Horse Power
Birthday Party Planning Guide
Exclusively at BirthdayExpress.com
Get ready to round up a great birthday party! When your cowpokes have a hankering for fun, these wild western party ideas will have them ready to gitty-up and go!
Party Checklist
4-6 Weeks Before the Party
Select Date:
Time:
Place:
Plan a safe, inviting place for kids to have fun. Set time to 2-3 hours for young children, and 3-4 hours for older kids.
Create Guest List
Just fill out the handy list in this guide!
BirthdayExpress.com is the place! You'll find over 150 party themes, with party pack options for all of them. Expecting more guests? Choose our Pack Add-On option
Order Birthday Costume/Outfit & Gifts
BirthdayExpress.com has lots of fun choices. Look for our costumes, T-shirts, hats and special birthday gifts designed to match our party themes.
Book Entertainment (optional)
2 Weeks Before the Party
Order Cake
Schedule to pick it up one day before the party.
Let the birthday child help by adhering the stamps and putting the invitations in the mailbox.
Create List of Parent Phone Numbers
Keep on hand in case of emergency.
Plan Party Menu
Check out the recipes in this guide. Ask parents if kids have any food allergies.
Choose Party Games & Collect Party Supplies
This guide has ideas that match your party theme!
2-3 Days Before the Party
1 Day Before the Party
Make Food & Drinks, Bake/Get Cake, Buy Ice
Set out chilled/heated foods just before kids eat.
Childproof & Decorate Party Area
Remove breakable items and objects that could prevent guests from moving freely. Decorate with balloons, crepe paper, and other items included in your party pack.
Set Up Party Games, Fill Favor Boxes & Piñatas
Invite your party child to help!
Party Day!
Fill Birthday Balloons with Helium
After the Party
Activities
Horse Mural
Supplies:
Few kids will resist a chance to draw on the wall. But don't worry—you won't have to repaint the room! Just tape a wide sheet of butcher paper on the lower portion of your wall so kids can reach. Spread out picture samples of horses for ideas (you can use items from your party pack), and provide paints, markers, etc., for your budding mural artists. (This is a perfect activity to keep kids entertained while other guests are still arriving.)
Hidden Horses
Supplies:
Before the party, prepare the cupcakes in liners. Separate the toppings and frostings into separate dishes. When it's time for the activity, give each of the guests a cupcake and a "Happy Birthday" pick. Have each guest decorate their own cupcake. You can even have a mini decorating competition!
Wild Apple Tree
Supplies:
- Small apple (with stem) for each child
- String
Kids get to act just like wild horses at feeding time. Tie a piece of string securely around each apple stem. Hang from a household fixture, tree branch or swing set. Be sure apples hang low enough for kids to take bites without using their hands. It'll be challenging to keep the apples still long enough to eat them, and funny too!
Mustang Roundup
Some Westerners have moved into town, and they need new horses; their only choice is to rustle up wild mustangs. First, choose one or more kids to be the rustlers. Everyone else is a mustang. When the caller shouts, "Corral 'em!" the rustlers try to catch the mustangs. Those who are caught go to a designated area called "the corral," where they must stand perfectly still, with legs straddled. To be freed, one of their mustang buddies needs to crawl between a child's legs. The game ends when everyone's been caught, or when it seems like a good time to switch players
Recipes
Trailblazing Taco Bar
Ingredients:
- Corn tortilla shells
- Browned ground beef
- Shredded cheese
- Lettuce
- Tomatoes
- Olives
- Additional fixings as desired
Set up a huge taco bar, full of yummy fixings. Give kids crispy corn tortilla shells, pre-warmed in the oven. Then, enlist adults to help them stuff shells with delicious fillings.
Trail Mix
Ingredients:
- Raisins
- Pretzels
- Chocolate chips
- Nuts (optional)
Supplies:
Combine the ingredients in a large mixing bowl as desired to create a healthy trail treat kids can munch on throughout the party. Yum!
Campfire S'mores
Ingredients:
- Chocolate chips
- Marshmallows
- Graham crackers
It's easy to make these old favorites, even if you don't have a real campfire. Just use your microwave! Simply place a spoonful of chocolate chips on a graham cracker half, top with a marshmallow, and heat in microwave for approximately 1 minute. (Keep on a plate or paper towel.) Then put other graham cracker half on top and hand out to your lil' cowpokes.
Canyonland Cocoa
Ingredients:
- Hot chocolate mix
- Milk
- Ground cinnamon (½ tsp. per mug)
- Cinnamon sticks
- Whipped cream
- Chocolate bar
Supplies:
- Medium sauce pan
- Mugs with handles
Whether or not the kids come in from a long ride, they'll love cozying up to hot mugs of this cocoa. First make the hot chocolate in a saucepan. Then stir in ground cinnamon. Pour into mugs; top with whipped cream; and add a cinnamon stick. Create chocolate shavings by scraping the top of a bar with a butter knife. Sprinkle on top, and serve.
Glance through the list below to see if you're missing any important items. Many can be found on the party theme page.