safari themed food for party

33 Best Finger Foods Safari Party Food Ideas To Try

Are you gearing up for a party that’s both wild and whimsical? Look no further!

Our guide to finger foods safari party food ideas is your first step into a jungle of flavors and fun!

But what exactly are finger foods?

Well, they are bite-sized culinary delights that require no utensils and can be enjoyed with just your fingers.

These delectable treats range from mini sandwiches and skewers to dips and sweet delights that are conveniently portable and perfect for mingling at social gatherings.

The best part is that they allow us to savor a variety of flavors in one go, making them an ideal choice for any party.

33 Best Ideas for Finger Foods Safari Party Food Ideas

Whether you’re planning a kid’s birthday bash or a unique get-together for adults, these safari-themed finger foods are not just a feast for the taste buds but also a visual spectacle!

1. Safari Pop Sticks

2. Elephant Ears

3. Sweet Hippos

4. Chocolate Pineapple

5. Safari Popsicles

6. Crocodile Eyeballs

7. Lion Bites

8. Turtle Sandwiches

9. Lion Cupcakes

10. Monkey Cupcakes

11. Bananas

12. Safari Donuts

13. Safari Finger Food

14. Sweet Treats

15. Safari Mini Burgers

16. Animal Cupcakes

17. Safari Party Nibles

18. Safari Animal Tails

19. Fresh Gorilla Snacks

20. Hippo Dip

21. Smake Sandwich

22. Mud Bath

23. Safari Animal Crackers

24. Wild Sweets

25. Zebra Bites

26. Safari Animal Macarons

27. Safari Macarons

28. Giraffe Biscuits

29. Giraffe Spots

30. Safari Fries

31. Juicy Skewers

32. Shrimp Cucumber Bites

33. Pineapple Shrimp Skewers

Savory Finger Food Ideas

Miniature “wild” sliders.

Ah, the mighty slider. The perfect bite-sized sandwich that packs a punch of flavor!

But why settle for traditional sliders when you can take your guests on a wild taste adventure with miniature “wild” sliders?

Instead of the usual beef patty, experiment with exotic meats like kangaroo or bison.

These lean and flavorful alternatives will surely impress your adventurous eaters.

To enhance the experience, offer a variety of toppings such as caramelized onions for a touch of sweetness or spicy aioli to add a kick of heat.

These little wonders will transport your taste buds straight into the heart of the safari.

Animal-Inspired Skewers

When it comes to finger foods safari party food ideas, skewers are not only delicious but also visually appealing, especially when they are inspired by animals from the wild.

Picture this: Grilled chicken and pineapple skewers transformed into vibrant “Tropical Toucans.”

The combination of tender chicken and juicy pineapple chunks creates a burst of tropical flavors that will make your guests feel like they’re lounging under palm trees in the heart of an exotic jungle.

For those who crave something with a bit more bite, consider bacon-wrapped shrimp skewers as “Sneaky Snakes.”

The smoky flavors from the bacon perfectly complement the succulent shrimp to create an irresistible savory treat that slithers its way onto everyone’s plate.

Jungle-Inspired Dips and Spreads

No finger food spread is complete without some delectable dips and spreads to tantalize taste buds and add zest to every bite.

Get creative with your choices by offering themed options such as “Safari Swamp Guacamole,” which features creamy avocado dip with hints of lime and cilantro.

It’s like taking an adventurous dip into murky green swamps filled with hidden treasures of flavor.

For those who prefer a spicier adventure, prepare “Savanna Sand Dunes,” a spicy hummus made with fragrant spices like cumin and paprika.

Pair it with crispy pita chips for an authentic safari experience that transports your guests to the vast plains of the savanna.

These dips and spreads are the perfect accompaniment to your savory finger foods safari party food ideas, elevating them to new heights of deliciousness.

Sweet Finger Food Ideas

Jungle-inspired fruit kabobs.

Imagine the burst of tropical flavors as you sink your teeth into a juicy, refreshing fruit kabob.

These “Tropical Treats” are bound to transport you straight to the heart of the safari jungle.

For a delightful combination of finger foods safari party food ideas, thread bite-sized pieces of kiwi, pineapple chunks, and sweet mango onto skewers.

The vibrant colors will mimic the lushness of the rainforest, while the tangy sweetness will keep your taste buds yearning for more.

To take it up a notch, offer dipping options like velvety chocolate or luscious honey yogurt.

The creamy accompaniment adds an extra layer of indulgence and turns these kabobs into irresistible delights.

Animal-Shaped Cookies

When it comes to finger foods safari party food ideas , let your imagination run wild and bring safari animals to life with these adorable Lion and Zebra-shaped sugar cookies!

Baking these intricately designed treats is not only fun but also adds an element of whimsy to your finger food spread.

Using animal-shaped cookie cutters, create cute lion faces or zebra stripes before placing them in the oven.

Once baked to golden perfection, let your artistic side shine by decorating them with vibrant icing colors that mimic the patterns found in nature.

These playful cookies will elevate your safari-themed party and have guests marveling at their cuteness before devouring them.

Exotic Mini Desserts

When it comes to finger foods safari party food ideas, indulge your guests’ taste buds with some exotic mini desserts that will transport them from their everyday lives to an Asian-inspired oasis within the safari setting.

Offer delectable mango sticky rice bites that infuse chewy glutinous rice with fragrant coconut cream and ripe mango slices for a harmonious blend of textures and flavors that practically scream tropical delight at every bite.

Alternatively, tantalize their palates with coconut macaroons delicately infused with a hint of lime zest, offering a refreshing twist on this classic treat.

The subtle tanginess perfectly complements the sweet coconut, taking these bite-sized morsels to new heights of culinary bliss.

These exotic mini desserts will leave your guests yearning for more and make your safari party an unforgettable experience.

Let us remember that food has the power to bring people together, ignite conversations, and create lasting memories.

So whether you’re hosting a birthday celebration or a casual get-together with friends, consider embracing the adventure of finger foods safari party ideas.

As we bid adieu to this article, let’s take inspiration from our journey through savory and sweet delights.

Cherish the joyous moments shared around delectable finger foods amidst laughter and good company.

Remember that life’s celebrations deserve nothing less than a flavorful extravaganza that sets hearts racing and taste buds dancing in delight!

So go forth with confidence, armed with knowledge about these remarkable finger food ideas for your next safari-themed gathering – a feast that will leave your guests roaring for more!

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A Cotton Kandi Life

My sweet and sticky story of motherhood | #momwinning, safari party food ideas.

Welcome to the Jungle, Party Animal! Let’s get WILD and grab yourself a handful of Gorilla Poop {chocolate covered raisons} because this post is all about the food! If you’re surfing Pinterest for some Safari Party Food Ideas you’re in the right place. I’ll try to be short on words because let’s face it, this post is totally more about the party eye candy and scroll worthy pictures.

Shop SAFARI in my Etsy Shop!

I have no intention of passing myself off as a caterer or master chef at anything, so do not be deceived. None of my parties ever have gourmet food. But, what they ALL have are clever names for everything. Ask anyone, it’s my favorite item on my party checklist: Cleverly Name the Food…

I’m not that excellent at cooking/baking but I excel in punny humor. My ideas for the Safari Party Food was no exception. I also excel in making everyday things that are simple, like cutie oranges fill up an entire food display. Feast your eyes, party animals…

SHOP THE AMAZON SUPPLY LIST!

