A Deer Hunting Birthday Party… But Make It Girly
When I asked Tinsley what kind of birthday party she wanted this year, she didn’t hesitate.
“Deer hunting party… but make it girly.”
I asked her what that meant.
“Mom, you know. You always know what to do.”
No pressure.
If I had to guess, this whole idea probably started during our month-long mule deer hunt in Wyoming last fall (we shared more about that trip here). That trip left a mark on all of us, and apparently… it also inspired a 7th birthday party.
The Theme: Hunting, But Not That Kind
Listen. We’re a First Lite kind of hunting family. Not really a Mossy Oak or Realtree situation. No shade if you are, it’s just not my aesthetic.
So I had to figure out how to pull off a hunting theme without it feeling like a red solo cup convention. We landed somewhere in the middle. A little camo, a little pink, a lot of wildflowers. And honestly, I had no idea if it was going to work.
I went down a full internet rabbit hole with a friend and we started piecing things together. No master plan, just a lot of “that could work” energy. And somehow, it did.
Pulling It Together (aka Controlled Chaos)
Balloons are always your friend when it comes to kids’ parties, so we did a big setup over the back doors with a pink deer moment that anchored everything.
In the living room, we set up what we started calling “base camp.” I grabbed a white play tent from Amazon, threw in the cutest sleeping bag I could find in our stash, raided Tinsley’s stuffed animals for anything remotely woodland, added some soft lights, and called it good. It ended up being one of my favorite parts, and now it’ll live upstairs in the playroom which honestly feels like a win.
The kitchen island got cleared off and covered in butcher paper. From there I layered in faux greenery, wildflowers, and anything that felt a little rustic. A copper tray, a deer antler cake stand, and one of Broc’s big moose sheds to anchor the whole thing. And of course fresh flowers for the center.
The dining table leaned more into the wildflower side of things. Faux florals, a few of Tinsley’s plastic deer, and that was enough. Nothing overly styled, just enough to make it feel cohesive.
The Goodie Bags (Non-Negotiable)
I will always go a little overboard on party favors.
This year each kid got a custom blaze orange hat that said “Tinsley’s Hunting Club,” plus an orange drawstring bag filled with a flashlight, toy binoculars, a woodland animal notepad and activity book, and a twig pencil. And because it’s a kids party, we added temporary tattoos and slap bracelets. And each kid got to pick a little antler shed from a pile to take home as a momento.
My mom stepped in as the official tattoo artist, which the kids thought was the best part of the entire thing.
The Shed Hunt (Unexpected Star of the Show)
Before the party, Broc hid about 15 antlers from his shed collection all over the backyard, each with a little tag on it so we could make sure they didn’t walk away.
We kept the kids inside for a bit when everyone arrived, even though the weather was perfect, and then gathered them up to explain the rules. There were sheds hidden outside, and whoever found the most would win the golden antler. Which was, in fact, just a shed we spray painted gold earlier that day.
They took off running and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a group of kids lock in so fast.
They loved it so much that when we asked if they wanted to do it again, they all yelled “yes” in unison. So we sent them upstairs, recruited a few of the dads to re-hide everything, and ran it back.
After that it was exactly what you’d expect. Temporary tattoos, toy bows and arrows, running around the property, checking on Maple and baby Patti Cake (our miniature donkeys), and at some point the horse walker turned into a full-blown merry-go-round situation.
Farm kids.
Food (Keep It Simple and Move On)
The party was from 2–4pm, so we kept food simple.
I ordered BBQ from a local spot and did pulled pork sliders on Hawaiian rolls, along with pickles, slaw, chips, a berry tray with fruit dip, and of course cake.
At one point I considered making the pork myself. And then reality hit. My dad picked it up the morning of the party and honestly that decision probably saved the day.
We stuck with mini water bottles to keep things easy. No sticky drinks, no mess, no regrets.
The Dress (Because We Almost Had a Situation)
At one point I caught Broc and Tinsley on Amazon searching for “camo dresses,” and I knew I had to step in.
Again, First Lite people.
What they were finding was not it. So I called our friend Jay, who has made several dresses for the girls over the years, and she offered to make Tinsley’s birthday dress. Tins picked the fabric, and Jay created the sweetest dress with deer and wildflowers and just enough ruffle to feel special without being over the top.
It ended up being perfect.
Also worth noting, the adults showed up strong. There were subtle nods to camo and hunting across the board, which did not go unnoticed.
Real Life Behind the Scenes
We started setting up at 10am for a 2pm party, and by the absolute skin of our teeth, we finished in time.
There is never enough time. I don’t care how early you start.
We got lucky with the weather and spent most of the party outside, which made a huge difference. If you can keep people out of your house, do it. It will save your sanity.
I also tried to keep everything as simple as possible on the hosting side. Easy food, minimal mess, and letting the kids just run and be kids.
Seven Feels Different
I like to go big for birthdays. Not because it has to be perfect, but because I know this window is short.
There are only so many years where they’ll let you go all out like this.
Tinsley turned seven. She’s not a little kid anymore. She’s a girl. And I have all kinds of feelings about that.
But at the end of the day, she loved the party. She felt celebrated. She had her people around her.
And that’s really the whole point.