Learn how to country dance and/or line dance.


 

You can use a boot or hat-shaped cake pan or sculpt any one of a variety of western shapes from a rectangular cake. You can also make a chocolate cake with white "cow-spots" icing.
 

Another idea is to make a rattlesnake cake. Bake a smooth bunt style cake and cut it in half vertically. Place the two ends together and frost so that the snake looks like it's curved in the shape of an "S". If you want a longer snake - make another bunt cake and connect it also. Nowadays, picture cakes are a big hit and you can take the same picture from the Wanted Poster invitation and have it magically scanned onto a cake at most of the local bakeries.

Make the cake the shape of a boot and use tootsie rolls (warmed up in the microwave) to make different designs on the boot. Frost part of the boot with chocolate frosting then let sit for 5-10 minutes.  Use a clean towel to make impressions on the frosting so that it would resemble leather. 

Decorate the cake with plastic Cowboys and Indians (try the dollar store). Make a blue river of frosting and set  up the camps on opposite sides of the cake.



Come dressed in jeans, boots, and hats. 

Dress as a Cowboy, Indian, or cow.



Cowboy Vests - You'll need:  brown paper grocery bags, Markers, scissors.  Directions:  Cut one side of the bag down the middle to make vest opening. Cut the bottom enough to fit a child comfortably around neck and shoulders.  Decorate with markers.



Wild West Corrals (scroll down)



Take pictures by "WANTED" posters.  See a picture of this....(scroll down)
 

A basic red and white checkered table cloth cover the table. Make a centerpiece with a balloon bouquet tied to a toy horse.  If possible, give a real horseshoe to every child, attach a balloon to each one and place at their table setting.  Instead of streamers, hang easy western stencils.  Ropes, hay, saddle and horseshoes add authenticity to the decor. Place the saddle over a bail of hay so that the children can ride an imaginary horse. Don't forget the western music!

Create a saloon door for the entrance. 

Put up lots of balloons and streamers all around the birthday theme party area and try to rummage around for camping or storm equipment such as oil lamps, lanterns and cooking pots to add to the theme's atmosphere. Decorate the party area by putting up old cowboy boots filled with eucalyptus or cacti for table centerpieces and use bandannas as place mats and napkins. You can also soak the labels off root beer bottles and use the bottles as candleholders.
 

Post all kinds of other Western-slang signs around the birthday theme party area. You can also have a sign for every area, for instance near the food a sign saying "Grub"; near the drinks "Waterin' Hole"; where the bathroom is "Outhouse", etc. Post WANTED-type posters of your kid or other family members and friends (each with a crime and bounty; also give them names such as "Wild Bobby Smith" or the "Coyote Kid").

You could go to your  local appliance store and get 6 large refrigerator cardboard boxes.  Decorate them into buildings for the town of Dry Gulch.  Make a jail, Miss Kitty's saloon, Katie Elder's House, a General Store, a Barber Shop and the Sheriff's Office.

Use bales of hay.




Have hot dogs and baked beans, corn on the cob and corn bread.   A bottle of sarsaparilla (root beer) will quench any cowgirls thirst!  Decorate your cake with Cowboy or horse figures. 

Serve food on pie tins.

Fried chicken, pork BBQ ribs, BBQ shredded beef, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, homemade chili beans, potato salad, coleslaw, cornbread, hot dogs and rolls. You could also have nachos, chips and salsa, and veggie tray as appetizers. Dessert Items: Apple pie, berry pie, watermelon, ambrosia salad, and of coarse birthday cake!

Beef jerky, Sasperilla (root beer), fried chicken and sweet corn are all the order of the day - and never forget those beans!!  If the weather's good to you, try a cookout (or a "barbeque") with some hot dogs and beef burgers. Meanwhile, help quench the thirst of the ranch hands with some Cactus Juice: simply pour some fizzy lime juice into a punch bowl and then add some lime sherbert just before serving - a beverage fit for even the toughest of cowboys. When it comes to serving the food up, simplicity is best:  Call the diners to the cookhouse by banging on a big pan with a ladle. Try turning cowboy hats upside down and lining them with paper napkins before filling them up with French fries and other treats.