Safari Party Food Ideas | Snacks

We’ll start small and cover the snack first. I went for the whole Market Place theme with good in paper bags. I’ve always loved those scenes in Disney’s Aladdin where the Marketplace vendors offer Jasmin dates and pistachios. I suppose I was channeling my inner Disney with this party setup. The names for the food were fun to do too. Most of the snack food is very simple and can be bought in the bulk foods section of Winco.

Here is my list:

• Banana pies – Banana Moon Pies
• Monkey Chow – Banana Chips
• Snake Eggs – Green Grapes
• Gorilla Poop – Chocolate covered raisins
• Giraffe Spots – Rye Chips
• Banana Treats – Runts Bananas {I bought on Amazon!}
• Beetle Wings – Lays Potato Chips
• Tree Roots – Pretzel Sticks
• Elephant Snacks – Peanuts
• Zebra Cakes – Zebra Cakes
• Jaguar Claws – Bugles
• Grubs – Gummy Worms
• Animal Crackers – Animal Crackers
• Lizard Eyes – Hummus

You can find all of my labels available as a digital download on Etsy .

Safari Party Food Ideas | Appetizers

There were a few bigger items that we ate with our Snake Subs. These 2nd level foods took a little more work than just emptying them into a bowl and slapping a cute label on it. So naturally, I recruited my mom, the Original Party High Priestess and Captain of the Pun Team to assist. She made these food items:

• Lion’s Main – Veggie tray with ranch dip
• Ladybugs – Caprese Skewers
• Tiger Cub Cuties – She also drew all these tiger faces!

Safari Foods Ideas | Snake Sub Sandwich

Now for the main course. My entire plan for this food table centered around this giant Snake Sub Sandwich I just had to make. The tricky part was getting it all cut and out the door, then on the table and everyone through the line before the bread got hard. I bought those super soft loaves of fresh-baked bread from Safeway and we cut it up.

I used my acrylic cupcake tower as an elevation and made the snake coil around it. The same roll of brown craft paper I used to make the vines came in super handy! I premeasured my space and rolled up the serving paper for the Snake Bread the day before the party. This way I knew where everything would go and fit.

The snake is all bread {+ a face} and the fixings were brought out last since they’re not on the ice. Here is my list with the Food Names:

• Provisions – Cheese Slices
• Too Talky Toucan – Lunchmeat {Roasted Turkey}
• Wild Boar – Lunchmeat {Ham}
• Defiant Parrot – Lunchmeat {Rotisserie Chicken}

The Defiant Parrot making a repeat appearance from Cash’s 2nd Pirate Party . Even more fun food names over there! Including Seagull Poop… hmmm… seems to be a theme for the boys’ parties…

Safari Party Food Ideas | Desserts

The look on this little Grub-Eater’s face makes it all worth it. His “Cash is King” Custom Cake Topper from my Etsy Shop is his own design. Roth’s Bakery once again did an amazing job for me on the cake and cupcakes. I always walk in with a list of expectations and they have pulled through every time. We went simple this year with a grassy area for his toy Lion who is also King.

For many of the cupcakes, we used a large polka dot circle cupcake Topper in the themed paper. Honestly, I just made as many I could from the scraps of the WILD Banner .

Finally, after the kids located the Elusive Leopard Torch we were able to cut cake and serve the cupcake toppers. You can find these glitter Safari Cupcake Toppers in my Etsy Shop . I offer them in 28 Glitter choices.

See more of this party

You can find all of the posts for Cash’s 6th Birthday Party here:

Until next time Party Ani mals Kandice

Affiliate Disclaimer : My blog is heavily monetized with numerous affiliate links throughout. If you click on these links and make a purchase I earn a small commission. THANK YOU for helping me build the boys’ college savings accounts! Please feel free to visit all of our affiliates and read the entire disclosure/disclaimer HERE

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Planning the perfect party doesn’t have to be exhausting! Choosing a theme is half the battle but once you find inspiration for your theme you’ll find your idea will quickly come together. Safari themed birthdays are a great way to get your child’s and their guest imagination moving.

You can make a big impact in a space with decorations that make your guest feel like they just stepped into a jungle. Many kids love animals which makes this such a fun party theme, not to mention it is extremely gender neutral. We have composed 20 ideas and recipes so that you can plan the perfect safari themed party. So grab your binoculars, put on your safari vest and let’s go on this adventure together.

1. DIY Balloon Centerpiece

These balloon centerpieces were initially designed for a pineapple themed party but their tropical themed arrangement would work perfectly for a safari theme too. This step by step tutorial is super easy you’ll have a big impact arrangement in no time at all.

Balloon centerpieces are a great way to fill up space while keeping it interesting and entertaining for the kids. If you don’t have a table big enough to host the arrangement you could consider attaching it to your wall for decor.

https://www.blog.birdsparty.com/2016/07/diy-balloon-fronds-tropical-party-table-centerpiece-garland.html PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: BIRDS PARTY

2. Sand Slime

It seems like slime is the latest craze with the kids these days. Glitter slime, neon slime, you name it and there is probably a slime variation of it. The texture alone is probably the most fun part of slime, you can stretch it, pull it, twist it and form it into anything you want.

Why not impress all the kids at your party with sand slime. You could consider making this sand slime to use as an activity in a sensory box depending on the age group or you could make this slime to send home as part of thank you gift to your guests.

https://frugalfun4boys.com/2015/04/07/how-to-make-sand-slime/ PHOTOS AND TUTORIAL HERE: FRUGAL FUN FOR BOYS AND GIRLS

3. DIY Binocular Favors

These do it yourself binocular favors will definitely get all the kids excited at your safari themed party. They’re easy to make and require minimal tools and resources. They’re super simple that you can have the whole family jump in on the craft making.

Fill these binoculars with treats and trinkets to send home with your guests. If you already have party favor plans you could consider making these binoculars for the kids to wear while at the party or make a fun eye spy game out them too.

https://www.handmadecharlotte.com/diy-jumanji-movie-night/ PHOTOS AND TUTORIAL HERE: HAND MADE CHARLOTTE

4. DIY Treasure Stones

These treasure stones are a fun and easy do it yourself project that you can do for your safari themed party. They’re super adaptable for many different themed parties because you could call them dinosaur eggs, stones or cannon balls. These treasure stones are made out of coffee grinds, flour, sand, and water. It has a playdough-like texture that can harden.

Place a secret treasure in the middle and let the kids go on a safari hunt to find the treasure stones in your yard. You could even have them use the binoculars you made in the previous tutorial to scout for their treasures. The rocks are hard enough to keep the trinket inside but are easy enough for younger kids to break open.

http://www.makelifelovely.com/2014/01/how-to-make-diy-treasure-stones.html PHOTOS AND TUTORIAL HERE: MAKE LIFE LOVELY

5. Animal Figure Decor

This blog shows you how you can take an animal themed party and modernize it. You can find animal figurines at many places like Hobby Lobby, Walmart, and even many dollar stores. Consider using them as decor for an inexpensive way to decorate your space.

