Cowboys & Crooks Party Theme

Oh boy – or rather, oh cowboy – are the little men in for a treat! A cowboy themed party is certainly on every boy’s wish list, so here are a couple of ideas for making it a reality:

Age Group

8 to 13

Colour Scheme

Various shades of brown and camel with splashes of red, white and blue. Patterns and textures to consider include cow print, leather, hessian, red and white check, sand and wood.

Eats & Drinks

Cowboys love chilling around the fire, so have the boys make their own smores and cook sausage and stick bread for cowboy-style hotdogs. Alternatively make sure there’s plenty of meaty treats like biltong and salami nibbles, as well as pretzel sticks to chew on like a piece of hay. Put alcohol free “beer” on the menu, topped off with moustache straws, and American style saloon treats like apple pie and brownies. Having a saloon style setup where the boys can order is a fun and interactive way to serve the food.

Fun & Games

A game of cowboys and crooks is inevitable! You can also set up a cowboy arena where the boys can compete in challenges to show their mettle – examples include rope-catching a cow (which can be anything from a pot plant to a decorated box), hoop tossing, tug of war, sack races and fastest finger on the trigger. Alternatively build a horsey piñata or bury treasures all around the garden and work out a gold dash treasure hunt for the boys to embark upon.

Décor

In terms of outdoors, think desert sand, cacti, horse shoes, hay bales, silhouettes and animal cut outs.  Alternatively set a saloon scene, complete with bar doors and dusty road, or a themed photo booth. Decorate the walls with wanted posters (a great idea for the invitations as well) or use poster frame cut outs as a prop in said photo booth so the boys can become the WANTED.

Goodies

If the young horse riders don’t come dressed as cowboys, surprise them with hats, sherif badges, neck scarves or cowboy waist coats – whatever the budget allows! Make a horse for each little boy by attaching paper cut outs of a horse’s head to the end of a stick.

Original images and their credits available on Pinterest