The Wild West was exciting and filled with outlaws, shootouts, and bank robberies. While such things are not appropriate for a modern party, it’s fun to pretend! There are countless party themes to choose, yet the Wild West remains a very popular one. Here are a few games to play during your next Wild West-themed roundup of your favorite people.
Snake in My Boot
Inspired by the words of a Toy Story character, Snake in My Boot has become a party game. Gather an assortment of cowboy boots. (Maybe you have a friend with several pairs or you can find some at a local Goodwill store.) Place a rubber snake in one of the boots. Make children select a number from one to twenty. The child who is closest to the number must be the one who is directed by the other children to try a different boot on until the snake is found.
Cattle Wrangler
Guests are divided into two teams. One at a time, each player in line must wrangle cattle by using a stick to weave a balloon around cones. Once they get each balloon into a designated section, they run back and pass the stick to the next player in line. The first team to ‘wrangle’ all of their ‘cows’ wins.
Hobby Horse Relay
It’s not a party unless there is a relay race. However, this version does not include a potato sack. Cowboys ride horses! Get a broom or mop and fix a horse head on top. Divide guests into two teams. Those at the front of the line race with a horse between their legs, wrap around a cone, and run back to the line to exchange the horse with the next person in line. The first team to complete the race wins.
Pairs: Wild West
Wild West Pairs can be played with two to eight players. The cards are numbered one to ten, and like the traditional game, players must take turns drawing until they can make a pair. The card graphics are dedicated to images and personalities of the Wild West. Pick yourself up a deck and other card games online.
Get That Bandit
You’ll have to select one brave adult to play the bandit. Each kid player is fixed with a lasso (The lassoes can be hula-hoops or squirt pistols). The kids will race around the playing field attempting to ‘lasso’ the bandit with the hoops or squirt gun. Each time the bandit is caught, they must pay a ransom of candy, which is thrown to the crowd of children. It’s a new spin on the traditional pinata concept and it’s a bit more fun for the kids.
Hoedown
Select a number of cowboy music to play through a speaker. While the music is playing, kid participants must keep all balloons up in the air. When the music stops, a kid must grab a balloon. However, the number of balloons will not be congruent with the number of players each round. Like musical chairs, there will be one player eliminated each round. The rounds are played until two children are left before one winner remains.
Rachael Hancock loves throwing parties and gatherings for friends and family members and you can always be sure there will be a game involved! She writes entertainment articles which appear on a selection of lifestyle sites.
