There's a bit of a backstory
I want to share with you about this party. It's ironic how many times
stepped into my parties when anyone involved was least expecting it. So it was with the Gold Rush Party.
I was standing in a long line at the checkout at the grocery store. Ahead of me was a young woman with a boy perhaps 4 or 5 years old. He was begging his mom to let him have a birthday party. His mom apologized and told him she just couldn't afford to throw him a party. Maybe next year...
The sadness and regret on her face were evident as was the sadness in the boy's face. It was heartbreaking and it really bothers me to see anyone heartbroken - adult or child.
I had an idea. Every year I saved the money I'd made throwing parties to throw a personal party at the end of the year. I had a pretty good stash saved up that year and knew what I had to do with that money.
"Excuse me," I said to the woman. "I couldn't help but overhearing...I'm a party planner," I said handing her one of my business cards.
"I'm sorry, that's very kind of you," she said, cutting me off. "But I just can't afford to hire a party planner..."
"Who said anything about hiring?" I asked. "I'll throw a birthday party for your son and his friends for free. Won't cost you a penny. The only thing I ask in return is that you help with last minute preparations and the kids the day of the party. I live on a lake and I'll even throw it at my house for you and your son. Just give me a call if you'd like me to do that."
I don't know who was more shocked, she or her son. We got to talking...her name was Janell, her son's name was Dillon and he was turning 6.
"Are you for REAL?" she asked.
"Last time I checked," I chuckled. "I just don't like to see anyone heartbroken just because they can't afford to throw a birthday party for their child. I didn't like how sad either of you looked. Nothing more to it than that, no strings attached. I just want you both to be happy and Dillon to have his party."
And that was how the Gold Rush party came to be. Janell and I settled on a date and time and the party was on!
It's said what you put out into the universe comes back at you threefold and that's certainly true as I got my own unexpected surprise with this party.
I knew by repurposing party items I'd used before and using what I had on hand I could keep costs down while still throwing a decent party for Dillon. The party planning gods were smiling on me...Temu was not only having a big anniversary sale but at the same time a spin-the-wheel promotion for coupon discounts off your order. I spun $200 so I got most everything I did need to buy for next to nothing.
My purchases from Temu:
Focal Wall
The rock facade covering the back wall was a photo backdrop from Temu. $6.22 with my discount.
I disassembled and refurbished the waterfall from my Safari party to make the gold mine entrance and the waterfall.
The coal miner was my mannequin that I made up to look like a gold miner. $5 for clothes from Goodwill.
The corrugated General Store was the Santa's house from one of my Christmas events.
The cardboard crates and barrel were from my pirate parties.
The dynamite box was a wood crate I had in my basement, the sticks of dynamite are paper towel rolls I painted red.
The sign above the mine entrance I made from corrugated.
I hung the kerosene lanterns I got from my grandfather.
TOTAL COST OF FOCAL WALL $11.22
Second Living Room Wall
Photo backdrop from Temu: $6.22 with discount
TOTAL OF SECOND WALL $6.22
Front Entry
I wanted the front entry of the house to look as though one were entering a mine.
Door banner from Temu: $3.07 with discount
Barrel from pirate parties
Kerosene lantern from my grandfather
Cowboy boots were mine
Pick axe came from my garage
TOTAL COST OF FRONT ENTRY $ 3.07
Total cost of staging living room and front entry $20.51
Dining Area & Tablescape
I decided the best area to feed the kids would be out on my deck - very large so lots of room and patio dining table already out there.
I resurrected the covered wagon table from my western party to set the food buffet on. I used a galvanized laundry tub from my basement to put ice and drinks in.
Janell had stopped over to go over party plans and she liked this tablescape so we modified it to a gold mining theme.
I had 3 dozen red bandanas lying around (I use them for many things) so I stitched together a few of them to make the table runner.
