It's always a great time to host this action-packed birthday bash based on Australia's outback. The contests are just right for keeping a group of rambunctious kids entertained. And because the party takes place outdoors, it's a great opportunity to fire up the grill (or the barbie, as it's called in Australia) for a birthday lunch of hamburgers and hot dogs.
INVITATION
Come 'n Over, Mate These miniature outback road signs will inspire guests to hop on over for a real birthday adventure. To make each invitation, cut out two 3-inch yellow card stock squares and turn them so there are corners at the top and bottom. On one square, draw a black border and a kangaroo silhouette (you can make a template for the kangaroo by tracing the shaded image shown here at actual size). Glue the top of a colored Popsicle stick (available at craft stores) to the back of the square. Print the party particulars on the second square. Now glue together the two squares with the printed sides facing out.
PARTY CRAFT
Walking Sticks A good walking stick can really come in handy on a trek through the outback--or when you're searching through the grass for toy critters in a Reptilian Roundup (see below). As the guests arrive, invite them to decorate one to their liking. For each child, supply a sturdy stick that's 3 to 4 feet long and about 1 inch thick (1-inch wooden dowels also work nicely). You'll also need a few xylene-free paint markers, beads or craft feathers, and cording to tie them on with.
GAMES DOWN UNDER
Devil's Marbles In the depths of the outback is a shallow valley covered with heaps of giant granite boulders called Devil's Marbles. In this party game, the Devil's Marbles are 3 or 4 large rubber sports balls (we used the type you play four square with), clustered in the center of a 12-foot-wide circle. The aim is to knock as many of them out of the circle as possible. To delineate the circle, lay a ring of string on the lawn or use chalk to draw on a blacktop. When you're ready to begin, have the kids line up 10 to 15 feet from the circle. Hand the first person another ball and tell him he can throw or roll it at the Devil's Marbles. He gets three tries to knock as many giant marbles as he can out of the circle before they are put back in place and the next person gets a turn. If there's a tie, those contestants enter a second round, and so on, until one person gets the best score and wins the game.The Kangaroo Cruise Kangaroos in the outback can hit cruising speeds of up to 20 miles an hour, with individual hops measuring 20 feet or so. In this challenge, teams of kids try to cover as much ground as possible in a single jump. To get the game under way, the first child in each team jumps from the starting line without taking a running start. The next child jumps from the spot where his teammate landed, and so on, until everyone has had a turn. The team that advances the farthest wins!
Reptilian Roundup
All kinds of interesting reptiles, from crocodiles to snakes, live in Australia. While you certainly want to keep your distance from the real ones, the object of this scavenger hunt is to round up as many plastic crocodiles and/or snakes as possible. The prize is taking home any you find. Before the party, purchase a package of them at a department store or hobby shop and hide them in your yard. When the hunt begins, the kids can use their walking sticks to part the grass or overturn stones where the reptiles may be hiding.
GREAT GRUB
After competing in the adventure games, guests are bound to have outback-size appetites. To satisfy them, cook hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill and serve them with chips and ice-cold sports drinks. Finish it off with this Oz-some jeep cake!
OUTBACK ADVENTURE PARTY POINTERS
•Make a kangaroo-crossing sign (a bigger version of the party invitation) and hang it on your front door to let your guests know they're heading into the outback.• Cover a garage or shed wall with brown paper (the kind you wrap packages with) to simulate an Australian petroglyph site and let the kids use white finger paint to embellish it with handprints or other images.
• If you're game, pitch a tent in your backyard and turn this party into an overnight camp-out.
• Survival Gear Favors: Send the party adventurers home with compasses, bandannas, granola bars, or gummy worms.
