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We turned our back yard into Narnia to celebrate our son’s eighth birthday. My husband had been reading the C.S. Lewis books to our boys, and our little guy was quite taken by the whole world of “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.”

Going through the Wardrobe

Our guests entered our backyard by walking through a wardrobe. We had a couple of old closet doors in our basement. I clamped them to the fence and attached a thick dowel across the top. We borrowed a few full-length coats from grandma and hung them up. The photo is at the top of this post. Isn’t it great?!  We also borrowed two artificial Christmas trees to make it look more like a forest when the kids came through the doors.

Narnia Fashion

The first activity of the night was turning our guests into the creatures and royalty of Narnia. Many came in costume, but those who didn’t soon looked the part. We had lots of ribbon, sashes, capes, and giant pipe cleaners. These supplies were turned into crowns and animal ears. My husband painted faces… beards, whiskers, war paint, etc. Everyone was able to choose what they wanted to be. Most of the girls were queens but the boys loved being fauns, dwarfs, and talking animals. I took the part of the white witch.

Activities

After costuming and dinner, we started the activities. We divided the kids into three groups for battle training: swords, bows, shields. Our party had about 25 kids- so 8 per group. You could definitely hold this party with less guests. You could just keep everyone together instead of dividing into groups. We rotated every 10-15 minutes. I just watched to see when it looked like the groups were ready to move.

Swords

I cut swim noodles in half with an electric bread knife. The children practiced sword fighting against each other and their trainers (adult aunts and uncles). After a bit of practice, we played sword tag. If you blocked a sword hit, you were fine, but if you got hit in the chest, you had to lay on the ground and count to 50 before you could get back up.

Bows and Arrows

My dad helped me make a PVC pipe bow for each guest. We used 4 feet of ½ inch PVC pipe for each bow. We used a kitchen knife to make a ½ inch notch in each end of the pipe. Then we used masonry twine to string the bow. Our arrows were wooden dowels, cut in thirds, with a pencil eraser cap on the end. I took an eraser cap to the store and chose the dowels that fit inside (pencil size). We cut a notch in the end of the arrow so it would sit against the string. We made enough for the kids to each take one home, plus a few extra in case some were lost or broken at the party.  Here’s a link to a video with instructions for a little bit fancier bow and arrow set:  PVC Pipe Archery Bow

Our next-door neighbor let us use his yard for archery practice so the kids would not be shooting arrows near the sword and shield groups. We set up cardboard targets in the bushes, attached with some wire. The kids practiced shooting. We also had some markers and colored duct tape for them to decorate their bows. They were all excited to take their bows/arrows home with them after the party.

Shields

The children were all given a shield to use as they ran through an obstacle course. The adult helpers threw foam blocks at the kids as they ran. The kids used the shields to dodge the blocks. We let them each go through the course 3-4 times until it was time to rotate. Our shields were store-bought. I didn’t give these to the kids so I only needed four to keep the obstacle course running.

 

The Quest

After training, we gathered everyone for a game we usually call “Fugitive”. For this event, it was called “The Quest”. We mixed up our groups into four new teams. Our quest required the teams to find Aslan and bring him back to the house. As you know, Aslan is a lion, so we used four lion stuffed animals. We hid the lions around a church 3-4 blocks from our house. The kids had to go to the church, find a lion, and bring him back to the house, without being spotted by a wolf. The wolves were three adults (dads) on bicycles. The kids were given a two-minute head start. When the wolves saw one of the kids, they’d jump off their bikes and try to tag them. If a child was tagged, they were out of the game, but the rest of their team could keep going. The parking lot and grass around the church were a safe zone where the wolves could not tag kids. At our party, most of the kids made it back to the house without being seen. They were very sneaky and super excited about the challenge.

Outdoor Movie

After the quest, it was movie time. We projected “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” on a sheet in our back yard. We invited the kids’ families to join us for the movie. We popped popcorn and passed around licorice buckets. The kids brought their pillows and blankets. It didn’t get dark until 9:30, so it was a pretty late party. –But that made the kids really excited to get to stay up late. Ah! Isn’t summer great?!

