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Survivor Party -6yr- Cake on Coconut Plates

Jan. 2004

Valerie in Santa Rosa, CA USA

Special Mention

Survivor party!  We threw a Survivor Party for my son's 6th birthday.  It was a huge success and kids and parents are still talking about it years later. 

I sent out the invitations printed on worn paper, tied with raffia.  I made the paper look very old by wetting it and wrinkling it.  Then I ironed it out and printed the invitations.  The invitations gave important information about the party and "Island" location.  I explained that it would be "The island where you won't be voted off".  

As the guests arrived I had them decorate their party bags with stickers (rats, bugs, tribal stamps) and when they were done they went to the Prize Chest to pick a prize to put in their bags.  The Prize chest was filled with all kinds of trinkets my son had picked out and not necessarily related to Survivor.  He had selected "baby bottle pops" and notebooks and pens, etc. 

Then the guests were directed to the Tattoo place and face painting area so that they would be ready to participate in the tribal games.  When the guests were all ready for the competitions we paused and made tribal necklaces out of wooden beads and a claw. 

The kids then gathered in a circle and I handed each of them a small wooden Chalk board (oriental trading...my favorite place) and then I asked them to write down their own names.  I went around the circle and had them introduce themselves and how they knew my son (This was necessary since my son had invited 20 kids from school, cousins, family friends and they didn't all know each other).  Anyway, the kids really paid attention to who was being introduced.  After that I asked them a few questions about my son (favorite color, how many teeth he had lost, etc) and asked them to write down the answer...it was a survivor quiz.  My son liked the special attention and he was happy he knew all the answers.  The kids put their chalk boards in their party bag when we were done. 

After that it was time for the games.  We played a game where the kids chose partners and we told them to "put their hands together, stand back to back, one stand, one squat".  During that last part the team member who was standing went to one side (Tribe name BORAN) and the squatter went to the other side (Tribe name ROTU).  My son picked the names of the tribes.  I painted 8 x 4 sheets of plywood with a tribal face and wrote the names of the tribes on the top of each sheet.  When the kids were separated, my husband was responsible for one tribe and I the other.  We handed them pre-made "buffs" that I made from swim suit material.  Each tribe had their own color.  We hyped the kids up by having them chant their tribes' name. 

The first game was a "silent" walk.  The kids had to walk across bubble wrap and not pop any of the bubbles.  Once they made it across they went to the prize chest and picked a prize and then came back to cheer for their team mates. 

The second game was a "water Brigade".  The teams sat facing each other.  On one end was a bucket full of water and on the other end was an empty bucket.  The goal was for each team to transfer the water from one bucket to another using a paper (a thin paper) cup.  The kids got a bit wet, but they were so excited it didn't matter! The paper cup was nearly non-existant at the end of the game.  After they were successful filling the bucket they went off to the prize bucket! 

The third game was the "Bug eating Challenge".  There the kids lined up again facing the other team.  The first child was given a coconut shell containing bugs (a piece of chocolate my son's favorite candy).  The goal was to unwrap the bug and eat it "all gone".  They couldn't pass the coconut until my son's grandpa saw their empty mouth.  (This was like a scene right off of Survivor!)  When they were done you guessed it, off to the prize chest.   

After the games we "merged" into one tribe and did the limbo.  We had the Survivor theme song dubbed over to a CD and was continuously playing throughout the entire party. 

We then played the "sponge game".  I have been doing this game since my son's first birthday.  You take a piece of plywood and cut out a place for your face.  Then you attach any picture on the front.  This year we attached a totem pole and my face was part of the picture (it's hard to explain).  Then we allow the kids to take aim at the target with wet sponges.  Even though you get really wet, the kids love this game.  I wouldn't have been so wet had my husband not encouraged the kids to re-dunk with each throw and to not wring out the sponge!  My son went in as the target for the second round.  After the child had his turn, they go off the to prize chest. 

Then it was present time.  I had cut short lengths of bamboo and added a paper mache torch to the top of each.  I wrote each party guests name on the bottom of the torch and placed them all in a bucket.  My son drew a torch out, read the name and that person gave their gift to my son.  The guest then got the torch.  My son continued this until each guest had a torch. 

Then we went on a "walk to tribal council" carrying our torches.  I walked the kids out to the front of the house and around the street.  We stopped on the front lawn where I had hid gummy rats, slimmy bugs and snakes in a kiddy pool filled with sand.  The kids had to take turns digging up the treasures.  I had enough treats for each kids to get one of each rat, bug and snake.  While I was on the tribal walk my husband was busy out back filling the coconut cups we bought (oriental trading) with fruit punch and setting up the cake.  I didn't do anything too spectacular with the cake because my son like this one chocolate bundt cake (and it is his birthday after all).  We did serve the cake on coconut type plates.   The kids sat and ate the cake and it timed out just perfectly, because their parents were arriving around that time. 

Each kid got to take their party bag, over flowing with treats, their torch and their coconut cup and plate home with them.    My son's family stayed after the party for a BBQ and as you probably could guess, I sat down and couldn't move!  It was a terrific party that required a lot of planning, but my son had the time of his life and that is what it is all about.  I hope you can use some of these ideas for you next birthday party!

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