Elora really wanted to have a Pioneer Day Party, so she planned lots of great activities and invited some friends to join in.
We had planned to have the party at the park, but due to the rainy weather we decided to have dinner at our place and hope for the rain to depart in time for games later. The kids decorated their “wagons” when they first arrived. The boys decided that we should have a boys wagon and a girls wagon.
The kids made some butter to go along with our biscuits for dinner. It is super easy to do (although it requires a lot of shaking!) and the kids were all super fascinated with the experience and so proud of their homemade butter and buttermilk.
The kids had wagon races at the park. There may have been a few tears at some point, but thankfully the kids tied – everyone made it to the Salt Lake Valley! The races were fun and the kids really enjoyed running around in the somewhat rainy weather. The boys were one team and the girls were on another. When it was time for Ellie and Marion to race, Marion got upset. She doesn’t really like races and she felt stressed by everyone telling her to go. Ellie was so patient helping her get into the wagon and all the girls ended up running alongside the wagon encouraging her. It turned a rough moment into a sweet one and I am once again so grateful for the older kids who were so super patient with the younger ones.
We tried to make covered wagons out of frosting, marshmallows, and graham crackers, but we didn’t have the right kind of candy or frosting to make it work. The kids had a great time making their own unique creations and eating lots of treats.
We taught the kids (and some grown-ups) how to stick pull. It was super fun and everyone enjoyed playing. It can be pretty competitive, but all the kids were really good sports.
Ellie brought some pioneer bonnets that she shared with Marion and the rest of us who wanted a turn wearing one. I think I need to make some for next year’s celebration!
We brought a whole bunch of tea lights to light so the kids could roast some marshmallows at the park. The kids thought it was pretty fabulous to roast marshmallows with chopsticks and tealights. It was pretty wet outside, so the candles didn’t stay lit for long, but long enough for everyone to have marshmallows!
The kids made little dolls out of fabric, lentils, and craft paint. They were happy to show them off in our group picture. We stayed at the park until night with the kids running around happily and playing together. We had asked everyone to bring a family pioneer story to share and I am sad we didn’t sit down and share them, but we had a really fun evening together and Elora was so pleased with how her party turned out. We are so grateful to the pioneers who sacrificed so much to begin a new life in the west and the pioneers all around the world who sacrifice so much for their faith. Happy Pioneer Day everyone!