 

Banana Bash

My son Finn is very unique– and lots of fun. His request for his tenth birthday party was a “Banana Party”. He helped a lot with the planning on this one as I was stumped over what he was expecting. It ended up being one of my most favorite parties ever.

 

Invitation

We made these invitations. The kids were delighted to peel it open. We added some silly banana jokes on the back.

My supplies for this party included 8 bunches of bananas and a giant inflatable banana (which I found online for less than $10.) Overall, it was a very inexpensive party.

Activities

Banana Folks

As our guests arrived, we had them decorate a banana like a Mr. Potato Head. We had googly eyes, hot glue, fabric, permanent markers, pom pom balls, pipe cleaners, and other odds and ends. The banana folks then hung out on the picnic table and watched the games until it was their time to play.

Apple, Apple, Banana Game

We played Duck, Duck, Goose with the giant, inflatable banana. I know it sounds like a pre-school game, but it’s so much more fun with a giant banana.

 

Banana Tag
Whoever has the giant banana is “It”.  If they tag someone by touching them with the banana, that person is now “It”.  Throwing the banana is completely fair.

 

Steal the Banana

We played Steal the Bacon with a real banana. By the end, the banana was mush. It was pretty funny.

Banana Relays

Make a start and finish line with a rope, garden hose, or stick. Most of our relays went from the start line to the finish and back again, where the competitors would tag their teammates to continue the relay.

-Running with a banana on your head

-Crab walking with a banana on your belly

-Holding a banana between two people- no hands

-Passing the banana over shoulder, then between legs, and repeating, through team. First person in line runs to back after he passes, and so on, keeping your line going until you get to the finish line.

-Hopping with a banana between your knees

Banana Road Rally

We divided the kids into teams and took them to the mall. The kids were given a list and an adult chaperone. The kids had to take photos of their bananas with as many items on the list as they could in 40 minutes.

Here’s our list and some of our photos.  Banana Photo Adventure

 

BANANA ADVENTURES

Take photos of your bananas having a night on the town with as many of the following items as you can. Be back at the mall entrance by 8:30. Please be courteous inside stores. Remember that bananas always use good manners. That’s what makes them so a-peel-ing!

____

Having dinner

Trying on shoes

Trying on clothes

Going down an escalator

Going on an elevator

Eating a treat

Smiling at a baby

Trying on glasses

Driving a car

Playing on the playground

At its favorite store

Exercising

Trying on jewelry

With an appliance or tool

Sleeping in a bed

Reading a book

With a bearded man

Playing with a toy

Making a new friend

Getting a haircut

Putting on make-up or perfume

After the road rally, we came home, opened gifts, and ate banana pudding and banana splits while we laughed at all the photos.

Banana Pudding Recipe
1 large box instant banana pudding, mixed as directed and set
1 pint whipping cream, whipped and sweetened
1 box vanilla wafers
bananas, sliced

Mix pudding and whipped cream together.  Now it’s time to layer! You can layer this dessert in a 9 X 13 pan, a trifle bowl, or individual plastic cups.  Layer in dish: vanilla wafers, banana slices, pudding, then repeat until dish is full (or you’re out of pudding). Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.  

 

When our oldest son turned twelve, we decided to celebrate his “coming of age” with a Man Party (AKA Mustache Party).

Invitation
Our invitation was very manly (absolutely no cutesiness). We copied a photo of our son, drew a mustache on him with a marker, then wrote the party details on the inside of the card.

 

The invitation asked that all guests come wearing facial hair. –And boy did our guests deliver. We had a lot of manly facial hair at that party!

Activities

Ultimate Man Jeopardy (or Macho Madness)

When the guests had all arrived and been photographed with their mustaches, we played a lively game of “Ultimate Man Jeopardy”. I didn’t make it like the real game of Jeopardy. In fact, the only similarity was the board itself. I made a huge board with 6 columns and four rows. The rows each had an index card with $200, $400, $600, or $800. Think of the game Jeopardy, and you’ll know how it looks… something like the table below. Under each index card was a question or challenge. The teams had to be the first to yell “Carburetor” to answer the questions. (You could choose another manly word.) If it was a challenge, everyone did it and the judge (me) decided who won the points.  Macho Madness Questions

Macho Madness
Male or Female?	It’s in the News	All About Sports	Birthday Man	Fuzzy Faces	Manly Men
$200	$200	$200	$200	$200	$200
$400	$400	$400	$400	$400	$400
$600	$600	$600	$600	$600	$600
$800	$800	$800	$800	$800	$800

 

We had six categories (columns) for Jeopardy- with the following questions/challenges under each card. I’ve listed them all as questions, but you’ll notice that many are challenges, and many require supplies to accomplish the tasks.

