Characters in Character
by Compass Rose Navigators
Bringing history to life
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember,
involve me and I learn.”
― Benjamin Franklin
Hunger Games Trilogy
Katniss's Arena Outfit from the 1st movie (above); our girl is also boss with a bow and arrow
Hunger Games themed Birthday Party
What could be more fun for a 12th Birthday (other than the "High Noon Birthday" on her birthday as wild west bandits in the old trains of Durango and Silverton, Colorado) than a Hunger Games party? Our girl on fire was of course from District 12, and her family/friends were from outlying Districts placed appropriately after taking this quiz.
This was a 2.5 day overnight event. Some of the ideas for this party came from a blog called "Out of the Attic". I was having trouble getting the creaive juices flowng and their great ideas got me started (thank you)!
Hunger Games Party: Reaping 1
As guests arrived the first night, we had a reaping ceremony with Effie and went by district. A bowl for the boys and one for the girls. Happy Hunger Games, and My the Odds be Ever in your Favor!
After they were wisked away to the Capitol, they went by District up to the styling room where 2 of us transformed them into thier parade/interview outfits, make-up and hair according to their District.
Hunger Games Party: Styling
Luxury District 1
Technology District 3
Yes! They had wires in their hair! We had 2 girls since 1 had to leave that night and was being replaced by a boy the next day.
Agriculture District 11
Coal District 12
Our Girl on Fire wanted the dress from the first movie (we made the chariot dress from Catching Fire as featured above, but she wanted this one), so we did the make-up from Catching Fire and added the Mocking Jay pin as a necklace.
Hunger Games Party: Interviews with Ceasar Flickerman
Their Interviews were scored by Ceasar for Sponsor points in the Games the next day. They had to best reflect their character when being asked a thought-provoking question and make us believe it! We got the questions off of a page that had 250 suggestions for icebreakers.
Our Ceasar was perfect! He exceeded our expectations and nailed the character (after all he is part of Chracters in Character)!
Hunger Games Party: Capitol Dinner
After the Interview round, was thier fancy Capitol dinner. They toasted to thier last night before the Games
Bring on the cake!
That's the end of the first night, the Games are the next day with more Tributes arriving! After the clean up, they watched Mocking Jay part 1
Hunger Games Party: The next day-Reaping #2
Hunger Games Party: 4 Part Training
Part 1: Tracker Jacker Tag
We made this nest out of a juice bottle, grocery bags, paper machet and mud.
Showing their 'stings':
Hunger Games Party: Training
2. Poison Berry Detection
Avoid the nightlock berry by choosing carefully. One you have chosen eat and see if you picked the right one! 
Some had sugar poured into the hole, and some had salt. It was obvious which was which after they tasted!
Hunger Games Party: Training
Part 3: Shoot Down the Fruit
Just like Katniss did in the Games, our Tributes had to practice thier archery skills with a recurve bow by trying to shoot down the bag of fruit.
Hunger Games Party: Training
Part 4: Arena Practice
Run to get a towel on the course without getting hit with those statined with high powered waterguns!
Hunger Games Party: The Games
The Arena
Inside the Corucopia, each District had a backpack and we housed the supplies for the Games so they would be a surprise. Each Districts' flag flew above.
Let the games begin!
Once the countdown and airhorn sounded, they were off! Eacher person had a color coded flag and once it was pulled by another Tribute, they were out. We did this 2 ways and Way #2 worked the best.
Way #1: Each person had a card of who they were going to get, one they pulled that person's flag that person was out and then they could go after the person they had. This did not work so well as it was over quickly and there was a lot of fighting. We had resurrection vials planted on the course too, but only 1 was found in that short time. We even changed the rules mid-game like in the movie and that was a bust too!
Winner #1 of Way #1: District 4
Controlled Chaos Free For All Games!
Way #2, kids got doused with food colored water balloons
Battled it out on the suspension bridge
and ultimately Glimmer from District 1 overtook District 4 for the win!
