How to Throw a Jungle Safari Theme Birthday Party for Kids

If your youngster likes exotic animals and big adventures, then a jungle safari theme birthday party is sure to be a big hit. Kids love jungle animals, and adapting classic party decorations and activities to fit a safari theme is wildly simple.

Things You'll Need

• Construction paper
• Green crepe streamers
• Tissue paper flowers
• Paint and brushes
• Empty appliance boxes
• Jungle animal print fabric
• Inflatable or stuffed jungle animals
• Water balloons
• Plywood
• Plastic safari hats and binoculars
• Markers and stickers

Instructions

1. Cut invitations out of construction paper and fold them to resemble a passport. In addition to birthday party details, add fun facts or comments about the recipient so that each one is unique and personal.

2. Fill a room with jungle vines by hanging green streamers from the ceiling and attaching tissue paper flowers. Paint pictures of wild animals like elephants or giraffes onto appliance boxes and stand along the wall. Cover tables in animal print cloth and use stuffed or inflatable safari animals as centerpieces.

3. Fill water balloons and put in a bucket until ready to use. Cut out or draw pictures of monkeys, hippos, elephants and zebras and tack them to a piece of plywood. Lean the plywood against a fence or wall. When you're ready for a party game, have the kids take turns throwing the water balloons to try to hit one of the animal targets.

4. Give each guest a plastic safari hat and pair of toy binoculars as they arrive. Set up a table with stickers and markers and let them decorate their items while they're waiting for everyone else to arrive. These make great party favors and once they're decorated, it's easy for kids to keep track of their own. Have the birthday child decorate his ahead of time so he can greet the guests at the door.

5. Sew pieces of animal print fabric together to form a small pouch and attach a piece of ribbon as a shoulder strap. Fill it with small jungle theme toys or treats and hide them all over the yard or a large room if indoors. Send the kids on a safari to find their treat bags.

6. Serve any flavor punch from small plastic canteens and refer to it as "Jungle Juice." Making a tiger cake is a snap if you use a round cake for the face and two cupcakes for the ears.

7. Take a group picture of the kids wearing their safari hats and binoculars and enclose a copy with your thank you cards so that all the party guests have a special photo memory to keep.

Tips & Warnings

• Limit your party to two hours for very young children. For older children three hours is adequate time to celebrate without things getting too out of hand. If kids get bored things tend to go downhill quickly.