| |
Army Birthday Party Ideas
Army birthday party theme will be a big hit among boys of any age group. You can create a very special atmosphere with some pre-planning. This page will help you to do just. Just remember to start planning the party in advance, about 2-3 weeks before the actual event. Have fun!
Resources:
Military Party Supplies Free Printable Invitations
Invitations
You can make army birthday party invitation cards out of green (or tan) paper. On the front of the invitations, write "Official Orders for Private (guest's name)."
On the other side of the invitations you can write "You have been drafted! Report for duty at (time) on (date) for basic training at Camp (your last name). Get ready to put on your war paint and tackle an obstacle course. Food will be served at the Mess Hall at (address) and troops will be dismissed at (time). Please RSVP at (phone number)."
For a slightly different army party invitation idea, you can use 8"X11" paper. Write "You have been recruited to (your child's name) __th Birthday Party! Prepare for troop training - report to Camp (you last name) at (time). RSVP to Recruitment Officer at (phone number).
Write "Top Secret" on the envelopes. Include army theme stickers inside. Be sure to mention that kids bring a change of clothes and a towel. Ask your army birthday party guests to wear camouflage wear (if they have it).
Decorations
Best colors for your army birthday party decorations are camouflage green, blue and red. Have balloons and paper streamers in those colors.
Decorate the front of your house with any camouflage materials you can find. Check to see if you can borrow any items from your neighborhood army recruitment center.
Put a sign on your front door saying "Welcome to Camp (your last name)!" Set up a green tent in the yard. See if you can get 6' cardboard soldier figures and put them up. Hang a camouflage tarp outdoors in the party game area.
Hang military theme posters in the party room. Spread around such items as binoculars, canteens, army boots, etc. Hang your country's national flag and army emblems.
Cover your army birthday party table with green table cover, and put army theme placemats on the table. Tie Mylar balloons to the chairs. Hang a personalized Special Forces "Happy Birthday" banner.
Guest Arrival and Introductory Activities
Greet your army birthday party guests with your child. Provide kid-sized army helmets and dog tags to the troops.
*Army Coloring Pages: This is a great army birthday party introductory activity for younger children. Provide pencils and crayons to the kids. Get your party guests color army coloring pages while they are waiting for others to arrive.
*War Paint: How cool is it to get your face painted like a real soldier?! You can come up with your own face paints or get a face painting kit. Be sure that all the army birthday party guests get their faces painted.
*Air Force Academy: Get children to make paper airplanes. Next, have the kids fly their 'jets' and measure the distances to determine the longest flight.
Favors
You can give out various items for your army party favors: kid-sized army helmets, canteens, army tags, binoculars, Special Forces figurines, etc.
Army Birthday Party Games
*Pin the Medal on the Soldier: Here is a version of classic Pin the Tail game.
Get an army theme poster, or ask for the cardboard standing figure of a soldier at the army recruitment office. Print copies of medals off the internet, then laminate and put a double-sided tape on them.
At party time, blindfold the kids, spin them around, and get them to stick their medals on the soldier's chest.
*Hot Grenade: An "army" version of Hot Potato game. Play the music in the background, have the kids pass a toy grenade. Whoever has the grenade when the music stops playing is out of the game.
If playing outside, use a water balloon for the grenade. It will create extra suspense because of unpredictability when the balloon is going to pop and splash the players. Put shaving cream on players' hands for some extra fun. (It will make catching balloons more challenging.)
*Marine Field Training: Set up an obstacle course in your back yard. Have various boxes, nets, cones, and other objects that kids can crawl, jump, run through (or around) and climb over.
Your obstacle course can include a barbwire (twine) to crawl under, balance beam to walk through, low objects to run over, etc. Put up a target that kids must hit with a water balloon at the end of the course.
*Target Shooting & Grenade Launch: Prepare lots of water balloons for this game. Line up plastic soldiers (or other objects) and get the kids to knock them down with a water or cork gun.
Next, place large objects on an old table (or some sort of elevation). Now, have children launch their grenade water balloons at those targets.
