Welcome Back, Welcome Back, Welcome Back!

Welcome Them Home with a Surprise

You’ve already said a tear-filled goodbye to your soldier, so what better way to welcome them home than with a surprise welcome home party?  Your soldier has probably seen enough camouflage to last him or her awhile, so switch to a patriotic theme.  Rather than an all-out stars-and-stripes pattern for every part of your welcome home party, gather red place settings, white place settings, and blue place settings.  Decorate your tables with white table covers and red and blue table runners.  Add a sparkly centerpiece or even some confetti as an eye-catcher that everyone at the welcome home party will love.

All-American Backyard Barbecue

If you sent your soldier off to a foreign country, why not welcome your American hero home with a longstanding American tradition—a cookout?  Sure, serve the standard burgers and hot dogs that everyone loves, but then treat your returning hero to something special, something just for them, like a huge steak.  To the side of the welcome home party space, create a photo corner.  All it takes are a few props—one or two columns for your photographer to position his picture subjects near.  Add some flags, streamers, and a welcome home banner for a little more flare.  Then, as favors for all your guests, why not send them customized coasters commemorating the welcome home party?

A Classier Welcome Home Party

Sometimes welcome home parties are better kept inside.  Also, it’s a good idea to have a backup for your backyard barbecue in case the weather doesn’t cooperate.  So if you choose to have the welcome home party indoors, you have a few more options as far as decorations.  If your party is indoors, you could add a balloon arch or other balloon decorations that could get destroyed outdoors.  You could also add other centerpieces, make each table different.  Vary the table decorations, too.  Alternate main colors versus runners:

• A red table cover with white and blue table runners
• A blue table cover with red and white table runners
• A white table cover with blue and red table runners

One more difference between a backyard barbecue versus an indoor welcome home party is the type of dessert that is served.  While it’s still a good idea to use paper or plastic plates, you could create a dessert station with patriotic-patterned tableware.

Goodbye, My Hero, and Be Safe

A Military Bon Voyage Party with Class

Americans are always focused on and excited to welcome home their heroes.  While no one wants to think about saying goodbye to these soldiers, why not create a fun, lighthearted, goodbye party?  All of the friends and family of your special soldier will appreciate receiving an invitation to a great sendoff party for their favorite man or woman in uniform.  Guests will appreciate having one more chance to hug their soldier and thank him or her.  Goodbye parties are often filled with emotion and tears, but by picking the right decorations, you’ll be able to create a supportive atmosphere that reminds partygoers to stay positive and celebrate the person they’re sending away.

Simple Military Goodbye Party Decorations

Offer a buffet not only filled with their favorite home-cooked foods, but also stocked with a wide array of camouflage plates, napkins, and cups.  If you don’t want to use a typical military party camouflage pattern, you can always pull some of the individual colors (brown, tan, black, white, and various greens) and either mix them, organize them by table, or even set up food stations.  One color will represent salads, one for entrees, and one for desserts.  Another wonderful goodbye party color set to consider is, of course, the tried-and-true red, white, and blue.  Either color choice would be wonderful with a casual backyard barbecue sendoff.

Navy Bon Voyage Ideas

If you’re sending a man or woman off to the Navy, in particular, don’t throw the typical “goodbye, soldier” party.  Throw a fun bon voyage party.  With anchor-shaped balloons in every corner, your Navy man or woman will feel your support.  There are several options for decorations, it just depends on how detailed you want to be.  Hang bon voyage decorations from the ceiling—streamers, balloons, ceiling whirls, etc. Your options are open.

Whether they’re heading to a deployment or to basic training, remind your soldiers that you love them.  Gather all their friends and family for a well-decorated military goodbye party that they’re sure to remember for a long time.

Kids Love to Party with American Heroes

If your child is crazy about all things military, secret missions and G.I. Joe™, American Heroes is a great theme for a birthday party.

A good place to start is the American Heroes Birthday Party Kit. This kit is all about the camo, in shades of green, black and silver-gray. The basic kit contains invitations, silver metallic star confetti, balloons, curling ribbon, a table cover and tableware for serving up to 8 commandoes. The deluxe American Heroes combines all the same basics with an Attach N’ Go banner, streamers, flag mylar balloon and silver spiral candles.

A cake in the shape of an army jeep, tank, or other military or patriotic symbol would make a great centerpiece, too! Check e-Bay® for a used cake pan in the desired shape.

Brainstorm with your child on a party slogan to be used in the invitations (and on your banner, if using), for example:

“The few, the proud…the Party Patrol!”
“We want You…to come to Mark’s party!”
“Nathaniel is our Birthday Hero!”

Address the invitations using rank titles and the invitees’ last names, such as “Private Reynolds” and “Sergeant Thompson.”

Alternatively, print up the party details on stickers and place the stickers on our inexpensive green plastic army helmets. Hand-deliver each helmet with the instruction to wear it to the party.

Here are some activity ideas:

Start out with patriotic funtoos and bubbles as guests arrive and the party assembles.

Apply camo face paint as desired.

The Twin Tail Fighter Glider is as fun to put together as it is to play with. Suspend a large embroidery hoop (if you don’t have one on hand, plastic ones are inexpensive) for a target contest.

If you can take the party outdoors, construct an obstacle course with old tires, a rope climb on a play set, a wading pool, play tunnels, and so forth.

The Army Man Piñata is perfect for this theme.

Check out our Boys Party Favors catalog for other favor ideas as well as great party prizes such as the Camouflage Water Balloon Kit, for your little American Heroes!