To make a pool noodle horse, fold the top end of the noodle over and secure it with twine. Decorate with googly-eyes and a mane made out of fabric, craft foam, or yarn. Write one Old West nickname per party guest on a small sheet of paper. These words will be used in front of the party guests’ real names on their wanted posters. Some suggestions:
DastardlyCoal EyesRattlesnakePanhandlerLassoSaddle HandsLeather FootBootprint
Fold up the cowboy nicknames and place them in a cowboy hat. In a second cowboy hat, place papers on which you have written bad deeds. You can use a combination of traditional Wild West crimes like bank robbery and train hijacking with silly crimes such as stalling at bedtime or burying vegetables under a napkin. Have party guests sit around a table with their wanted posters, some crayons, markers, cowboy stickers, and any decorative supplies you wish. Pass around the cowboy hats and have each child select a paper from each hat. Then have them complete their posters with their cowboy nicknames and the crimes for which they are wanted. For instance, a completed poster might read something like: “Wanted! Coal Eyes Matthew. For: Feeding his homework to the dog.” Hang the wanted posters around the party area until the end of the event. Then send them home as party favors. If you don’t have a rocking horse, try staking a stick horse into the ground. Another way to give rodeo rides is to secure a saddle to a red wagon, bicycle, or another suitable ride on toy. Have an adult pull the rider around a rodeo ring or obstacle course. Hang up a poster of a cow. Cut a large sponge into the shape of a horseshoe and attach it to a stick. Dip the horseshoe-shaped sponge into some craft paint. Blindfold players and see who can come closest to branding the cow in a pre-determined spot. Other variations of the pin the tail game to play:
Pin the tail on the horse.Pin the badge on the sheriff.Pin the hat on the cowgirl.Pin the boot on the cowboy.
Play begins with the kids running around freely while trying to avoid being tagged by the rancher. When a player is tagged, he must go and stand in the corral. Another of the cattle players can go into the corral and tag him to set him free, but if that player is caught by the rancher while doing so, he also becomes a cowboy and must help corral the remaining players. Play continues until all the cattle players are in the corral and only ranchers remain outside of the box. This same game can be played where the corral is a jailhouse, the “it” player is the sheriff, and the other players are bank robbers. You can also draw a large bullseye target on the lawn (use lawn paint) and have the player whose hat lands closest to the bullseye win the game.