The cowboy hats got replaced by miners hats. $13 each x 6 = $78
We eliminated the cacti and rocking horses and substituted a centerpiece that cost nothing - my HO steam engine and coal car and a couple of buildings from my HO layout.
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I kept the dinnerware super simple and miner themed.
The plates were cake pans from DollarTree as was the silver disposable utensils.
I borrowed the mugs from my uncle.
I had about 3 dozen red bandanas from previous parties and because I personally use them for several things and I wrapped the eating utensils up in a red bandana and tied them with a piece of twine.
Cost of 6 place settings: $7
A farmer friend donated the hay bales for seats.
Dillon wanted a candy table at his party but his Mom had dental bills dancing in her head and didn't like Dillon eating a lot of sugar. So I suggested a compromise - let the boys have some limited candy but I'd mix in some healthier sweet treats as well.
To stage the sweets table I made up a General Store corrugated facade to put behind the sweets table. This was the only major item I made for the party.
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I wanted to give the kids food that the real gold miners ate, yet at the same time feed them what they'd eat. And given the time of the party, I wanted to feed them so Janell wouldn't have to cook that evening.
I wanted to give the kids an idea of what the real gold miners ate yet give them foods they'd like to eat.
Skillet Mac & Cheese: Recipe here
Gold Nuggets - Chicken nuggets
Ham & Cheese Butter Swim Biscuits - Recipe here
Brown Sugar Baked Beans & Bacon: Recipe here
Taters: Bags of Assorted Chips
Drinks: Canned Juices & Sodas
Sweets Table
Like most moms now days Janell wanted to keep the sugar Dillon ate to a minimum. I'm sure she had visions of dental bills dancing in her head as well. Dillon wanted a candy table, Mom didn't so I had to come up with a compromise to hopefully make both happy. I suggested let the boys have a limited amount of candy and I'd throw in some healthier sweets as well.
Dillon and his friends got their candy, everything gold colored - Hershey's Minis, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups Minis, Butterscotch hard candy, Rolos, Gold Mine Bubble Gum.
But I added in my chocolate fondue fountain with several varieties of cut up fruit and some edible gold flakes the boys could dip their chocolate covered fruit in.
They appeared to be having as much fun dipping fruit in the fondue fountain and gold flakes as they did diving into the candy.
I absolutely have to give credit where credit is due. I could not have pulled off this party as successfully as I did without the help of the greatest family and friends in the world!
When they learned what I was doing, they all offered to help. Two of them are artists when it comes to cake baking and decorating - and they made a phenomenal cake shown at left for Dillon, that I guess they copied from a cake they saw online. (Can't say for sure as I was busy with other party preparations)
But they very kindly donated the magnificent cake to Dillon for his party and I can't even begin to imagine how much work they put into that cake! It was a work of art!
Not that they were the only ones to help Dillon have his party...
My dentist, upon hearing how sugar conscious Janell was, donated a toothbrush, travel size toothpaste and plaque disclosing tablets for each of the boys.
The kids chew the tablets and it turns their teeth purple for a few minutes, showing them where they need to brush their teeth better.
I had enough black and gold cellophane wrap left over from another party to wrap up each dental set.
I wasn't sure how these would go over with the boys but the dentist told me "Trust me on this."
Before the party ended, the boys were all chewing their tablets to see who could get the purplest teeth.
(Boys will be boys!)
I had to reverse the direction this "Who has the purplest teeth" championship was taking so told them I would award the 2 coveted bouncing bulls (coming up in the games section) to the 2 boys with the LEAST purple on their teeth. They took off for my two bathrooms to brush their teeth like Olympian track athletes, for what seemed like an hour to try to win the coveted bouncing bulls! LOL Mission accomplished!
Panning For Gold
Fill a kiddie pool with about 3 inches of playground sand. Fill the pool the rest of the way with water. When the sand has settled, plant your fake gold nuggets all around the pool under the sand.
Give each child a mining pan or sieve and let them pan for gold. You can also use inexpensive foil cake pans and just punch holes in the bottom to allow water to drain out.
