Jungle Birthday Party

For younger children up to the ages of 3-4 a themed jungle birthday party is very popular. Most children like animals and have a selection of small farmyard toys.

Jungle Party Supplies

Venue

When hosting a party for small children it is usually best to stay at home but if you do decide to go to an alternative venue then a zoo is the obvious choice. As with most venues there should be a party room available for hire but if there isn’t it should not stop you organising the trip.

Guest List and Invitations

Younger children do not usually have an extensive network of friends and you can probably keep the guest list down to three or four. You may however want to invite more, there are no set limits.

No matter how many guests you intend to invite, invitations will need to be sent. There are plenty of jungled themed invitations available online but you can make your own. To do so, purchase some stiff card at a local stationery shop, preferably green or yellow. Try and cut the card into animal shapes. Using a bright gel or glitter pen write your message and party information. Hey presto, job done. Creative parents will probably have loads more ideas so feel free to let you imagination run wild.

Visiting The Zoo
The first thing to prepare when organising a party with an outdoor element is a “Plan B”. In the UK, weather conditions are never guaranteed so plan for the worst and hope for the best. When attending a venue such as a Zoo this usually means having a few extra games and activities planned, enough to keep the kids occupied while you wait for the rain to pass.

Decorations
No matter what venue you decide upon decorations will be required. To create a jungle theme you will need plenty of green streamers and balloons. If the room is big then you may need something like a cardboard palm tree. There really is a great selection of hanging decorations and inflatables available online. Remember if you are hosting the party in an outside venue you will have to allow extra time to decorarte the room which is not always possible. You should however make the effort as an empty room with a table a chairs is hardly the most inspiring.

It is well worth putting effort into decorating the table at which the food will be served. People’s attention will be drawn to it immediately. For a jungle party use a green tablecover. You can now get tablecover rolls in a variety of colours. Perfect when you are using non standard sized tables. Then of course don’t forget balloon weights if you intend to decorate the table with helium filled balloons.

Activities
The activities and games you plan for a jungle party do not need to be complicated. Remember this party theme is for children up to age 4. They will still be dependant on adult help and supervision. Why not try

a. Pinatas : There are two types of pinatas, a pull string version and a “basher version”. For young children we

Pull String Pinata

recommend the pull string  option. Just fill with sweets and jungle goodies and let the guests take turns to pull one of the dangling strings. Eventually the contents will spill to the ground when the “right” string is pulled.

b. Colouring : Giving each guest a colouring book and crayons / water soluable markers will keep them busy for a while. Small boys tend  to like more active party games but it is certainly worth giving it a go.

c. Active Games : If you have access to an outdoor space, holding a mini treasure hunt will keep the kids excited and interested. Get a few sets of toy binoculars and ask the guests to find some hidden animals. You can get a bag of plastic animals but if they are too small try making some larger ones using cardboard. You could also use soft toys. Allowing the children to keep what they find on the treasure hunt allows you to cut back a bit on the party bag presents

Party Bags
No matter what age the guests are they will expect a party bag as they leave. As mentioned above you could include prizes and gifts you give out during the party. For younger children a helium filled balloon is perfectly acceptable as a party bag present. Don’t forget to have a few sweet treats ready for them as they depart. If time is short and the thought of assembling party bags fills you with dread then go for the option of pre filled party bags. They are readily available online.