Party Idea:Backyard Olympic Games

Invitations: Red white and blue. Olympic symbol on the front and "USA"You have been invited to participate in the "your last name" Backyard Olympics!

Can send along a pre-made t-shirt for the event or give them out there. Stencil the Olympic rings on them along with "Backyard Olympics."

Decorations:
Decorations can be red, white and blue bunting with lots of balloons. Find and use a small tiki torch anchored to a high point (swing set, etc) Have a portable CD or cassette tape player and play music to put everyone in the mood to compete!

Cake and Food:
American: Hot dogs, chips, popcorn, American flag cake. Or make an Olympic Rings cake.
Goodie Bags: Fill bags if you choose (since the children will get their awards and pictures of them getting them) with stickers or pins of other countries, sunglasses, sweatbands, and plastic stop watches.

Events:
Need: Gold, silver & bronze medals from a craft store. Hang them from blue, red and white ribbons to place around the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in each event. Presentation of the awards should be conducted with patriotic music in the background and picture taking. Make a platform with the 1st 2nd, & 3rd steps. For the events, if you are not too picky about your lawn you can spray paint the race tracks on it or find chalk used for chalking sports fields.

1. Discus throw -(Frisbee)
2. Long jump
3. 10 yard dash
4. Baton races
5. Potato sack race
6. Suitcase Relay: need at least two teams 2 suitcases 2 articles of clothing alike...2 hats, 2 scarves, 2 mittens, 2 sweaters,2 pants, 2 wigs, 2 pair boots, etc...
   Have kids get in a line, each with a suitcase full of clothesthey take off to a line across from them and drop and open the suitcase and start putting everything on, they then take the empty suitcase back to the line and take everything off and put it back in the suitcase and hand it to the next person...until the last person in line finishes.
7. The final event - a marathon (Everyone around the block...One supervisor on a bike in front and one in back).
   Every participant gets a medal and photograph for this event so no one is left out.

Any type of 'event' can be used for this party. You can use traditional games such as volleyball, basketball, soccer, running races, obstacle course, etc...
OR Try silly ones, like balancing an egg on a spoon, and an obstacle courses (triathlon-bike, run, crawl). Instead of 'medals' try making your own by spray painting large washers. Give all the kids a cord or ribbon and let them add their winnings to it.