We made it a little more exciting by using a scale to weigh each child's gold nuggets. They could then 'buy' small prizes with their gold nuggets according to the weight of their nuggets.
I live on a lake so I skipped the kiddie pool and buried nuggets all along my sand beach shoreline. The kids could then take a swim after panning to burn off some excess energy. It's another option if you live on or near a lake.
However, make sure an adult is with the kids at all times, preferably one who can act as lifeguard if need be.
Bouncing Bull Races
Yes, these are the coveted bouncing bulls I wrote about earlier.
Set up a race start line and finish line, preferably on a softer surface like grass. Have the kids race each other on the bouncing bulls from the start line to the finish line. Last guest standing with the fastest race time wins the game.
As I wrote earlier, I awarded the bouncing bulls to the 2 kids who had the cleanest teeth. LOL
Get the bulls here - will hold up to 250 pounds of weight!
They come with a pump to inflate them.
Gold Miner Bingo
Everyone knows how to play Bingo and it gives kids time to chill out between physical activities.
You can order printable Gold Miner Bingo here. $2
I have mini poker chips so we used those as Bingo markers.
You could use fake gold pieces or wrapped gold candies as markers too.
Spaghetti Jenga
You'll need:
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A colander with vertical holes at the top
You can get one here
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Raw uncooked spaghetti
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A light object to put on top of the spaghetti
(I just used a plastic spider I had)
Set up the colander as shown at left.
Guests take turns, each removing a spaghetti strand without allowing the light object to fall.
Set Up A Photo Op
Kids loving having a photo as a souvenir of the party.
Set up a photo op for kids to have their pictures taken. We had the kids come dressed as gold miners but if you're not doing that, just give them some miner themed props to use.
Temu has a stagecoach here for $13.33
Suggestion: In my computer graphics program I dropped the kids photos into a WANTED poster.
Bean Bag Toss
Because I got such a great deal from Temu I bought one of these for under $10 but you can very easily make your own out of corrugated cardboard or wood.
Because I had so many red bandanas I made my own beanbags by cutting the bandanas in half, then filling them with uncooked navy beans I had on hand.
You can buy mini bean bags here If you don't want to make your own.
I used mini bean bags to make it easier for 5 and 6 year olds to get the bean bags in the holes.
Preparation: There is some preparation you'll have to do for the games and activities.
Fake gold nuggets: You'll need a fair amount of small gravel or pea gravel that you're going to spray paint gold to make fake gold nuggets. Spread out enough butcher paper to spread your gravel out on. Spray paint gold with a high gloss gold spray paint. Allow the paint to dry thoroughly.
Put the gravel in a small box, shake the gravel in the box up, then spread the gravel out on your butcher paper again. Apply another coat of gold spray paint and allow it to dry thoroughly. Repeat this process until all of the gravel is completely coated with gold paint.
If you'd rather not go to the trouble of doing the above, then you can purchase fake gold pieces,
There were so many great friends that helped me with this party and I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge all of them.
I got my own surprise as Janell and I were staging the party. My phone rang and it was Jay.
"Do you have a few minutes to spare that you could do something for me?" he asked.
"Sure, what's up?"
"Come pick me up at the Lakeland Airport please."
The man had flown in from NY to help us with the
party - and offered to buy all of the prizes for the
party. No budget, spend whatever we wanted to.
I was beyond thrilled that he thought enough of not only me but Janell and Dillon as well, to fly his plane here all the way from NY. Janell and I did pick him up at the airport - and burst out laughing when he got out of his plane wearing gold miner duds!
Dillon liked him immediately as Jay told him for his birthday he'd take him up in his plane. (Dillon had never been on a plane before.) He even let Dillon rock the wings at his mom and I as they flew over the house and it excited Dillon to no end that we saw him and waved back at him.
