellybeans. 

After the pinata broke the kids were ready to go home.  I gave out large 8  x 11 camouflage goody bags with their name on an American Flag name tag with Colonel in front of their name written on it.  Inside each bag was a camouflage stacking pencil, a patriotic pad, an US Army pencil, US Army sticker, camouflage blow up ball, camouflage binoculars, a sheet of patriotic stickers, paratroopers, The boys also received 2 army vehicles and 2 puzzles of planes and the girls also received a patriotic necklace, ring and USA bracelet. 

The goody bags were in a box called Survival kits.  All the party candy and goody stuff was purchased at Oriental Trading Company and a local Dollar store.  Except the Green Army Men, I found those at Birthday Party Express along with the Tank Pinata and the Special Forces theme party ware.  The Party was a huge success and ended on time at 4:30pm.  A fun time was had by all.  This will be a party that my son will never forget.

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