*Tug of War: Test the army party group's strength. Divide the players into two teams. Have the teams stand in a line opposite each other about five feet apart. Place a long rope in the center giving the ends to each team.
On the command "Go!" have the teams pull one another across a middle line.
*Craft Activity: Here is an army birthday party activity that will give the kids an opportunity to restore their energy. You can choose various military craft kits from a party store. Just pick one and get the kids involved. They can take their decoration home as army party favors.
*Message Decoding: This game will work great with kids of 9-12 years of age.
Before the party, give each letter of an alphabet a number. Next write a message using numbers only.
For example, it can say "The Cake will be Served in Five Minutes" or "Party Favors are Hidden in the Kitchen." If you have a young group, you can leave out several letters (e.g. "T _ e Ca_e wi_ _ be ...", etc).
At party time, divide the kids into 2 teams and get them to decode the message. The first team to get the message correct - wins!
*Rescue Mission: Form two new teams. Each group will have an injured soldier in the field (smallest child on each team). Children must run out with a stretcher (use sturdy blanket) and a roll of toilet paper. The first team to wrap a whole roll of toilet paper around their injured soldier and carry him back to camp - wins.
*Tactical Maneuvers: Another team activity. Blindfold soldiers: two at a time - one from each team - they must walk across the 'mine field' (water balloons scattered around the backyard). The team to get most players across the field "alive" the fastest - wins. Other players can "direct" their teammates by giving instructions to avoid the mines (e.g. "two steps to the right", etc).
*Drill Sergeant Says: Play a version of Simon Says, but get the kids do some army drills like jumping jacks, push-ups, arm curls, side bends, crunches, etc. Rules of the game stay the same - kids must hear "Drill Sergeant Says" for them to follow the command.
*Water Fight: This army birthday party activity is great for hot weather. Prepare tons of water balloons ('grenades') before your army birthday party, and have squirt guns ready. Divide the kids into 2 teams and get them to participate in a battle.
Tip: Be sure to explain to kids that they must control how hard they throw balloons at each other. If you have the feeling that someone might get hurt, make a rule that 'grenades' can be only thrown up in the air but not at people.
Food and Drink Army Birthday Cakes:
*Army Cake: Here is a simple army birthday cake idea. Bake a regular sheet cake, and then frost it with green and brown icing for camouflage effect. Lastly, decorate the cake with army cake toppers.
*Military Tank Cake: Contrary to the previous recipe, this cake is a little more time consuming to prepare.
Bake two 9"X13" cakes and one 9"X3" cake. Layer two identical cakes on top of each other. Pile the smaller cake - so it looks like a tank. Ice the cake with black, brown and green frosting.
Place four chocolate marshmallow cookies on each side for the 'tank wheels.' Next, put black icing around the wheels for 'the tracks'. Lastly, add the straw for the 'main gun.'
Army boys would also love this jeep cake. Army Birthday Party Food Ideas:
Explain to your army birthday party guests that you'll be serving the same food that they serve in Marine Corps.
*Meatballs and Spaghetti
*Minestrone Soup
*Hamburgers
*Fish & Chips
*Energy Bars
*Veggie Sticks
*Mediterranean Rice
*Chicken Nuggets
*Refried Beans
*Apple Pie
*Muffins Army Birthday Party Drink Ideas:
*Sweet Swamp Water: Tell your army birthday party guests that in the military you have to adapt to your surroundings - serve this drink to keep them hydrated.
Before the party, put raisins into ice cube trays. Fill the trays with water and let it sit for about 20 minutes (so the ice freezes clear).
Add a few drops of green food coloring to lemonade, apple juice or lemon-lime soda. At party time, put the ice cubes into children's drinks - they will get the kick out of having 'flies' (raisins) in their swamp drinks.
*Serve energy drinks like Gatorade or Powerade.
Return from Army Birthday Party Ideas to Classic Themes
Back to Kids' Birthday Party Guide
Subscribe to Family Smiles
Privacy Policy | About Us| Contact Us
|