Category: Male or Female?

$200 Question: Who has more taste buds, boys or girls? Answer: A recent study in Denmark showed that boys and girls have roughly the same number of taste buds. However, the study showed that girls generally have a better sense of taste than boys. The study was held by the Danish Science Communication and The Faculty of Life Sciences at the University of Copenhagen.

$400 Question: Is the heaviest person in the world a male or female? Answer: Male at 1400 lbs. The closest female is 1200 lbs.

$600 Question: There is scientific evidence that eating a certain vegetable will make a man more attractive to women. What vegetable is it? Answer: For men, chewing a stalk of celery releases androsterone and androstanol odor molecules – making them more attractive to women.

$800 Question: Does a man or woman have the world record for the longest fingernails? Answer: Woman. Lee Redmond of Salt Lake City, Utah, has the record with nails measuring 28 feet, 4 inches.

 

Category: It’s in the News: Newspapers (Don’t all men love the newspaper?)

$200 Question: Build a hat out of newspaper. Best hat wins the points.

$400 Question: Name five major newspapers.

$600 Question: A person from the team who picked this category must sit on a stool with a cup on his head. The remaining guest will wad up newspapers and throw them at the cup. Whoever knocks the cup off first wins the points.

$800 Question: Use one page of a newspaper. Find and circle each individual letter in this sentence:  “Happy Birthday ________(name of child).”

Category: Sports

$200 Question: Name five sports that don’t use a ball.

$400 Question: Free throw shooting contest– Everyone gets 5 shots.  High score wins the points.

$600 Question: Name ten events in the winter Olympics.

$800 Question: Who is the tallest NBA player in history? Answer: Both Gheorge Muresan and Manute Bol were 7’7”. However, Muresan weighed 325 lbs. and Bol only weighed 200 lbs. Shaun Bradley and Yao Ming are tied for second place at 7’6”.

 

Category: Manly Men

$200 Question: Choose one person from each team to drink a cup of root beer.  Best belch wins the points.

$400 Question: Choose one person from each team to be Chuck Norris.  His teammates will toss foam blocks at him and he will try to kick the blocks using his best Round House Kick. Most foam blocks kicked wins the points.

$600 Question: Watch a Saturday Night Live sketch of Hans & Franz. Choose two people from your team to do their best reenactment of the skit. Best skit wins the points.

$800 Question: One person from each team pretends to be Mr. T, Nacho Libre, Hulk Hogan, or Rocky Balboa. Have a “wrestling match” wear the competitors’ goal is to take the socks off the other wrestlers. (Make a square with masking tape on the floor that they must stay inside.) Last wrestler to have a sock on wins the points.

 

Category: Fuzzy Face

$200 Question: There is a point where a man’s beard reaches its growth limit. It won’t grow any more. What is the longest amount of time a beard will continue to grow? Answer: 6 years

$400 Question: Name five famous people with beards.

$600 Question: Name three good reasons a person on your team should grow a mustache.

$800 Question: Shave the face of one person on your team. (Use shaving cream and a popsicle stick.)

 

Category: Birthday Man

You can make up your own questions about your particular birthday boy.

Epic Road Ralley

After the games, we divided into groups and set off on a photo scavenger hunt. The groups had to take photos of themselves with as many of the items on the list as they could find in one hour. Remember, all of our guests had awesome facial hair- so these photos were pretty funny. There was an adult driver assigned to each group who also served as the photographer. The groups had to be back to the house by a designated time. If they were late, points were deducted from their scores.

Here’s our Mustache Photo Challenge list:  Manly Road Ralley Checklist

Back at home, we shared the photos, laughed at each other, opened gifts, and had a huge ice cream smorgasbord. We also broke out the left-over root beer from the earlier events so we could have a manly belching contest. Good times!