Some other fun photos:
The Hunger Games Girls
Our favorites from
Catching Fire
This 'Girl on Fire' features the Chariot dress already on fire
This Capitol Gala Dress was no easy feat, but it was a personal mission to make this happen along with the other outfits
and to compete this set we have the adorable Primrose Everdeen in her reaping outfit (Hunger Games 1) with cat Buttercup
It's more fun when friends join in...
Another from Catching Fire is Effie Trinket's famous butterfly dress. This was really fun to make and even more fun was seeing this girl in action in the dress as she played the part beautifully and toted that microphone and bowl of names with her everywhere!
Here is a video of her in action from our Facebook page
Hunger Games Party: Reaping 1
They signed the Reaping Roster, gave a "blood" sample from a red ink pad watched the "War, Terrible War" video and then they took a short trip (in the door) to the Capitol. 
Hunger Games Party: Styling
Masonry District 2
They did not come for styling, but came the next day for the Games
Fishing District 4
Yes that's Nemo on his head and he had quite an answer for Ceasar Flickerman!
Fish Face Make-up:
District 11 Corn train:
District 12 Tribute Wall
Hunger Games Party: Interviews with Ceasar Flickerman
Behind Ceasar on Capitol TV rolled a Google Slides presentation cast to the TV (via Chromecast) that played the Horn of Plenty music as their name and District scrolled onto the screen. They loved that touch!
This guy from 4 won the interview round and ultimately won the games- he was so into it!
Hunger Games Party: Capitol Dinner
Our first try at a fondant cake!
While shopping in Walmart for the supplies in the cake making aisle, Alicia Keys' "Girl on Fire" song started playing. We looked at each other as a sign we are to attempt this cake!
One of the Character girls hand-painted the fire on white fondant with food coloring (instead of buying 2 colors of fondant).
Hunger Games Party: The next day-Reaping #2
Hunger Games Party: 4 Part Training
Part 1: Tracker Jacker Tag
Boys chase the girls with their color sticer and vice versa. This was super fun to try not to get stung and they got really creative! In the book, 4 stings is lethal.
They really got into it Boys vs. Girls- District 4 and District 11 battling it out atop the fence:
Hunger Games Party: Training
2. Poison Berry Detection
Together then:
Hunger Games Party: Training
Part 3: Shoot Down the Fruit
Even the little ones tried it!
Hunger Games Party: The Games
Each District had a labeled backpack and color coded pre-filled water balloons and silly string as weapons along with some plastic weapons and pool noodles cut in half.
Those 'fill 30 at once' water ballons are great in concept, but I wuld recommend tying them off or they won't stay filled. We added food coloring so they could see what District 'hit' them on their white shirts.
Way #2 was a winner!
Way #2: We re-gouped and got their input and they voted to have a 5 minute grace period once the Games started and before any flag-pulling could happen. They could grab their District backpack, use the stuff inside, hide and make aliances. They also had 3 lives. Both partys (flag-puller and pullee) had to come to the 'safe' zone on the concrete infront of the door so we cold record it, reset their flags sticking out of pockets, and they were off again. This worked the best. They had the most fun, it lasted longer and we had another winner!
Controlled Chaos Free For All Games!
Way #2, kids went up in trees, got sprayed with silly string
That is a peacekeeper that got hit by District 11 (yellow)
and the baby ate some...
They battled it out with pool noodles
After the Games, we started a campfire in a fire-pit for dinner. They roasted hotdogs on sticks and then we had cake and presents.
After dinner and cake, we let the kids have a free for all (with no flag pulling) and they doused themselves with water, whacked each other with pool noodles and had a grand old time! The water put ou the fire we had going, so that put an end the the activities.
I had planned for the ones that were staying another night to see how long they could last out there in the backyard in the tent since it was a full moon. I had silver parachutes upstairs to send down sponsor gifts from the window for them, that never got used. We cleaned up some and watched Mocking Jay Part 2 instead.
Some other fun photos from antother event:
Archery is more than just fun and games for us; we take it seriously. Each has their own bow and we go out for regular target practice as a family. Our favorite place hands down to let arrows fly is on Grandpa's meadow in the beautiful Colorado Rockies
See the video here
