Are you looking for a unisex birthday party idea that is perfect for boys and girls of all ages? How about a western / cowboy theme? We just celebrated my kids’ birthdays with a Western theme, largely influenced by our recent dude ranch vacation. The Western cowboy theme was a huge hit and a party my kids will never forget!
Even the big kids and adults thought it was clever fun! 
Over the years, I have found that the best ‘goody bags’ or prizes for kids birthday parties are props and costumes that can be enjoyed during the party and long after. This was a cinch with the Western Cowboy theme. 
As our guests arrived, we outfitted each of them in cowboy hats (and cowgirl hats) and bandannas. Immediately, everyone was in the Western mood of the party yelling He-Haw and Giddy Up! So many times, a birthday theme goes little beyond a themed birthday cake and maybe a couple decorations, when you add costumes as party favors, the theme really carries through from the beginning to the end of the party!
Speaking of decorations, do your best to carry your birthday theme throughout your party with decorations. I really enjoyed the Western Cowboy theme decorations I found on BirthdayExpress.com. They had so many things to choose from, at every price point. I chose a few key items that I knew would set the mood most.
A must-have for any Western Cowboy theme is an outhouse. Don’t worry, I’m not talking about a real one! ha! We taped an Outhouse Door Cover over our main restroom door that everyone would be using during the party.
It was adorable and everyone thought it was a hoot! We liked it so much as a family that we kept it up for a couple weeks after!
Another really fun decoration idea is to make Western Sign Cutouts to different locations within the party area. Our signs pointed to the General Store (cowboy hats & bandanna table), Outhouse (restroom), Death Valley (outside party area), etc.. We had the party both inside and outside, so we had the signs pointing throughout both locations.
We also wanted to carry the cactus theme throughout our Western Cowboy party because cacti were a huge hit during our recent dude ranch vacation. The large 4′ Jointed Cactus Cutout was a huge hit, as were the Western Boot Cups. These cups are super, super adorable and were useful for cups at the party and a party favor to take home! They can be used for any drink, frosty root beer floats, or even ice cream sundaes!
We also carried the cactus theme over to our game time with a 19″ pull-string Cactus Pinata. We chose to hit it with a baseball out, the old fashion way since we were outdoors but a less dangerous and more indoor option are the pull-strings. I personally think that kids birthday parties aren’t complete without a pinata. It is the one event my kids most look forward to every birthday.
We line all the kids up by age, youngest to oldest. We blindfold everyone, as it is their turn. We allow the birthday child the first swing of the bat, no matter what their age, then we give each guest the chance to hit the pinata with their bat 1 or 2 times before passing it onto the next child. This allows everyone the chance to hit it as least once before it is ripped to shreds and the candy falls out!
My mother-in-law is an amazing baker and cake decorator. She makes a custom cake every year for my kids, each year the cake outdoes the year before, somehow. It is always a showpiece for the party and the dessert everyone looks forward to most, especially her homemade icing.
If you aren’t lucky enough to be that talented or have a mother-in-law like mine that is at the professional level, I suggest you get creative with your kids and allow them to help you bake a themed cake, or stop by your local Giant Eagle or grocery store. They can usually assist you with a themed cake!
We covered our tables with Western Cowboy themed table clothes. BirthdayExpress.com has a variety of themes to choose from but we couldn’t resist the Cow Print Tablecloths, they were just perfect for the theme. They also had cow print tableware but I chose to go with the Western Bandanna theme for napkins and plain plates.
Our main game was a gold mine steam. We created a ‘river’ with two under-the-bed storage containers lined up edge to edge filled with new play sand. We buried pieces of ‘gold’ in the sand. You could use gold coins, gold nuggets, or even gold spray-painted rocks. We placed the containers on a slight hill, and added a garden hose. This allowed the water to flow from one container to the next to act as a river. This simple game entertained the kids for a long time.
When they found their gold, they placed it in their Western Money Bag, which is yet another item that was useful during the party and also acted as a party favor.
This was one of the best unisex birthday party themes we’ve ever had. Both the boys and the girls loved acting like cowboys and cowgirls. They all looked super adorable in all the pictures with their Western gear too.
In the end, every child left with a ‘goody bag’ of a cowboy or cowgirl hat, bandanna, boot cup, and loot bag to continue the cowboy fun at home!
If you are looking for a birthday party theme that is fun for both boys and girls, I suggest checking out the Western Cowboy theme and other popular themes at BirthdayExpress.com. They offer an unbeatable selection of quality products at good prices. You don’t even have to be creative to throw a fantastic party, they have ideas and themes for every kind of party imaginable.
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