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Wild Wild West 6yr - New Sherrif Game

September 2007

Gena in Tahlequah, OK USA

This is a party I gave for my  6 year old son, and is one of his most memorable . 

INVITATIONS: For the invitations we used a 8 x 10 poster in the old western style with  browning edges. It read Wanted Your attendance at Jacobs 6th Birthday Party" and gave the detail of the party including when ("High Noon" 12 p.m.) where and asked them to wear jeans. They were mailed in 8 x10 brown manilla envelopes and I used a western style stencil to write "Pony Express" on the envelope.

ARRIVAL: Before the guests arrived we decorated the outside and inside of the house like an Old Western saloon. Above the door we hung a wooden homemade Saloon sign. We purchased swinging doors and my husband built a simple frame from lumber. We attatched the doors to the frame and secured the frame to the outside part of the door and left our real door open. My uncle played the part of the Sheriff and dressed in collared shirt vest and long black coat. He wore a holster with toy guns. He sat outside on the porch in an old rocker. As the children arrived he welcomed them tipped his hat or asked them if they were outlaws. If they said yes he told them he was going to keep his eye on them. Inside we played old saloon type music in the background.

FAVORS: I was dressed in a Lady Maverick costume purchased at the Oriental trading company (it needed some alterations to make it appropriate!) and acted as their hostess. As the children arrived they were given a cowboy hat and handkerchief purchased from oriental trading company. We also gave them a name tag with their "Wild West" names. I used the website cs.calgarystampede.com/fun/nickname_generator.html and typed in each child's name. I purchased the nametags from a teacher supply store and it had a red rope cowboy design around them.  We also gave them a "loot bag" with fake coins and western design lollipops (from oriental trading company 5.95 per dozen) and pop fire crackers.

DECORATIONS: On the wall in the living room I created a bulletin board of  "Wanted" Signs. They included photos of famous outlaws such as Bill the Kid and Calamety Jane as well as photos of two other not so well known outlaws including my brother and his friend. (used for future reference for our presents robbery ). Instead of our dining room table we made three round tables and covered them in a green table cloth. On each table was a deck of cards a bowl of trail mix a bowl of tortilla chips and a bowl of salsa.

We placed name cards on the tables and assigned seats so that no feelings would be hurt. I bought a Western Style them plate and cup set from oriental trading company. We purchased many items in old antique stores including old tin signs a wooden wagon wheel an old mirror with an advertisement metal cups and objects and a horseshoe and hung them on the walls. We already had a small bar stool nook so we used that for our bar area. My husband was the bartender and looked the part he wore a bow tie and carried a small towel over his arm.( He also assisted with the bbq outside.) The children were led to the bar where there were bottles of rootbeer they could "buy" for one coin. Then they took the rootbeer to their table where they  "munched" while they waited for everyone to arrive.

GAMES:  1. When everyone was settled in we began our first game four way War. This seemed like an easy game to explain. The children sat four to a table and we handed out the cards evenly. The children were instructed not to show anyone their cards and they could only put down the top or first card in their pile (this is because the highest card wins and they will sometimes look through the deck!). The Sheriff walked in and helped "keep the peace" during the game. They also had to put in two coins to play which would be given to the child with the most cards at the end of  the game. If there was more than one winner they split the pot. At the end of the game the winners can trade in their coins for a prize.

2. The second game was a simple pin the tale on the horse that I purchased from Wal-mart. The children used their handkercheifs as blindfolds and the one who was closest won a prize.

3. "There's a new Sherrif in Town"-for this game I purchase 4 small stuffed toy horses. We went outside where we had set up two barrels. The Sheriff was there and told them that two bandits have just been reported robbing a bank and he needs their help to find out where the robbers hid the money. Just so that the robbers would remember where they left the money they placed clues in each barrell. Chose  three children at a time to run around the barrels (like a figure 8) they must keep the stuffed horse between their legs. At each barrell there will be a ziploc bag with two puzzle pieces (you will need four bags per barrel per game add them with each new game not all at once because each clue is different! I just made these using paper and cut them into four puzzle shaped pieces). The children will run around the barrels and take out one bag from each barrell the they will bring the bags back and put the puzzle pieces together. For the first clue I wrote "I'm black and white and read all over" and stashed play money inside a newspaper left out on a chair on the deck. For the second round/clue I wrote "What goes up must come down that’s why you need me" and stashed play money into an umbrella outside. For the third round/clue I wrote "Why can't you see where I am?" and stashed play money inside a eyeglass box.  The three winners from each round won the title of Sheriff and were given a gold sheriff badge.

LUNCH:  After the game we had the kids make plates for themselves. We had hamburgers bufallo burgers hot dogs spicy potatoe salad and corn on the cob. They brought their plates inside to their tables. They also bought another rootbeer if needed. 

PRESENTS/DESSERT: I made the cake from a boot cake mold at Michaels and decorated  it according to the instuctions in the booklet. For my first homemade cake it turned out pretty good and the kids liked it. I also made homemade ice cream to finish the theme. As the kids ate cake and ice cream my son sat in an rocker (from outside) and opened his presents. When he finished opening  presents we had some univited visitors show up. They were my brother and his friend from the wanted poster and they were looking for their missing money. They were dressed in western attire in trenchcoats and with toy guns. They were sneeking near the window and the kids noticed and starting pointing. They came inside the house and pretended to rob us they asked if we had seen their money. Of course not. So they took all of the birthday presents in bags. They ran outside and with the help of all of our sheriffs and kids we caught them and the sheriff handcuffed them and took them to jail. For capturing the fugitives the kids were given the reward. As they waited for parents to arrive we had our OK Corall "Pop Out" -instead of shoot out. And I let the kids use up all their popers on the ground.

THANK YOU CARDS: For thank you cards I used the same paper from the invitations but made it into a newspaper using the newletter format ms word program. The title was "Western Reporter". The first artical was titled "Boys birthday party sucess thanks to attendees" and personalized it for each child with what they had bought. I included a picture from the party. The second article was titled "Local children Catch Robbers" and included a picutre of the two "robbers" behind bars made from CVC pipes spray painted black.          "

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