ZOO - SAFARI Party Plan

Throw the best birthday party ever!

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A
ZOO-rific
Birthday Party

An original party plan
created by
Kelly Dash
www.myplushfriend.com
 

Invitations
Using cardboard, fold it in half and write in big block letters, Z O O which can either be cut it out in the ZOO shape, or left it as is!
Another idea is using pre-printed Madagascar invitations!

Decorations
Use zebra or tiger-striped material for the table cloth.  Either use black and white balloons (zebra stripe) or orange and black balloons (tiger stripes) along with same colored streamers for the decoration.

Hang a homemade sign on the door, which reads:

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY,
WELCOME TO THE ZOO!”

Use black and white (zebra-striped colors) plastic cutlery, plates and napkins. 
The Madagscar theme has perfect Zoo room decorations and matching solid colors.

Food And Snacks

Animal Feed Baskets
Give the children each their own little “basket” with lettuce leaves lining the inside of it and Animal Crackers inside it – label each basket with the child’s name and “Animal Feed” on the outside!

Make zebra sandwiches!  Using chocolate hazelnut spread (always inquire with parents about allergies!) and marshmallow fluff, make lines on the bread so it looks like a zebra.

Zoo Cake
Make a 9 x 9 cake and frost it with green icing to look like grass.  Using chocolate wafers – make “bars” at the top to look like a cage.  Put animal crackers or small plastic zoo animals (like the plastic ones from the dollar store) inside the bars to look like caged zoo animals.

Party Cookie Activity Idea
Design your own Zoo Animal cookie!  Make your favorite sugar cookie recipe.  Roll out dough and cut with zoo animal shaped cookie cutters.  Once the cookies have cooled – have the kids decorate them with icing sugar, candies, etc.

Games and Activities

Party Activity & Take Home Party Favor Idea
Let each child stuff and adopt their own zoo animal – see www.myplushfriend.com for birthday party packages.

Create an Animammal! Game
Put the names of different zoo animals on pieces of paper in a hat (at least 2 per child).  Each child picks 2 out of the hat and has to imagine up a combo.  Ask each child to draw a picture of their animammal and give it a name! 

For example,
a kangaroo and a giraffe could
end up as a Girafferoo!

Zoo Animal Masks! 
Using paper plates, markers, child safety scissors, googlie eyes, glue sticks and anything else you can think of – have each child make a zoo animal mask and ask them to march in a parade of animals!!!

Pin the tail on the Zebra
You can use any other zoo animal that you desire.  Using Bristol board, make the animal of your choice but do not add the tail.  Make a number of “tails” and see who can get it the closest while blindfolded.

Twister 
Buy or make a twister board but substitute the colored spots for zoo animals.

Giraffe Stretch
Hang donuts from an out stretched bar – the kids have to eat the donuts without using their hands!

Elephant Race
Divide the guests into 2 equal teams and form 2 lines.  The first child in line bends over and lets one hand down and puts the other hand through his or her legs to the person behind them.  The next person bends over and grabs the first persons “tail” with his or her “nose” (their outstretched hand) and proceeds in the same fashion to the person behind them – continue for all children in each team.  Have the 2 teams race to a finish line – the first team to finish wins!!!

Goodie Bags
Consider having each child stuff and adopt their own animal with www.myplushfriend.com .  no need to provide goodie bags with lots of treats,
it is a party activity kids love AND each child gets to take home their new friend!  NO SEWING involved. 

Each kit comes complete with:
One unstuffed animal
Wishing Star
Birth Certificate
Take Home Box
Easy-to-follow simple Instructions

OR... you can include little plastic zoo animals that you can get from any dollar store – add some Madagascar rings and some orange (tiger) lollipops!

Contact your local zoo and see if they have coupons that you can add to your loot bag!!!!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kelly Dash

www.myplushfriend.com – Make stuffed animals at home!