Grab your straw hats, slide on those overalls and throw your kids a good old fashioned hoedown. Just be sure you're chewing on that straw blade and throw out a few yee-haws when your guests start to arrive.
Decorations
Be sure to specify on the invitation to come properly attired for a square-dancing hoedown.
You want to transform your room into a barn, so be sure to have plenty of hay. If you can't stand the mess inside, purchase a few bales of hay from your local feed store or nearby farm and place them beside your front door. If you can stand the mess, they make perfect seats for your party guests. You can also purchase realistic looking hay bales at your local party store.
Decorate the rest of the room with standard barn amenities like horseshoes, a scarecrow, loops of rope and a few shovels. You may even be able to get your hands on a wagon wheel or milking cans.
Table
Cover the table with blue denim fabric. For the same look on a budget, just get enough denim fabric to create a runner for the table. This is a great recycling idea for those old jeans.
Sprinkle hay down the center of the table. The party is supposed to have a barn feel, so your table should be casual.
There are many options for a centerpiece. Take a wire basket and fill it with eggs. Pumpkins and gourds always bring a barn to mind. An old cowboy boot filled with a fresh bouquet of flowers and straw is another choice. Just keep barn in mind and get creative.
Place bright-red paisley bandanas beside each plate for napkins. The guests can take these home as party favors.
Party games
A hoedown calls for one main attraction: the square dance. Hone up your caller skills and put on the music. Kids love square dancing, and with a few minutes of instruction they can stomp a few good dances. Christy Lane's Square Dancing Today is the perfect party CD, with 10 songs each played with a caller followed by an instrumental version that has no caller for those party hosts who want to practice their skills.
Party favors
 | If you view the party from a pint-sized perspective when you think of kids birthday party ideas, you can make a birthday party the stuff of lasting memories. |
 | Baseball birthday parties are lots of fun to plan, and easy to throw. There are many ways to turn baseball themes into party ideas, so take or adapt any or all of these to suit your baseball birthday party needs. |
 | Whatever method you choose for decorating simple birthday cake recipes, the decorations will stand out and bring something special to the birthday cake. You can also decorate it in a large box tied with a colorful ribbon. |
If your child cannot tear himself away from the television when "Bob the Builder" is on, then consider holding a construction-themed birthday party that will let kids play with their hands. |
Party food should be the last thing you should stress over when you are planning a kids birthday party. Handling a room full of kids is no small feat, so low-maintenance party food is a must. |