You could use the animal figurines as cake toppers to fill up space as well as dress up a simple cake. You can even use them as centerpieces on your table. If you place them on candle holders you can create dimension within your centerpiece.

http://www.hellotinylove.com/emerys-2nd-birthday-party/ PHOTOS AND IDEAS HERE: HELLO TINY LOVE

6. Rainforest In A Jar

This rainforest in a jar is a very fun project that you could use for decorations at your safari themed party. However, if you have older kids you could consider making this a fun craft for everyone to do at the party.

It will keep the kids busy and they’ll have something fun they can take home with them. You can get a lot of the materials at your local dollar store or craft store at an inexpensive price. Make sure to purchase a variety of safari animals and let their imaginations run wild.

http://thecraftingchicks.com/rainforest-in-a-jar-kid-craft/ PHOTOS AND TUTORIAL HERE: THE CRAFTING CHICKS

7. Foil Balloon Backdrop

Foil balloons seem to be all the rage as of late. For good reason because, hello, they’re super fun! Foil balloons come in all sizes, colors, letters, and numbers. A phrase like “wild one” is very fitting for a safari themed party.

You could consider complimenting the foil balloon arrangement with a statement wall piece like this backdrop. It is made from brown paper twisted to look like vines. Add some leaf cutouts and you’ll have a jungle wall in no time.

http://www.carefreeblondeblog.com/2016/08/diy-wild-one-birthday-party.html#.Wumw79PwZTZ PHOTOS AND IDEAS HERE: CAREFREE BLONDE

8. DIY Animal Cupcake Toppers

Following animal figurine decorations, try using them for cupcake toppers too. This tutorial walks you through how to spray paint the figurines right up to how to make their adorable little party hats.

Spray painting animals is an awesome way to modernize a juvenile theme while still making it fun for the kids. This is always an easy way to make party favors for your guests too. Let them eat their delicious cupcake and then take their cupcake topper home too.

https://projectnursery.com/2015/08/diy-animal-cupcake-toppers/#_a5y_p=4216698 PHOTOS AND TUTORIAL HERE: PROJECT NURSERY

9. Safari Themed Snacks

Party food doesn’t have to be difficult and tiresome and let’s face it the decorations alone can take all our time and energy. Instead of making fancy foods to serve at your party you could consider using accessible packaged foods you can buy at the grocery store and labelling it with animal themes.

Cheezies can be used cheetah food, spinach dip for hippos, and if you don’t need to keep your party nut-free you could serve peanuts for elephants. Use labels to print your phrases onto and then you’ll have this animal food ready in a hurry!

http://www.roxyskitchen.com/safari-jungle-themed-first-birthday-party-part-ii-appetizers-finger-foods-snack-ideas.html PHOTOS AND IDEAS HERE: ROXYS KITCHEN

10. Chocolate Bear Paws

Bear paws are easy snacks that can be suitable for kids of all ages, and the adults will love these too. They are soft and chocolatey and will be snatched up quickly.

The claws are made out of almond slivers which makes the whole dessert edible and fun. Your animal lovers will love these tasty treats.

https://family.disney.com/recipe/chocolate-bear-paws/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: DISNEY FAMILY

11. Paper Plate Hippopotamus

Involving your guests in interactive crafts that can keep the kids busy at your party is always a good idea. These fun hippo themed paper plates are very cute and will keep them entertained.

Depending on the duration of your party you can have them make this craft from painting all the way to gluing. If you’re crunched for time with you could consider doing all the painting work pre-party and just have the kids assemble their hippo instead.

https://iheartcraftythings.com/paper-plate-hippopotamus.html PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: I HEART CRAFTY THINGS

12. Oreo Dirt Cups

Dirt cups may have been around for a while but they definitely make a great animal themed food. It is an easy way to make a delicious dessert that stays in line with your theme all the while pleasing all your little guests too.

It has chocolatey layers of creamy pudding and oreo crumbs and then buried gummies worms within. Their imaginations will be booming with this dessert.

http://shariblogs.com/oreo-dirt-cups/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: SHARI BLOGS

13. Paper Plate Snake

Instead of tossing your bubble wrap in the trash the next time you get an online order make sure to save it for this fun craft. This is another easy craft that all your little party guests can partake.

Using a rolling pin and bubble wrap you can achieve a textured painted snake very quickly. If you don’t have a rolling pin you could even use a slender cup so each child can paint their own. Once the plates are dry simply cut the snake in a swirl shape, glue on eyes and tongue and voila, it’s done!

https://www.craftymorning.com/paper-plate-snake-craft-using-rolling-pin/ PHOTOS AND TUTORIAL HERE: CRAFTY MORNING

14. Safari Tour

Interactive activities are a great way to keep your guests busy as well as keep them moving around. Afterall, a lot of kids love to run around a play. How else are they going to burn off all that sugar? This print out was originally designed for a preschool classroom but it can make a great party activity too.

If you’re having an outdoor party you could place stuffed animals around the yard, if you don’t have enough or all the animals called for on the sheet you could simply print off a picture of the animals instead. Have the kids go on a scavenger hunt and check off once they find all the animals. You could even make it a contest and have there be a prize for the guest who finds all the animals first! If you’re having the party indoors you can do the same just hide the animals throughout your house instead.

https://playtolearnpreschool.us/classroom-safari/ PHOTOS AND PRINTOUT HERE: PLAY TO LEARN PRESCHOOL

15. Safari Passport Invitations

Once you have decided on your theme the next step is to usually get the invitations ready to send out. Having the invitations themed to match the party is a great way to let your guest know what to expect as well keeps things creative and fun.

These safari passport invitations are a great idea and very customizable. This tutorial walks you through how you can make your own. The original design includes a photo of the birthday child but you could always leave the photo blank so your guests can draw a picture of themselves and bring their passport to the party.

http://prettypaperprettyribbons.blogspot.ca/2011/04/28-candles-blog-hop.html PHOTOS AND IDEAS HERE: PRETTY PAPER PRETTY RIBBONS

16. Adopt A Pet Party Favor

Party favors are a great way to give a thank you to your guests for coming to your party. After the kids have enjoyed their safari themed party you could set up a pet adoption center. Fill the pet station with safari stuffed animals and let each kid pick their own.

If you’re worried about disagreements of who get’s what animal you could always assign the adoptions yourself. Your guests will remember this fun safari themed party for a long time.

http://blog.wantsandwishesdesign.com/2016/12/pet-adoption-birthday-party.html PHOTOS AND IDEAS HERE: WANTS AND WISHES

17. Animal Cracker Funfetti Cake Batter Dip

Animal crackers are one of the easiest ways to get animal themed food at your party. This delicious snack resembles a kid-favorite snack, Dunkaroos.

This recipe only requires 4 ingredients and only takes 10 minutes to make. Serve this dip with delicious animal crackers and your guest will be dipping into this savory snack the whole time.

http://www.farmwifecooks.com/animal-cracker-dip/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest&utm_campaign=tailwind_tribes&utm_content=tribes# PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: FARM WIFE COOKS

18. Lion Hummus

If you have a hard time getting your kids to eat healthy foods then you’ll definitely want to serve this platter at your safari party. Make healthy food fun by creating animal shapes.

Kids have big imaginations and if you can make healthy food look well, not healthy and more fun then they’re bound to eat it. This recipe is super easy because it uses store-bought hummus. The hardest job you’ll have with this recipe is cutting all the vegetables.

https://eatingrichly.com/lion-vegetable-tray/ PHOTOS AND RECIPE HERE: EATING RICHLY

19. Quick And Easy Fringe Garland

Another great way to decorate your safari themed party would be to make your own leaf garland. You can transform your space into a jungle with this easy do it yourself project.

