Snow Rodeo - Sledding Party

My cowboy posse put together a terrific activity for a group of teen friends, but this activity would bring out a Yee-haw from any age.

The Snow Rodeo sent everyone out sledding -- with a variety of challenges to see who could stay on their trusty mount. Each guest named their sled (Bronco, Big Red, Slippery Sam, etc.) and "branded" their steed with the name written on a label and stuck to the back of the sled. (The "branding" stickers could be a fun and easy craft activity before heading out into the snow. Decorate and draw in western-style letters.)





Rodeo Challenges:

• Bare Backwards riding (go down the hill backwards)
• Riding double (two people per sled)
• Bucking Bronco (sledding over a series of bumps and jumps created just for this race)
• 8 seconds (who could make it down in exactly 8 seconds -- harder than you'd think)

Wrangle up some easy party favors with western neckerchiefs to wear over noses in the cold. Even the party's end can be fun with a race to "round up" the sleds and "corral" them in the take-home vehicle.

Giddy-up!

Spring into Party Season

Springtime Easter Chick Piñata

I can't get enough of sunshine, so at the first peek of spring try to take the party outdoors. For our family Easter celebration, the kids enjoyed this chick-inspired piñata while we dined on strawberry shortcake al fresco.

To make piñata, papier mache over a large balloon leaving a 3-4" open space at the top for filling. To reinforce the piñata for hanging, wrap a sturdy cord around the balloon after 1-2 layers of papier mache have dried -- sort of like you're wrapping a package. The cord will cross at the top opening of the piñata. Then add another 1-2 layers of papier mache, encasing the cord inside the layers. When the layers dry, you'll have a more sturdy way of hanging the filled piñata that supports the full structure.

When fully dry, glue yellow crepe paper around the circumference of the balloon, overlapping layers to give a tiered effect. You can fringe the crepe paper for an even fluffier look.

Cut eyes, beak and wings from construction paper. Add some fringed yellow construction paper around the top opening to create cute "tufts" of feathers and hide the hanging cord. A colorful ribbon tied and hot glued to the side gives an extra custom look. Fill with candy, and let the kids swing away!

Pet Store Party

When people ask if we have pets, my typical response is "yes, two boys." They're wild enough. But truth be told, they're dying for a pet. My answer: regular trips to the pet store. And we have so much fun you'd think it was, you guessed it -- a party!

INVITATIONS

Choose a favorite animal to be the star of your party (examples here on the wild and mild side). You might consider asking guests to bring a can or bag of pet food in lieu of a birthday gift (more on this momentarily).

ACTIVITY

Take a trip to the local pet store or animal shelter. If you've got more than 4-5 kids in the party, call ahead to ensure you'll be welcome. While most kids can entertain themselves the whole time just by peeking in the cages, looking for the lizards hidden behind plastic tree leaves, and making up wacky conversations with the parrots, you could come prepared with a few games of your own. Try an age-appropriate scavenger hunt (can you find the Yellow Canary? a 20-lb bag of Alpo? a furry purple kitty toy?). Learn where the animals originally came from. Or see what animal best matches each guest in the group.

A thoughtful twist is to turn the birthday gift booty over to the animals. Guests might be invited to bring a can of food, a dog toy, etc. in lieu of a child's gift. The group can then present the gifts to an animal shelter (or to the pet store who will often donate them in turn).

THANK YOU'S

Take each guest's picture with their favorite animal and send it home in a customized thank you card. If he/she gave a gift to an animal, you might include a "pawprint" of thanks from it too.