How to make Father's Day a Blast for dad

Tired of boring necktie and socks for gifts?
This Father's day give him a real blast (and the rest of the family will have fun too)

TAKE HIM ON A SAFARI in your own backyard!
Here's how:

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• jungle print fabric
• camouflage print fabric
• jungle or camouflage print wrapping paper
• jungle theme notecards (or have kids draw jungle animals on front) These will be your safari treasure map clues.
• toy plastic animals and insects and snakes
• a tent is a plus
• bug netting is a plus
• safari treasures (small gifts for dad)

1. This party for Father's Day will make a memory for dad and grandpa for years to come. We still look back and laugh at our memories of it. you will need to involve the whole family...the more the better. First, decide if you will do this out in a park or area where you can be outdoors and spread around or if you have a large enough yard. You are going to be sending dad on a "safari, treasure hunt" so you need space.

2. First obtain, the jungle print fabric you will need for your "guides" who will just drape it sari style over their shorts and top or swimsuit. Also have the "guides" put "bones" in their hair and dangle earrings. Also a long stick made to look like a spear adds atmosphere. They are only to offer grunts and "ughs" and point to direct dad. The guides were hilarious and each added his/her own unique touches to the outfit.

3. Wrap all your small gifts in jungle or camouflage paper. Plan a map where each will be hidden for dad to discover on his safari. Keep your map for reference, but make a notecard (treasure map) for each gift location. The kids can have fun drawing wild animals, snakes etc. on the front of the cards. Take your notecards and on each one, direct dad to the NEXT treasure. You can even make it a puzzle or poem if you like to get creative. (example: Take five big steps toward the sun, turn right and take ten steps for fun. Next, head for a big oak tree, look down, look up, what do you see?) Only give him one notecard at a time. He must find each "treasure" before he gets the next notecard (treasure map). You can have your safari "guide" give him the next card after he finds the first one. (We had a big fishing net for dad to load his gifts in as he found them, but you could use a small wagon, garden cart, etc.).

4. Now for additional touches, we took a screen tent and erected it outdoors. This was our safari's last "destination." We found some giant plastic insects and bugs and hung them from fishing line all around the tent for atmosphere. We put up tiki torches and lit them in the early evening. We had a table in the tent with all the food and drinks on the table. We hung additional mosquito netting strategically for more atmosphere. We kept the meal simple..."Cannibal burgers" were two hamburger patties we stuffed pickle, onion, ketchup and mustard between and grilled. "Jungle salad" was simply cole slaw, "Baked Ant Eggs" were baked beans, and desert was "Monkey's Uncle" (Chocolate crunch ice cream). To drink we had "Parrot punch" (A hawaiian punch, pineapple drink).

Tips & Warnings

• We tried to make our "treasure gifts" stay in keeping with the theme. Example, a new jungle print shirt, new fishing reel (for pirranha!), sunglasses, camouflage hat, etc.
• Try to assign specific duties to everyone and make sure there are at least two people on duty with cameras..you will treasure every photo for years!
• A larger outdoor area works best (we had 40 acres to work with so we stretched some of the maps out a bit, but it would work in small areas too).
• If you are in a public place, you will want someone to "guard" the gifts so someone else doesn't "find" them.
• Toddlers might do better with a shorter map if they want to follow dad around.
• ENJOY!

[leighcamp1]

on 6/3/2008 Creative Article!