Making fringe garland is an easy alternative to cutting out individual leaves. You get the same colors and effect but it is a whole lot easier and stays within your theme. As an added bonus this garland is super inexpensive and creates a big impact in a room.

https://jennybatt.com/blog/quick-and-easy-tunnel-fringe-garland PHOTOS AND TUTORIAL HERE: JENNY BATT

20. Safari Party Decor

If you’re looking for a safari themed party that can cover ideas from head to toe then this is it. This post has inspirations from the food table to a lush photo backdrop and everything in between.

This post also offers free printables like the adorable animal footprints that you can place all over your floors. You can even turn an ordinary fruit drink into an “explorer energy drink” that your guests will love.

https://www.americangreetings.com/inspiration/celebration/jungle-birthday-party-theme?utm_source=pinterest&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=seer-birthday-2018&utm_term=keyword&utm_content=device&pp=0 PHOTOS AND IDEAS HERE: AMERICAN GREETINGS

Clarissa loves experimenting with food of all cultures to make unique healthy dishes. When she’s not browsing Pinterest for new recipe inspiration she likes to pick up a DIY project and use her creative hands to make art or crafts. In her down time you can find her watching the latest documentaries on Netflix or going for nature walks.

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Planning a Safari Party: The Food

March 2, 2023, celebrations.

I  had so much fun planning Lucy’s 5th birthday party and wanted to share some deeper dive blog posts about different elements of the party. Today, I’m sharing all about the food ! You can find more about the party theme/decor HERE and party activities HERE .

SAFARI PARTY FOOD

My mom and mother-in-law handled all the food for the party and it was great! My mother-in-law blew it out of the park with these creative platters! She created a delicious berry tray with a watermelon elephant , and also lion-shaped veggie and hummus tray . They were SO festive and adorable! My mom also made an animal cracker funfetti + greek yogurt dip , topped with colorful sprinkles. We also had these yummy cheese sliders, plus chips, pita chips, guacamole, and applesauce pouches.

On the food table, I had these Safari Dinner Plates  (featuring so many cute and colorful animals!) and matching Safari Large Napkins .

For every birthday, we grab a cake from Whole Foods. In the past (for Winnie’s 1st birthday and Lucy’s 1st birthday party ), I’ve ordered custom cakes, but this time we just picked up a small, simple (but super delicious) cake for singing happy birthday / blowing out candles. I also ordered mini cupcakes from Baked by Melissa. They are bite-sized and perfect for big parties! I used these little animal party toppers to decorate the cupcakes and cake ( here’s another similar option ).

On the dessert table, I set out these adorable Safari Cheetah Plates and small Safari Animal Print Small Napkins .

SHOP THE PARTY

Note: I’ve included additional party items we didn’t use, but that are ‘on theme’ for this party. The products we didn’t use have an asterisk next to them listed below.

PARTY TABLEWARE: 

Safari Dinner Plates

Safari Cheetah Plates

Safari Large Napkins

Safari Animal Print Small Napkins

Safari Animal Cake Toppers

Lion Plates*

Elephant Balloon Napkins*

Zebra Napkins*

Party Animal Paper Cups*

Party Animals Cake Toppers*

Safari Candles*

PARTY DECOR & SIGNAGE:

Customizable Party Animal Signage Printable

Rifle Paper Party Animals Garland

Meri Meri Happy Birthday Garland

Customizable Party Animal Table Toppers*

Cheetah Balloon Garland Kit

Safari Balloon Bundle

4 Piece Gold/Pink Leopard Balloons

Gold “5” Balloon

Cheetah Foil Balloon*

Balloon Hand Pump

Balloon Electric Pump

Generously gifted by my Lucky Collective client, Manhattan Toy.

Loki Leopard – available on Maisonette , Target , and Amazon

Cozy Bunch Giraffe – available on Maisonette , Target , and Amazon

Cozy Bunch Zebra – available on Maisonette,   Target , and Amazon

Cozy Bunch Camel – available on Maisonette , Target , and Amazon

Luxe Liam Elephant – available on Maisonette , Target , and Amazon

Charming Charlie Lion – available on Target and Amazon

12 Piece Safari Stuffed Animal Set*

6 Piece Safari Stuffed Animal Set*

ACTIVITIES + EVERYTHING ELSE

Mini Party Hats

12 Piece Jungle/Safari Animal Headbands

Safari Make a Face Sticker Sheets

Jungle Coloring Posters*

Party Animals Tattoo Sheets*

Leopard Tattoos*

RELATED POSTS

Lucy’s 5th Safari-Inspired Birthday Party!

Planning a Safari Party: The Inspiration + Decor

Planning a Safari Party: The Activities

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Safari Theme Party

Mar 25, 2022 by Amber · This post may contain affiliate links · 6 Comments

Planning a Safari Theme Party? I've got all you'll need right here! From the menu, to the cake, to the invitations, I've got all the ideas you'll need for a super fun safari birthday party!

Please excuse me while I crawl into a cupboard and cry my face off because my sweet little miracle baby is already a year old!

My husband chose the safari birthday party theme, gave me a budget, and away I went planning, preparing, and pinning like cray-zay. Everyone at the party inflated my ego like whoa, swooning about the food, decor, and paying me off for all of my hard work.

Today I'll pay it forward by giving you all of the deets and links I used to make this safari theme party all I wanted it to be. We had somewhere between 40-45 people at the party, and we had the perfect amount of food with zero leftovers.

I will add all of the recipes on one card at the end of the post so you can print them all at once so your own safari theme party will be a super success!

• Invitation Design: You can't have a party without a great invitation. I designed Owen's in Photoshop by downloading a free  African tree brush  pack and a free animal font  as well as a safari-esqe  font. However, this is an older post, so nowadays you can easily design your own invitations on Canva for free or order super cute editable printables from Etsy that you can print from home or have printed professionally.
• Printing: I had mine printed  for a great price (also try here ) and shipped to me. Try to allow at least 2-3 for shipping if you don't want to pay outrageous shipping charges!
• Envelopes: You can get envelopes  in an array of colors to match whichever safari party design you choose.

Safari Birthday Party Menu

Planning this safari theme party menu was so much fun! I have some serious back issues so I tried to plan things that were quick, easy, and delicious. I also made myself a strict timeline so I could make and freeze some of the food ahead of time in order to just throw them in the oven the day of the party.

The menu was completely safari themed, and I had such a blast putting everything together. The menu included:

• Snake Sandwich: Ham & provolone w/ brown sugar mustard & poppy seeds
• African Meatballs: Asian inspired w/ an African flair
• Simba's Veggie Tray: Veggie tray made to look like a lion's made
• Guano Funfetti Dip Funfetti w/ Animal Cookies
• Elephant Ears Palmiers
• Deviled Eagle Eggs
• Fried Ostrich
• Hippos in a Blanket
• Gorilla Grape Fruit Tray
• Chocolate Cat Tails
• Zebra Cakes
• Safari Sangria
• Green Apple Jungle Juice

Yes, it seems like a lot, but remember this safari party menu is really nothing, but finger foods. We had a huuuuuuuge guest list and we had ZERO leftovers. NONE-ZO.