Set up 3 or 4 "stations" with toys and activities, before the party begins. For example, the children paint glitter glue on Black felt to make Sheriff's stars. Provide a coloring table with horse or cowboy coloring books. It's quick and easy to set out several Western themed toys.

Tin can shoot played with empty pop bottles and a squirt gun. 

Place three cans on a bench and take turns with the water gun.

Pin the Tail on the Horse or the badge on the sheriff....

Have a rope tying contest with licorice or real ropes.

Stick horse relay with brooms and a challenge course. 

Before the children arrive, hide little plastic farm animals around the area (inexpensive bags are sold at Wal-mart). The children then race around to find as many as possible.  The child that finds the most gets  a small prize.

Roping the cow:  With the roping dummy and the ropes teach the kids to make a loop and throw the rope and try to catch the critter (a big stuffed animal or object).    

Tin Can Shoot: Just what it says on the, er, tin. Line your empty cans up along a wall or other surface, issue each ranch hand with a cheap water pistol, and let them have at it. The sharpest shooter in the West wins the game.
 

Hobby-Horse relay: Every cowboy needs a steed, but if you don't have real horses to hand, or even real hobby-horses, a collection of old brooms will do just fine. This game works just the same as a normal relay race: split the cowpokes into two teams, mark out a course, and give them one steed per team. Each team member must take it in turns to complete the course before passing the "horse" on the next person. First team to finish wins.
 

Bronco Lasso: Replace the bronco with a large stuffed toy and the lasso with an old clothesline or skipping rope. Then let the cowpokes try to bring her in…
 

Cattle Drive: Having real cattle at your party could be a recipe for disaster: instead, buy a bumper pack of balloons, and mark out a course using string (try to use the garden or another suitably large area for this one). Now bring out your trusty brooms/hobby horses and get the cowpokes to earn their keep by "driving" their charges through the course.

Additional Western Game Ideas
 

Customize and print your own invitations for free (3 per page)

See cowboy boot invitation, real cute!
 

Send horseshoe shaped invitations:  "Yee-Haw ____is celebrating a Birthday. Y'all come on down for some playing, dancing and good old western Grub! 
 

"Howdy partners, we be needin' you towns people buckaroos to help celebrate Outlaw (kid's name) (age) _th Birthday; Y'all get ready for the hoe-down at (address) on the (party date) at (party time); So jump on your horse and mosey on over for some tasty grub and boot stompin' fun!! Yee-Haw!!! Give us a holler at (phone #) to RSVP. Don't forget to dress for the West…. y'hear?!?!"

Free Printable Invitations, Envelopes, Cards, Certificates and more!  (Scroll down)



Cut squares of bandana fabric. Fill the squares and tie all four corners together (you could even tie it with twine or raffia...and for some added fun, don't forget a cowbell). Ideas for prizes and Goodies... Licorice ropes, western Stickers, cap guns, hard candies, Jolly Ranchers, water guns, sheriffs' badge, a whistle, rubber snake, harmonica, wild-west stickers, chocolate golden nuggets or gold coins, fake handcuffs, toy badges and small western figures.

Depending on how many children are invited, you could buy galvanized pails to give as goodie bags.


 

*Golden nuggets (chocolate ones)
*Sugar cubes
*Bugs - chocolate covered raisins.
*Golden goblets (caramel popcorn)
*S'mores (marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers)
*Trail mix
*All kinds of potato chips (maybe with barbeque flavors) with salsa
*Rattlesnake eggs (jelly beans with spots on them)
*Shelled peanuts
*Jell-O Jigglers (cut with cookie cutters) in the shapes of cowboy hats, boots, horse shoes, ponies, etc.

Tip: You can put many of these treats in cowboy hats.
 

Boot Piñata
Decorations
Horse Piñata
Western Birthday Party Supplies