Barnyard Birthday Party

Make your little cowboy or cowgirl feel special by crafting an easy sign from discarded wood or two-by-fours from your local hardwood store. Pair with bright balloons for an easy-to-spot entrance to your party.

Encourage guests to join the fun by offering hats and bandanas as they enter the party. A sign explaning the costumes will help pint-sized buckaroos know what to do, while the ladder offers a theme-friendly, easy-access way to display the dress up goodies.

Greet your guests with a spread appropriate to the time of day of your party. When serving lunch, wrap up hot dogs for easy grab-and-go accessibility and serve sides, like macaroni and cheese, in single-serve cups. Keep the decor in line with the theme by using silver "farm hand" buckets for snacks and checked tablecloths for extra color.

Happy Birthday signs create fun, easy decor and set the tone for a festive party. You can add farm-friendly accents to a store-bought sign or start from scratch; just make sure the colors you choose match your party's theme. And don't forget the adorable animals!

Make a cake that doubles as a centerpiece at the party. The barnyard theme offers lots of room to play, so whether you like making your own farm animals from fondant or prefer to use toys instead, your cake is sure to be the hit of the party.

Bandana boxes, used here for favors, offer another layer of fun decor to the party. Let your guests scoop their own flavored popcorn into the boxes to enjoy on the ride home.

While the kids are playing games and hitting up the petting zoo, offer adults helping out at the party an adults-only beverage. Label it and keep it in a separate location from the kid-friendly drinks.

Skip the traditional games and go with a few that fit your theme perfectly, like horse races using the traditional hobby horses like these inflatable ones. You can also tweak classic games to work for your day, like Pin the Tail on the Horsie and doing a mudpie walk instead of a Cake Walk.

Dress your birthday girl or boy in a special outfit that makes them feel like the center of attention. If you're dressing a kiddo for a first birthday, or anticipate any cake smashing, be sure to have a back up outfit (and wipes!) ready.

Hang a festive sign on the back of your door so that friends will see your thanks as they head home after a long day of party fun.