The snake sandwich sliders slithered their way into the stomachs of my guests, and they were an absolute smash.

The recipe is a cinch and you may have even seen them called funeral sandwiches at some point because the original recipe blew up Pinterest several years ago. I've made them a ton, and they are always the first thing to go at a gathering.

The next biggest hit were the meatballs which I adapted from this recipe from Gimme Some Oven as well as this one from The Crockpot Ladies.

These things were incredible!!! I probably ate about 457 of them before I ever served them to my guests. They were more like Asian meatballs rather than Afrian, but whatevs. They were the bomb diggity.

Next up was Simba's lion veggie tray. People were so impressed by it , but it really couldn't have been simpler. Some people even commented that they didn't want to eat it because it was a work of art.

The "guano" funfetti dip was my husband's idea, and I thought it was disgustingly hilarious. Y'all know what guano is, right? #googleit

With our over abundance of blueberries , I couldn't resist, and it ended up being pretty good. Serve them up w/ animal crackers, and it just added to the awesomeness of the safari theme party!

Next up were the "elephant ears" or savory palmiers which are a recipe from Ina Garten on the Food Network. These were made with puff pastry, pesto, sun dried tomatoes, and goat cheese. This recipe was one that I made in advance, cut, froze, then baked on the morning of the party.

The remainder of the menu was just some basics: deviled eggs , fried "ostrich" (aka fried chicken) from our favorite chicken joint, chocolate covered pretzel rods that looked like tiger, zebra, leopard, and giraffe tails, a fruit tray, and "hippos" in a blanket that I made several days in advance, froze, then reheated on the day of the party.

For the adults I had a Safari sangria that was completely swoonworthy. I soaked kiwis, watermelon, grapes, strawberries, peaches and plums overnight in half a bottle of Smirnoff Sorbet Light  mango passionfruit vodka then added that to the rest of the drink, and dear heavens I could swim in that stuff all day long.

Last but not least were the cupcakes! I was so happy with them. First off, the cupcake stand is nothing but cardboard boxes wrapped in dollar store wrapping paper, stacked, and taped together with duct tape. I also hot glued a ribbon around the bottoms of each box.

I got the cupcake toppers (along with the majority of the decorations) from this website and the cupcake wrappers from Walmart.

I made one double batch of my go-to  chocolate lover's cupcakes   (cake only) using Jessica's recipe from How Sweet Eats , and I also made one large batch of vanilla from The Little Kitchen. In total I ended up with about 65 cupcakes.

Owen had a gluten-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free smash cake with coconut whipped cream frosting.

Since Owen has been feeding himself from the beginning, he didn't really go too crazy over his cake. He didn't really smash anything, but we're going to give him the real deal (probably using Jessica's funfetti cupcakes this time) on his actual birthday so maybe he'll tear that one apart instead.

Owen got a ton of wonderful gifts, but his absolute favorite was the giant teddy bear that is bigger than I am. This teddy bear was given to him by his great aunt who has given one of these to each of the great grandchildren in the family.

Owen can't get enough, and he likes to bite the bear's nose.

Well, I think that's it! I know it's a ton of information, but I'm hoping this post will help a mom like me who wants to throw an amazing safari party without having to scour the internet for every single little detail.

You can just bookmark this page and have all the links, recipes, and ideas stored in one place and make things a little bit easier for yourself.

Owen’s First Birthday Safari Party!

Ingredients   

Snake sandwich sliders:.

• 2.5 lbs thinly sliced Black Forest ham stacked and cut into quarters
• 2 lbs sliced provolone or Swiss cheese stacked and cut into quarters
• 3 sticks butter melted
• ¼ cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
• 2 tablespoon spicy deli or dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 2 black olives
• 1 small slice red bell pepper

For the African Meatballs:

• 4 lbs ground beef
• 1 small sweet onion minced
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 2 teaspoon fresh or ground ginger
• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 2 18 oz jars pineapple preserves

• 1 teaspoon fresh or ground ginger
• toasted sesame seeds and fresh cilantro for garnish

For Simba's Lion Veggie Tray:

• 1 batch or package sweet potato boiled peanut, or store bought hummus
• 1 bunch celery sliced into sticks
• 1 red bell pepper sliced into strips
• 1 orange bell pepper sliced into strips
• 1 yellow bell pepper sliced into strips
• 1 package baby carrots
• 6 black olive rings
• 1 small cherry tomato or cherry pepper
• 6 bell pepper strips

For the Guano Funfetti Cake Batter Dip:

• 1 box Funfetti cake mix
• 1 8 oz carton heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup vanilla yogurt
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 2 tablespoon pure cane or coconut sugar

For the Green Apple Jungle Juice:

• 1 packet unsweetened green apple Koolaid
• ½ cup monk fruit in the raw
• 2 quarts water
• 1 46 oz can pineapple juice
• 12 oz frozen lemonade concentrate thawed
• 3 liters of ginger ale

For the Safari Sangria:

• 1 peach sliced
• 1 plum sliced
• 2 kiwis peeled & sliced
• 1 cup strawberries quartered
• 1 cup green grapes
• 1 cup purple grapes
• ½ bottle Smirnoff Sorbet Light Mango Passionfruit vodka
• 1 magnum bottle 1.5 liters Yellowtail Pinot Grigio
• 1 750ml bottle Yellowtail Moscato
• 3-4 cans Sprite zero

Instructions  

For the snake sandwich sliders:.

• In a small bowl whisk together the butter, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire, onion powder, and poppy seeds until well combined. Set aside.
• Place the bottoms of the rolls on a large baking sheet(s) lined with parchment NOTE: IT'S FINE IF THE SANDWICHES TOUCH.
• Add one small slice of provolone to each bottom, then add two slices of ham on top of the cheese, follow up with another small slice of provolone, then sandwich each slider with the tops of the rolls.
• Liberally brush the brown sugar mustard on top of each slider, cover with tin foil, then refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours, but 24 hours is best. Refrigerate the brown sugar mixture in a sealed container.
• To serve, pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees (F).
• Re-melt the brown sugar mixture, remove the foil, then liberally brush the tops of each roll again. Pour any remaining sauce over the tops of the rolls, recover with the foil, then bake for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes or until they are golden brown.
• Using one of the rolls from the corner of a package, secure two black olives with toothpicks for the snake's eyes and add one slice of red pepper for the tongue.
• Place the remaining sliders behind the snake's head in a slithering shape and serve.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine beef, onion, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Using your hands, mix together until well combined. NOTE: DO NOT OVER WORK THE MEAT OR THEY'LL GET TOUGH.
• Using a small cookie scoop or spoon, shape the mixture into 60-65 balls and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cooked through. Allow to cool completely.
• Put baking sheets directly into the freezer and freeze the meatballs for 2 hours then transfer to large freezer bags until party day.
• On the day of the party, add meatballs to a large crockpot, whisk together pineapple preserves, hoisin sauce, ginger, and sriracha then pour over the meatballs. Cook on low for 4-5 hours, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro right before serving.

