Safari or Jungle Party

`(Thank-you to Annette, Australia for suggesting this theme!)`

Decorations

1. Hang green streamers from the ceiling for a jungle effect.
2. Print off pictures of jungle animals or use a projector to draw large ones onto mural paper - cut out and paint or colour - place around the room along with pictures of trees and greenery.
3. If you have large floor plants, place them in strategic places somewhere out of the way so they won't get knocked over.

Games/Activities

1. Make animal masks from paper plates - lions can be easily made by painting golden yellow and adding a main on with wool pieces.
2. Make safari hats - use a paper plate and a paper bowl. Cut a hole in the center of the paper plate and attach the bowl to cover the hole. Decorate with a khaki coloured ribbon or crepe paper strip around the brim and jungle coloured crayons.
3. Decorate a large box as a jungle jeep for dramatic play. Provide binoculars, canteens (these could go in the loot bags!), and safari hats for the kids to dress up in. Go on a safari adventure to find a wild animal.
4. Pom Pom Animals. Use pompoms and pipecleaners (for legs) to create jungle animal toys.
5. Make snakes - colour both sides of a paper plate with pastels or markers. Cut the plate in a spiral from the outside to the inner part of the plate. This will create a long jungle snake. Round off the front for the head part and add eyes.
6. Pin the tail on the zebra - draw a large zebra - you can use clipart or a colouring page as a guide. Cut black tails from construction paper.
7. Watch Disney's Tarzan or if you have older children, George of the Jungle or Mighty Joe Young.

Food

1. Make sandwiches and cut out using animal cookie cutters.
2. Make frozen banana's on a stick - cut a banana in 1/2 and place on a popsicle stick. Roll in melted chocolate and then in crushed candies. Place in freezer on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Eat when frozen.
3. Cake - You can set up the cake as a jungle using green icing and small jungle animals that you purchase at the dollar store. You can also buy confectionary animals and let the children ice their cupcakes with green icing and give each an animal to put on top.

Loot Bags

This is where planning ahead REALLY pays off! Visit Party stores and dollar stores frequently and purchase items that relate to your theme for the loot bags. This is one of the most enjoyable part of planning the party and the best part... you get to be there and watch the children's faces when they receive your awesome theme-based loot bags! Here are a few ideas to get you started:
1. Binoculars
2. Canteens
3. Plastic Jungle Animals
4. Safari Hat
5. Animal Crackers
6. Animal Shaped Erasers
7. Animal notepads
8. Zebra or Tiger striped pencils
9. Colouring Book and Crayons

Animal Colouring Pages

I searched the net to find some animal pages. You can print as is and use for decorating the party room or if you can get a hold of an overhead projector, you can enlarge onto mural paper or bristle board to decorate the room. You could also print them off and create an animal colouring book for the loot bags.