Sometimes it is just easier to hire someone to come to your home and provide the main entertainment for your child's birthday party. We have done this many times…… and it certainly makes the day a lot easier on me and Steve when someone else is in charge of all of the kids for an hour! Our favorite entertainer that we have used over and over is a guy named “Jungle Jim” and his “Party Safari”. He brings with him a carload of cool animals such as bunnies, tortoises, ferrets, guinea pigs, bearded dragons, a skink, a hedgehog, a chinchilla, a dove, a snake, and he ends the party with a race featuring two Madagascar hissing cockroaches named Mario and Luigi. Jungle Jim has a real gift when it comes to connecting kids with creatures- he is funny, and he works hard to teach the kids about the animals and makes them feel comfortable about feeding the critters and holding them. (And if anyone in the Westchester / Fairfield county areas would like his contact information, please send me an email!)
Safari Party Invitations:
Some invitations we've used…
This is an invitation I created that is shaped like an elephant. To fit it into an envelope, I first folded the trunk accordion-style, and then folded the ears one over the other, on top of the trunk.
This is an invite that I ordered from Birthday in a Box…..
Safari Party Opening Activity:
When the guests arrived, we started them off with a small craft- in this case a foam door hanger that the guests could decorate with the animal stickers of their choosing. We also had a tattoo station for the kids, while they were waiting for Jungle Jim to set up his “show”. At some of our other Safari parties, we played a few games of freeze dancing (the kids dance while music plays, and when we pause the music- they have to freeze in position until the music begins again), and Simon Sez.
At some of our safari parties, we provided our guests with plastic safari hats and toy binoculars!
The Party Safari:
Jungle Jim in action….. His show lasts about an hour- and the time flies by for the kids! After he finishes up, we have all of the guests line up to receive a nice dollop of Purell to sanitize their hands before eating. Then we serve lunch (usually pizza) for the kids.
Safari Party Birthday cakes:
Some of the cakes that I have made for our Safari parties…..
Snake cake:
An elephant cake:
A frog cake:
We are big on frogs around here…. so this is another version of a frog cake!
Safari Party Wrap Up:
To wrap up the party, we gather all of the guests to play our “eat a gummy worm dangling from a string without using your hands” game, and then we invite everyone to head outdoors to go on a treasure hunt for their goodie bags. Our favorite goodie bag for a Safari party is a small stuffed animal- and I try to find ones that match the animals that Jungle Jim brings to our parties- so I have given out little bunnies, guinea pigs, hedgehogs, lizards, and even a chinchilla. I look for them online and try to keep the cost under $3 each- but I look for something of a good quality (like a Beanie Baby or a Gund) so it is something that recipient can keep for a long time.
If you enjoyed this party idea, you might also like:
If you liked this party idea, you might also enjoy these other at-home birthday parties we've thrown for our kids:
At Home Birthday Parties YOU Can DO!
So do you think your child would LOVE a Science-themed party? Please leave a comment below and share!
And to stay up to date on the latest tips and ideas from Momof6, please Like the Momof6 Facebook page!
Leave a Reply