For Simba's lion veggie tray:

• Spoon the hummus into the middle of a large serving platter and smooth into a circle.
• Starting from the outside edges of the platter and working in, arrange the celery in a large circle, followed by the bell pepper, and finally the baby carrots.
• Use two whole olive rings for the eyes, a cherry pepper or tomato for the nose, and sliced olive rings for the mouth and whiskers.
• Add blueberries and sugar to a large heat safe bowl and microwave for 4 minutes or until hot and bubbly and sugar is dissolved. Cool completely.
• Pour whipping cream into the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand mixer) and beat until stiff peaks form. Stir in the cake mix until there are no lumps left then fold in the yogurt.
• Transfer to a serving bowl, top with half of the blueberry mixture, and serve with animal crackers of choice.
• Add kool aid packet and monk fruit to a large pitcher, top with water, and stir until monk fruit is dissolved.
• Add pineapple juice and lemonade concentrate and stir.
• Right before serving, pour in gingerale.
• Add the fruit and vodka to a large plastic container and refrigerate overnight, stirring occasionally.
• In a large drink dispenser, combine wine, guava nectar, and sprite and stir.
• Stir in fruit and half of the vodka (or more if you want it super strong) and serve.

*Disclosure:  By following the links above and completing a purchase, Slim Pickin’s Kitchen may receive compensation via discounts on products or monetary means from the respective affiliate programs* 

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September 04, 2014 at 2:52 pm

I want to be like you when I grow up and have kids. That all looks so amazing!

September 04, 2014 at 11:49 pm

Thanks, girl! Hope married life is treating you well!

Hannah says

September 04, 2014 at 8:36 pm

WOW!!!! Why did I have to miss out on this...

I wish you were there! Maybe next time. Hope all is well with you!

September 18, 2014 at 10:43 am

This is really adorable! Great job 🙂

September 18, 2014 at 8:22 pm

Thanks so much, Bren! I appreciate it!

Smart Party Planning

The Best Safari Party Ideas Everyone Will Love

Unisex Kids Parties

This post contains affiliate links. We may earn money from the products mentioned in this post, but this is at no cost to you

Head deep into the jungle with this collection of simple Safari party ideas. The kids will have a wild time with fun and playful party decoration.

There are plenty of ideas that are easy to incorporate with a little DIY planning. This is a great party theme for any little adventurer.

Related articles:

• How To Make An Easy But Awesome Monkey Birthday Cake
• The Ultimate Guide To Easy Party Ideas For Boys

A Safari party is perfect on so many levels. For a start it is great for not only birthday’s, but also baby showers and christenings.

It also works as a great party theme for both boys and girls. You could say in a way that it is the perfect party theme, one which all party guests will have a great time.

Everyone will certainly have the time of their life at a Safari party. With it’s striking decor, it’s adorable characters and it’s capacity for wild adventures, this is a party that everyone is going to love.

How Do I Decorate For A Safari Party?

Decorating for a safari theme party is going to be a LOT of fun. There are a lot of safari party supplies that can be purchased, as well as using other items found in the dollar store.

Whilst there are some specific party ideas further down the post with decorating ideas, the simplest way to decorate the party space is to stick to the earthy colors. Think of brown, green, yellow, orange and white as a good starting point and it’s easy to build from there.

It is a good idea to create a party backdrop . This can easily be achieved using budget friendly plastic tablecloth’s in your chosen party colors.

Next create some tissue paper garlands to hang around the area and suddenly you already have the perfect jungle feel. Make some vines by twisting together brown craft paper. Add vine and palm leaves to them for extra effect.

If you have any stuffed safari animals, use them as decoration props. It is also a great idea to look out for them at second hand shops.

Add some animal cutouts, animal print balloons and even some inflatable animals for some extra wild touches to the jungle theme party.

Real Safari Party Ideas

Use these real Safari parties to give you an idea of how to put the party together. Each of these parties takes a slightly different spin on the Safari theme.

The great thing about a themed party is that no two parties are exactly the same!

Typical Jungle Safari Party

Source: A Pumpkin and A Princess

This jungle Safari party is simply amazing. The party decor, the earthy color scheme, the funky cake and the simple yet delicious table display. It all works together perfectly.

The hanging rosettes are totally gorgeous and look awesome set back against the striking green leaves.

Cheetah Party

Source: A Small Snippett .

Another great way to hold a Safari party is to focus on one aspect of Safari. In this instance it’s the cheetah.

The cheetah print everywhere looks awesome. It’s even included on the ties on the chairs. Having the cheetah print as the focal point ensures that everything blends together perfectly.

Madagascar Safari Party

Source: Love Every Detail

For some amazing Safari party ideas, you can’t go past Madagascar. This is certainly a party that is deep in Safari.

The cupcake toppers are sensational and even the ‘dirt’ cups look delicious. Everything is matched perfectly with printable’s and the colors are bold and striking.

Venturing up to this party table, you are literally walking into the jungle.

Baby Shower Safari Party

Source: Stix N Pops

A Safari party makes a gorgeous theme for a baby shower.

The cupcake tower with the cake on top is stunning and creates a fantastic table feature. The baby curled up on top of the cake is just adorable.

This is a fun and cheeky party, and would certainly be a lot of fun for a mum to be.

Pastel Safari Party

Source: Grey Grey Designs .

Pastel decoration might not instantly be the decor that comes to mind when you think of a Safari party, but this example goes to show that it can be done.

Everything looks like you would see it in a nursery, the baby spin on the party is simply delightful. The cupcake display has to be my favorite part of the table display.

Safari Party Food Ideas

There are so many fun themed treats that you can make for a Safari party.

Creating theme food adds to the fun and helps to create the jungle atmosphere. For simplicity, stick to finger foods.

Some easy Safari food ideas include:

• Delicious and also fun monkey pops . This is an easy recipe and the monkey heads are available as a free printable.
• Kids love jello and this is so easy to have available at the party. Stick to jello in safari colors where possible.
• Have a fruit station. Fruit will always be found on safari, so this is a great excuse to get some healthy food into the kids.
• It would also be fun to use some vegetables and turn them into animal faces. For example, use carrot sticks to create a lion’s face with drip bowls for eyes, cauliflower for the nose and slices of mushrooms for the mouth. Or perhaps slice a cucumber and lay it out as a snake.
• Obtain an animal cookie cutter of choice for some fun cookies

Fun Safari Games & Activites

To throw the most awesome Safari party, it’s important to have some games. Examples include:

• A spin on Simon Says. Instead of saying Simon says, you could say, “The jungle says to swing your arms like an elephant”.
• Safari animal scavenger hunt.
• Sleeping lions. Play some music and when the music stops, the kids fall to the ground and lay as still as they can.
• Jungle Animal Charades
• Pin the tail on a (Safari animal of choice)
• Have someone available for face painting an assortment of jungle animal face masks.
• Create a craft table where the kids can color in jungle animal masks.
• Make a pair of binoculars by taping two toilet rolls together and fixing some string to the ends so they can hang around the children’s necks.
• Create a photo booth with safari props and animal party hats.

Safari-Themed Birthday Party Favors

Kid love to explore their goodie bags end the end of a party. There are lots of party favors that you could include that match the theme of the party such as:

• Plastic little animals
• Animal stickers
• Tiger tails
• Animal tattoos
• Animal eye masks

A Safari party is a whole lot of fun for the entire family. The kids might like to dress up in their favorite Safari animal costume or as a Safari explorer to really feel like they are entering the jungle together.

