The Monkey Tree

With a few props you can easily change your garden into a ‘ranch’.  A tepee could easily be built using some canes and an old sheet. A couple of bales of hay (£6 approximately from local pet suppliers) with a wooden plank across could serve as your ‘saloon’ and the drinks could be served by a Stetson wearing barman.

 

Cowboy party

There are loads of fruit punches and smoothies that are suitable for children and all you have to do is name them!  Some ideas we came up with included: Cowboy Cocktail, Smoothie Shooter, Strawberry Stetson – you could also rename a cocktail using the birthday child’s name.  Delicious smoothie recipes can be found on our website, just log in to themonkeytreemagazine.co.uk and click on recipes.

To keep the little ones amused, just think of the standard party games and put a cowboy slant on them.  Instead of ‘pin the tail on the donkey’, you could put the saddle on the horse or put the Stetson on the cowboy.  Buy a pack of cheap water pistols and try a bit of water pistol target practise or try to lasso a target – maybe a cowboy boot (a painted wellie?)

For a bit of extra authenticity, you could put some ‘gold’ in the kid’s sandpit and wait to see who will find the golden nugget.  A kind of home version of ‘panning for gold’.  (Not suitable for under 5’s).

At tea time, the obvious choice is a barbeque.  Sausages, burgers, beans and corn on the cob are all cowboy favourites and are easily cooked for a children’s party.  Some ideas for party treats could be baked bananas, marshmallows or taking the cowboy theme even further – Wagon Wheels!