See how to prepare a safari-style birthday party. What decorations? What snacks? And what games to prepare to make your birthday party unforgettable?
Invitations for a child's birthday with a safari theme
Is your child a little explorer and has dreamed up a birthday party with a safari theme? Not sure where to start? The best place to start is with the invitations! That way, your guests will know what to expect right from the start. Use vocabulary in your invitations that emphasises the nature of the party. Safari animal graphics are a must, and don't forget to include all the most important information about the event itself, such as location, time, child's name and party date.
Birthday decorations in safari style
The right visuals are half the battle. The children who come to the party need to feel like they are on a real safari. How do you take care of this? Here's what you can prepare:
Home entrance decoration: Tie black, brown and green helium-filled balloons to a mailbox so guests know where the party is. You may also be tempted to have helium balloons in the shape of safari-specific animals such as a lion, zebra or giraffe. This will make a nice first impression even before your guests arrive at the party. Plus, you'll make it easier to get to your destination. Also, draw zebra, lion and giraffe footprints in chalk on the pavement in front of the house.
Table decorations: The table at the party can be decorated in any bright colour (solid colours - orange, yellow or blue - work best). You can cut grass out of green paper and pin it at the bottom of the tablecloth for a safari effect.
In addition, don't forget the details on the table. Place placemats with a graphic safari animal motif under the plates. Make sure to use paper straws with animal prints. Paint white straws with black zebra stripes or add leopard spots. The safari animal motif will also be welcome on paper cups, napkins and plates.
Room decoration: This is where any balloons in the shape of cute safari animals and garlands in green and yellow come to the rescue. If you're keen enough, you can try making a jeep out of cardboard, in which the children can take photos and pretend to travel through the wilderness of the safari, where they meet amazing adventures. You also can't forget a large sign with the child's name and the words "happy birthday".
Backyard decoration: In the garden, a child's birthday party can take on a special character. Here too, animal balloons and garlands in safari colours work well. In addition, make use of the sandpit. Place a toy jeep and dummy animals in it. For a special occasion you can install Tyroleanwhich will mimic a descent over a precipice or the mouths of crocodiles. Don't forget to equip each little explorer with binoculars and a hat so they can get even more into character.
What snacks for a child's safari-style birthday party?
Any little explorer won't be able to go on an adventure if their stomach is burping. You need to satisfy the hunger not only for adventure, but also that coming from inside little tummies. Of course, let the main theme of the party guide you in this aspect too. Here are some suggestions for delicious snacks with a theme of adorable safari animals.
Giraffe-shaped skewers: Thread half a banana onto a skewer so that the tip of the banana is on top. Then use melted chocolate and paint the giraffe's spots with it. Make the animal's eyes out of small round marshmallows, then paint pupils on them with chocolate. You can also stick sticks into the banana on the sides to imitate the giraffe's ears.
Animal cookies: Buy cookie moulds in the shape of an elephant, giraffe, lion or parrot. Treats prepared in this way can add variety to the children's play. Organise a competition in which the children have to decorate cookies to resemble the animal in question as much as possible.
Lion burgers: The inside of the burger can be whatever you want it to be. The important thing is to include a round lettuce leaf to imitate a lion's mane. Once you have put the burger together, place two circles cut out of cheese on the outer bun to imitate the lion's mouth. Using barbecue sauce, add the whiskers coming out of the muzzle, the eyes and the nose above the muzzle.
What to play at a birthday party?
A true explorer hates boredom and is always looking for excitement. To make sure your children don't get the chance to be lazy, involve them in unique games.
Treasure hunt
Hide plastic animals and sweets in the house or garden. Then cut footprints out of paper to guide the children to the next tasks and challenges. Let them use binoculars to look for hidden objects. Let the children keep the animals and sweets they find or give them away for prizes.
Animal hunting
In an 'animal hunt' game, teams race to find items from a list or make things to do from a list. Here is our list of items to find, which would be great fun for a safari-themed garden party.
- Clover,
- leaves from 3 different trees,
- stones,
- cone,
- something plastic (explain how this does not fit with nature),
- flower,
- something red,
- wood,
- something faster than a snail,
- something that fell from a tree,
- something that starts with the first letter of the birthday child's name,
- something shiny,
- something white,
- something soft.
Elephant, Giraffe
Children sit in a circle on the floor. The birthday child starts by walking around the outside of the circle and patting each child on the head. Each time they pat their head, they call out 'elephant'. They then choose one person to be the giraffe and shout "giraffe!".
The person patting the head then starts to run clockwise around the circle and tries to sit in the giraffe's place before they are marked. If the giraffe catches up with the fleeing person, the giraffe sits back down and the game starts again. If the giraffe does not touch the runaway, the giraffe becomes the marker and the game starts again.