With the striking party decor and some fun themed food and games, this party is going to be a roaring success.

Need some ideas for a different theme? Check out more  party ideas  for a ton of inspiration with different themes, games and more.

Let’s keep in touch. Did you love these safari party ideas? Sign up to the weekly newsletter to be kept up to date with other easy party ideas, decorations and recipes. You will also have access to the library of free printables. See you there!

About Catherine Holt

Catherine Holt is the founder of Smart Party Planning . She is a stay at home mum with a passion for celebrating life’s little moments, with creative yet budget friendly ideas. Catherine often has a camera in hand capturing everyday events and is a self obsessed chocoholic! She loves connecting with other mum's on the blog and sharing party planning tips and tricks. Get all the answers to every aspect of party planning with her eBook today! If you want to hold a party with that ‘wow’ factor and have it tailored to the person you’re holding it for then this eBook is for you. Let Catherine take the stress and headache out of organizing your next party or event.

Connect with her on Twitter , Facebook , and Pinterest .

August 9, 2014 at 4:17 pm

I may never go to a safari party, but I sure enjoyed all these options! Thanks for coming and linking up at The Weekend Social. All posts get pinned in our pinterest board! Please be sure to come back next week starting Thursdays at 9PM EST on culinaryflavors.gr ! I hope to see you there!

August 9, 2014 at 8:29 pm

Thanks Katerina. They look so much fun don’t they! You never know, there could always be an excuse for a safari party 🙂

August 10, 2014 at 7:53 am

So cute! Thanks for linking up with The Caffeinated Crafters this week!

August 10, 2014 at 8:56 pm

Thanks April, glad you could stop by 😉

August 12, 2014 at 10:26 am

Awesome round up of Safari Parties! Thanks for sharing them at the Teach Me Tuesday Linky Party:) Hope you can join us again starting tonight!

August 12, 2014 at 7:17 pm

Thanks Adrian. I love the round up posts and seeing what other bloggers are creating 🙂

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40 Wild Ideas for a Safari-Themed Party

Hey you party animal! Whether you’re planning baby’s first birthday party or an elegant safari-themed wedding, nothing is more fun than animals in party hats and a healthy dose of leopard print . From tiger-striped cupcakes to fancy three-tiered cakes topped with golden lions, we can’t get enough. If you’re feeling the call of the wild, check out these gorgeous and whimsical safari parties to get inspired. Then, go bananas.

1. Wild Animal Party : Line the party table with an animal parade! Just because it’s a safari party doesn’t mean the color palette has to be brown! (via 6th Street Design )

2. Zebra Notes : Technically these are Valentines, but we love the idea of giving out these little cards as invitations. Just tie a little animal onto each card for a fun pre-party favor. (via Sarah M Style )

3. Animal Print Photo Booth : Our very own Creative Director Anj has a particular obsession with animal print, and created a totally wild photo booth for her 30th. (via Anjelika Temple on Flickr )

4. Leopard Print Cake : For a more refined safari theme, paint a white cake with yellow leopard spots and decorate the table with lots of greenery and natural fibers. (via Wedding Chicks )

5. Animal Party : Not only are we loving the animals on the table, the colorful stools are adorable! With a red and white color palette, the safari animals take on an almost circus theme. (via Ikea )

6. Tiger Cupcakes : Meow! These tiger striped cupcakes are actually super easy to make but the effect is amazing! Top them with white frosting and a mini toy tiger for extra wow. (via Amy Atlas )

7. Palm Tree Table Settings : For an adult safari, stick with golds, rich browns and amber. Just the simple touch of a mini palm leaf on each plate adds just the right amount of color. (via The Wedding Chicks )

8. Red and Blue Safari : Even though this is a kids’ party, the simple color palette feels very grown up. (via Ikea )

9. Wild Cake Pop : How cute are these animal print cake pops ?! Get the affect by dripping chocolate horizontally for the zebra stripes or by painting little half circles for the leopard print. (via Popsugar )

10. Zebra Stationery ($18): Send out invitations to your chic safari party using these very glam zebra stripe stationery. Never ones to settle for black and white, we love the pink and blue options.

11. Interactive Wall Decal : Even without the zebra, taping balloons to the wall with zebra washi tape is really cool party decor. (via Catch My Party )

12. Wild Animal Drink Stirrers ($17): If you’re going to be cocktailing , you absolutely must have these golden zoo animal stirrers.

13. Leopard Balloons : This is what your party needs — gold and orange animal print balloons . (via Project Nursery )

14. Wrapped Drinks : Wrap mason jars in burlap and zebra-print ribbon for a classy touch of safari fun. Bonus points for putting them all in a bamboo tray. (via Kara’s Party Ideas )

15. Put a Mask on It : What a cute idea to put an animal mask on each guest’s chair! Not only does it make awesome decor, they can take them home as party favors. (via Celebration At Home )

16. Printed Sunglass Favors ($7): Kids and adults alike will have fun with these neon print sunglasses! Give them out as party favors or use them as a prop in a photo booth !

17. Safari Dessert Table : Cover the dessert bar with a burlap tablecloth and then put all the desserts on trays with cute little handwritten labels. We especially love those animal print cupcakes. (via Kara’s Party Ideas )

18. Girly Safari Party : Holy girly overload! Take a whole new direction and make a pink party with pretty frosted animal sugar cookies and pastel decorations. (via Hostess With the Mostess )

19. Animal Print Mask ($1): Get your party animal on with these adorable masks! We’re pretty sure not just the kids would have fun wearing these.

20. Pink Safari : How cute is this layered cake with the animal and banner topper ! We appreciate the more subtle take on a safari themed party. (via Kara’s Party Ideas )

21. Birthday Animal Gift Wrap ($7): Wrap your presents in this whimsical paper to make your gift table the wildest one ever.

22. DIY Wild Cat Stand : Wish you had these incredibly gorgeous cake stands? Well you’re in luck, because these are actually really easy to make. If gold isn’t your jam (say what?!), reach for a paint bottle of neon green or pink. (via Make )

23. Animal Print Candles ($8): Make a wish on these party candles and your wildest dream just might true.

24. Gum Ball Jars : Another easy DIY alert! Depending on your color preference, you could fill the jars with all kinds of colored candy although we think the gum balls add a fun circus element. (via Pink Pistachio )

25. Baby’s First Safari : This safari party is all glam with a gold and white color scheme. The animal silhouetted banner would be super easy to DIY with a stencil and some spray paint. (via Hostess With the Mostess )

26. Animal Hearted Invites : Inside each of these loving invites is a little toy animal with a heart painted on it! We are most definitely RSVPing yes! (via Design Love Fest )

27. Party Hats : How adorable are those tiny party hats! Sometimes it’s the smallest detail that just takes a party to a whole ‘nother level of charming. (via Pink Pistachio )

28. Giraffe Stencil Glasses : Whether you’re serving milk or cocktails, stenciled zoo animals on the glasses are always a good idea. Mix up the colors or animals so guests remember which drank is there drank. (via Hostess With the Mostess )

29. Zoo Candles ($11): Pick up a pack of these animal candles for a cake topper that does it all.

30. Ruffle Animal Cake : Who would’ve though a ruffled cake would look so good with zoo animals on it! The simplicity of the all white cake makes it the perfect backdrop for all the animal patterns. (via Lil Sugar )

