By
eHow Parties & Entertaining Editor
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Things You’ll Need:
- Camo color paper
- American flag
- Posterboard
- Crepe streamers
- Brown netting
- Helium-filled balloons
- Toy tanks
- Face paints
- Inflatable tubes
- Four by four beams
- Plastic cones
- Sugar cookies
- Frosting and sprinkles
- Camo color bandannas
- Party favors
Step1
Make invitations out of camouflage-colored paper and ask guests to come in camo-color clothing. Use the phrase "Attention Recruits" and tell guests to report to "Basic Training at Camp Smith." Of course, substitute Smith for your family name. Then have them RSVP to the Base Commander.
Step2
Post an American flag on the front porch along with a sign made of posterboard welcoming guests to Camp Smith or Jones. Inside the house drape camo design crepe streamers from wall to wall across the ceiling and hang brown nets on the walls. Attach some green and brown helium balloons to toy army tanks and set on the tables.
Step3
Dress an adult in a military uniform to greet guests with a salute as they arrive for the party. Direct them to a table set with mirrors and camo-color face paints where they can paint their faces while waiting for everyone else to arrive.
Step4
Set up an obstacle course in your yard and run a relay. Use inflatable inner tubes, rather than real tires, for kids to run through. Make balance beams out of 4-by-4 pieces of lumber and set up cones to weave in and out of. To make it interesting you can have kids put on army boots, a helmet and backpack to run the course, and then take them off and hand them to the next kid who puts them on before he runs.
Step5
Serve sugar cookies with brown and green colored frosting and sprinkles. Let kids decorate their own cookies rather than serving birthday cake. Serve dry snacks, like chips or pretzels, in upside-down army helmets.
Step6
Have guests sit in a circle with two chairs in the center. Let the birthday child sit in one chair and as they open gifts let the gift-giver join them in the other chair. When they're done, give the guest a treat sack made from a camo bandanna and have them return to their place in the circle. For favors, use green army men, toy compasses, patriotic stickers, dog tags and candy.