At any rate, the reason I'm posting this section is that I discovered finding gold mining themed prizes was just a tad on the difficult side so hopefully this section will give you some prize ideas and do a lot of the work for you.
Jay had Janell pick out a birthday gift she could give to Dillon from herself and I have to say what they picked out was way cool and it was something Janell and Dillon could work on together. Dillon loves stagecoaches...
It's both a 3D puzzle and music box in one and it's made by ROKRR. $37
Other gold mine themed prizes:
Hangman
This is a pretty cool game because it's actually 4 games in one!
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Hangman
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Chess
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Sea Battle (like the game Battleship)
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A game similar to Connect Four
And its size makes it super easy to take in a car, on a plane, etc. to travel with!
Lumibricks Wild West Gold Mine Lighting Building-Bricks Set - Western Prospector’s Dig Entrance
This game is so cool Jay and I got one for ourselves!
Interactive Mining Adventure: Simulate real prospector action: detonate explosive charges to blast rock barriers, operate crank-operated mine carts, and sift through sand for golden nuggets. Three movable mechanisms turn playtime into a tactile, family-friendly Gold Rush odyssey.
Three dual-expression minifigures (Prospector, Bandit, Cook) react dynamically to events: wide-eyed gold
fever, panic during raids, or smug triumph. Their reversible outfits and poseable joints let you craft epic showdowns or cooperative campfire tales.
Reveal hidden mining layers! Flip the set to access an underground network with dual-level tunnels, collapsed shafts, and hidden treasure chambers. Perfect for storytelling and multi-angle display of your subterranean discoveries. Get Lumibricks Wild West Gold Mine Lighting Building-Bricks Set here
100 Pack of Gold Chocolate Coins
24 Pcs Bouncy Balls 32mm Glitter Rubber Bouncy Balls
Gold Snuffer Bottle
The Snuffer Bottle is an essential tool for capturing fine gold particles easily and securely. Compact and durable, it’s perfect for prospectors of all levels.
But rather than pay $4 for one, check your Dollar Stores and/or local pharmacy to get them far cheaper!
Additional Advice: For cheap prizes, it’s often about quantity. Offering multiple small items like a set of stickers or a variety pack of bouncy balls can make the prize feel more special. Consider packaging these items in a fun way to add extra flair without spending too much.
Bath Bombs
Bath bombs with a Minecraft toy hidden inside each one. 6 soaps per set.
(Hey, it's one way to get kids to take a bath!)
Gold Heist Dice Game
An original push-your-luck dice game for a fun family game night!
Comes in 8 player or 10 player versions
Individual Serving Snacks
Snack bags make inexpensive gifts and can even be turned into a game, at left.
And they're easy to get at any grocery store.
Plastic Sand Sifter Sieves
Buy in bulk and these make inexpensive gold mining sieves, under $2 each! Kids can also play with them in the sandbox or at the beach so they do double duty.
Energizer LED Headlamp PRO (2-Pack), IPX4 Water Resistant Head Light
These make great practical gifts for little gold miners as well as everyone else in the family.
Available in 2, 4, 6 or 8 packs in a variety of colors.
A 2 pack is $18.45 or $9.22 each. Get them here
Pan for Gold Activity Kit
MINE MINE MINE Card Game
A Crazy Card Collecting Game: in this fast-moving frenzy card game where you compete to complete a set of matching cards by swapping & snatching up cards.
Swap cards at the same time to try to collect all 9 cards with a collectible pattern. Trade 1-4 matching cards at once, yelling “Mine” equal to the number of cards you want to swap. First player to complete a set of 9 matching collectible cards in their hand & grab the trophy card wins. For 3-8 players.
Decorative Gold and Wood Tabletop Tic Tac Toe Tabletop Set
This Mainstays Tic Tac Toe set serves as a stylish decorative accent, featuring a warm Natural Teak Finish on the gameboard box complemented by Satin Gold finished X and O game pieces.
Overall dimensions of 5.9" x 5.9" x 1.125"