5 Top Western Themed Party Games

HOSTING AN AUTHENTIC WESTERN PARTY? GET YOUR HOE DOWN MOVING WITH ONE OF THESE GAMES!

1. PAN FOR GOLD

Early settlers scanned the Western frontier for gold. Honour the history and tradition of what brought people West with this game. Great fun for both kids and adults.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

Sandbox
Plastic or Mesh Strainers
Trays
Toys
Coins
Crystals
Polished Stones

HOW TO PLAY:

Fill the sandbox with kid friendly sand.
Bury the toys, coins, crystals, and polished stones in the sand.
Give everyone a strainer and tray.
Guests scoop out sand with the strainer and bring it to their tray to
sift through.
Each guest keeps his or her treasures.

2. HAYSTACK SEARCH

Similar to the pan for the gold game, this game has everyone searching stacks of hay for a prize.

WHAT YOU NEED:

4 to 5 Hay Stacks
Wrapping Paper
Toys
Gifts

HOW TO PLAY:

Purchase little toys and gifts related to a Western theme party. Fun ideas include toy water guns, a bag of chocolate gold coins, hot sauce, Western glassware, Johnny Cash CD’s, and other Country Western musicians. Wrap all of the gifts. Break apart the haystacks so it isn’t all in one block and place into one large pile. Strategically place the gifts in the haystacks, so that your guests will have a difficult time finding them all at once. Gather your guests around and invite everyone to participate, although those with allergies may decide not to play. Can you blame them? Set a timer for five minutes. Guests have five minutes to find prizes in the haystacks. If all of the gifts are not taken in the first five minutes, then do another round. Those who don’t find anything in the haystack, give them a consolation prize like Western beads.

3. TIN CAN TARGET

Practice this game just like the cowboys do, except without real guns, please!

WHAT YOU NEED:

Empty Cans
Water Guns
Water
Wall
Score Card
Rope
Chalk

HOW TO PLAY:

Set up on a wall a long row of empty cans and behind the wall for extras. Purchase enough water guns for your guests. Buy all of the same kind so that everyone has a fair chance. Make sure that the guns shoot far otherwise the cans won’t get knocked over. Prior to the party fill up the water guns with water. Draw a line with chalk or use a rope to create a dividing line between the wall and where everyone will stand. Have everyone line up about six to seven feet in front of the cans, one person per can, and handout the water guns. Everyone shoots at the cans. When someone knocks it over they get a point. Do a few rounds. The person with the most points wins a prize.

4. HORSESHOES OBSTACLE COURSE

We’ve adapted the classic Western party game, however, you can play it
as it has always been played.

WHAT YOU NEED:

Horseshoes
Posts
Rope
Log
Water Guns
Empty Cans
Table
Chalk

HOW TO PLAY:

First of all, make sure you have enough of the materials needed for all of your guests to play. Set up the following in their own areas horseshoes and posts, rope and tall log, filled water guns, empty cans and table. To set up the cans follow the instructions for the Tin Can Target game except on a table and you’ll only need one row. For the rope and log, tie the rope into a lasso, guests will have to lasso the log. If you want to get really creative you can make a horse out of cardboard. The idea is that everyone has to go from task to task and complete it in the least amount of time. You can divide everyone into teams and have each team complete each task. Have your guests start at the water gun targets when they knock over the can they go on to the next obstacle. At the rope and log, they have to lasso the log or horse. Then they end at the horseshoes, whoever gets the horseshoe over the post is finished. The winner is the one who finishes first.

OTHER WESTERN PARTY GAME IDEAS

Hire a Mechanical Bull or Rodeo Roper.
Have a Line Dancing showdown
Dancing contest with a few judges? Divide the party into teams and have everyone do their best “Cowboy Boogie.”

PRIZES

Barbecue Gift Basket with Hot Sauce
Cowboy Hat
Country Western CD
Horseshoe for Good Luck