| Every little boy loves tractors! There is something | | | | pile of hay. Use needles for older party guests and |
| about those big green machines. So, for this birthday | | | | small toys for younger ones. Have them wear work |
| GO Green! Invitations: Use a template of a simple | | | | gloves for safety. If you cannot get your hands on |
| tractor using green construction paper and outlining | | | | some hay you can use several bags of raffia or dried |
| with a black marker. On a separate sheet of yellow | | | | grass clippings. Young or Old, everyone loves a game |
| paper, write the title "Our little Deere __ is turning | | | | of Horse Shoes - the younger the child, the closer |
| __, so join us for some good old farm fun!" Plain | | | | the shot line. Do I Moo? - Attach an animal sticker or |
| white invitations can be made quite festive with the | | | | picture to each child's back. Each player must identify |
| John Deere clip art or stickers. A picture of your child | | | | what kind of animal they are by asking "yes" or "no" |
| on a tractor would also be a wonderful invite and can | | | | questions. For example, "Can I fly?", "Am I pink?", etc. |
| be copied quite easily and cost effectively using a | | | | Catch a Pig - Grease up 1 pink balloon with baby oil |
| colour printer or at your local photo center. | | | | for every player and place the whole bunch about 20 |
| The Venue: How about an outing? You could visit a | | | | feet away from where the kids are lined up. On "GO" |
| petting zoo, a pumpkin patch, a pony riding center or | | | | have them run and try to catch a pig and place it |
| a local farm. Your one step ahead if you already live | | | | back in its pen. The pen can be any box or container. |
| on a farm! An old fashioned family bonfire is a | | | | It is hilarious and not that easy! Have an area set up |
| wonderful back drop for this kind of event. No | | | | where you can practise your cowboy skills by roping |
| worries though, even if your a city slicker you can | | | | some cattle. A simple rope works great as a lasso |
| easily transform your home or backyard into a "farm | | | | and a sawhorse from Dad's garage works great as |
| house" worthy of a John Deere Birthday Party! | | | | an animal target. Chicken Egg Hunt - Reuse your |
| Decorations: Green & Yellow of course! A wide | | | | plastic Easter Eggs by filling them with some neat |
| range of John Deere licensed goods can be | | | | toys, trinkets or candy and hiding them around the |
| purchased through my website or your local party | | | | party yard or party room. Herding Cattle - Colour |
| center. Throw in a barnyard feel with hay bails, | | | | some black cow spots on white balloons. |
| saddles, scarecrows, pitch forks, cowboy hats and | | | | Using a broom, the object is to swat 8-10 balloons |
| farm animals. Ask the kids to come in their finest | | | | from one side of the room to the other. Use a |
| denim farm clothes but provide them with a straw | | | | stopwatch to see who can herd the cows the |
| hat and bandanna when they arrive. | | | | fastest. Hoe Down - play some Country Music and |
| Activities: You can't have a John Deere Party without | | | | form a square dancing line or have a line dancing |
| a tractor! So, if you don't have a real one for tractor | | | | lesson! Menu: A good, old, down home barbecue of |
| rides, turn a regular old wagon into one with 2 large | | | | hamburgers, hot dogs, chili, potato salad, watermelon |
| cardboard pieces, the tractor template, green paint | | | | and corn on the cob. Serve the snacks and salads |
| and some imagination! The little ones will love their | | | | out of mini galvanized buckets and fill a wheel barrow |
| imaginary tractor rides. If your party is indoors or for | | | | with ice to keep your drinks cold in. Have plenty of |
| some additional decoration, use a bunch of farm | | | | wooden picnic tables on hand for seating. The cake |
| animal colouring sheets. Cover a full wall with butcher | | | | can be any shape or size but must have bright John |
| paper or large white paper roll. Make a farm scene by | | | | Deere green coloured icing. Use a decopac set or |
| painting on some grass, a fence and blue sky. Have | | | | simply use your childs favourite toy tractor for the |
| the kids colour the pictures and then cut and paste | | | | center of the cake. Be sure to sit the tractor ontop |
| the pictures onto wall. Or you can even have the | | | | of a mud or soil pile! A mud/soil pile is made by |
| kids colour right onto the paper wall. The kids will | | | | crumbling up some dark cookies. Corral the tractor |
| have a blast decorating the life sized farm scene. | | | | and hill in with a pretzel stick fence. |
| Games: Needle in a Haystack - Hide objects in a loose | | | | |