31. Painted Animals : Zoo animals in pajamas? Have you ever seen anything so cute! Just paint cheap toy animals in bright colors and decorate them with mini pom poms. (via Pretty Providence )

32. Face Masks : For the very mature safari party, try a black and gold color palette. These paper mache masks would be incredible in a photo booth! (via The Sweetest Occasion )

33. Neon Jungle: Naturally, we love anything neon, and these animals are pretty much our favorite. Paint them your favorite colors and then use them to top the cake, tie them to gifts or just set them around for extra colorful decor. (via Fellow Fellow)

34. Golden Safari Centerpieces : This is definitely the most glitzy safari we’ve ever seen and we love it. Running a strip of burlap down the middle of the table is the perfect way to show off the delicate gold animals and white flowers. (via Hostess with the Mostess )

35. Glitter Boxes : Why settle for paint when you can add glitter! Just coat toy animals in glue and dip them in colored glitter for some adorable decor. (via Hostess with the Mostess )

36. DIY Party Animal Pendants : Give these necklaces out as party favors, but don’t be surprised if you see your friends wearing them long after the party is over. (via Flamingo Toes )

37. DIY Golden Animal Placeholders : These would be the perfect way to number the tables or to tell guests where to sit. (via Brit + Co )

38. Party Animal Pumpkins : We’re not used to seeing pumpkins outside of Halloween, but it turns out they make really cool zoo animals. Especially that flamingo . (via Studio DIY )

39. Tiny Party Hats : Roll tiny hats out of colored paper and tape them to plastic animals. We can see putting one of these on each cupcake. (via Oh Happy Day )

40. Minimalist Safari Cake : Sometimes the simple look is the most effective and this white cake is charming with just a couple animals on top. Although we feel like they secretly want a party hat. (via Bleubird )

Are you ready to go on the prowl for some cool safari party decor? Would you go with bright colors or paint all your lions gold? Talk to us in the comments below!

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Luke’s Safari Party Food Ideas

Looking for some Safari Party food ideas? Arlene sent me these photos from her son Luke’s 2nd Safari Party a while ago. Arlene used my Safari Party Printables to help decorate the party venue.

Arlene had some clever {and simple} Safari Party food ideas for animal inspired food.  You can find the folding printable Food Labels she used in my Safari Party Printables  🙂

No jungle safari is complete without a sighting of the ‘Big 5’!

Thanks for sharing your fabulous Safari Party food ideas Arlene!

My  Safari Party Printables  can be personalized & customized by you, printed from your home computer, & used over & over again!

Purchase them from the shop for $12.50 HERE .

Happy partying!

Go On a Wild Adventure with These Safari Theme Party Ideas

For a little explorer, there’s simply no better way to celebrate than a safari theme party. Whether you’re hosting a 1st birthday party or a birthday slumber party for tweens, it’s a theme that you can really bring to life with impressive decor, styling, and treats. 

If you’re ready to host one of the best safari or jungle theme party events of the year, we’re here to help. Get inspiration for your safari theme party with these decor, food, activity, and invitation ideas. 

10 Adventurous Safari Theme Party Ideas

Design: Noonday Design

You can really go wild with a safari theme party and transform your space into something magical. Here are some of our favorite safari theme party ideas for decor, activities, food, favors, and more. 

1. Make It a Costume Party

If you’re inviting lots of wild ones along to your safari theme party, this is a must-have. Take your birthday party idea to the next level by turning it into a costume party.

Ask your party animals to join you dressed up as their favorite zoo animal or safari creature. Keep it open and let them choose their own costume, or ask people to take an everyday T-shirt and customize it with animal prints or designs to show off their creativity. 

2. Host a Safari-Themed Sleepover Party

We love a sleepover or slumber party , and it feels like this is one of those themes that’s perfect for it. Celebrate an animal birthday or safari get-together by asking your guests to stay overnight and stay up late.

Transform your living space or bedroom into a safari camp with beautifully styled mini tents, or ask people to bring along a sleeping bag for a more rustic feel. Add some themed party decor like balloon garlands, strings of faux leaves, or animal cutouts to really enhance the experience. 

3. Go Wild with Animal Print

What better excuse than a safari theme party to go a little over the top with animal print birthday party decorations? There’s something fun about layering plenty of prints together to create a zany, unique take on the jungle party theme. 

Look for tableware, table covers, party plates, and more safari theme party supplies that heavily feature animal print. Keep it all to one type — like leopard print — or mix in some zebra or giraffe print for a more eclectic look. 

4. Transform Your Space into a Jungle

This idea takes a little more planning and plenty of safari party supplies, but it’s well worth it for a special birthday or occasion. 

Layer hanging backdrops filled with palm leaves or tree-themed fabric, and hang earth-toned balloons, cutouts, or decorations from your ceiling. Invest in some color-changing bulbs to add a cozy glow or create a sunset effect, and add natural textiles and animal decorations to complete the look. 

5. Fill Your Party Venue with Jungle Safari Animals 

When it comes to planning the ultimate safari theme party, you can’t go wrong with plenty of jungle animals. Whether you fill the space with them, or hide them around as a fun mini game for the kids, it’s a super fun way to bring the theme to life. 

Use animal cutouts to create an adorable photo booth area, or feature tiny toy jungle animals as part of a themed centerpiece or table decoration. How and where you display the animals is up to you, but it wouldn’t be a safari theme party without them.

6. Host a Jungle Obstacle Course

Design: Claudia Owen

If you’re looking for something to tire out your wild ones, a jungle-themed obstacle course is a wonderfully interactive idea. It’s an ideal activity for kids of all ages, and you can tailor it to your theme, group, or event type. 

You can create your own obstacle course using everyday objects like couch cushions or hula hoops, or invest in an inflatable obstacle course for a big milestone birthday celebration. However you choose to do it, this is a great way to use up some of that energy ahead of cake time.

7. Set Up a DIY Crafting Area

Create a space where younger guests can relax (and still be creative) with a crafting area. Set up a party table somewhere away from the noise and offer your guests fun ways to engage in themed crafts. Download printable animal coloring pages, or find the instructions and materials for a DIY safari craft for kids . It’s a sweet way to offer a place to calm down while still having plenty of fun.

8. Splash Out on a Safari Theme Birthday Cake

If you’re putting on a safari theme party for a birthday celebration, you’ll need a cake that fits the occasion. Whether you opt for an expertly baked masterpiece or a homemade treasure with an adorable cake topper, it’s sure to be one of the guests’ highlights. 

You can take a jungle theme cake in a variety of directions. Choose a simple sponge cake and add a personalized cake topper, or go minimal and stylish with a giant palm leaf design. Think about what the guest of honor would love to see as you all sing “happy birthday.”

9. Give Your Birthday Buffet a Safari Theme Twist

Buffets are great for a kids’ birthday party because people can pick their favorite snacks and treats without too much going to waste. It’s perfect for those picky little eaters who just want to fill a plate with cheese, crackers, or cocktail sausages. 

To liven up your birthday buffet, give your foods a safari twist. These monkey sandwiches are adorable, and this giraffe cake dessert board is a gorgeous way to get your guests enjoying lots of fresh fruit. For snacks, a jungle safari trail mix is easy to make and works great as a sleepover midnight treat. 

10. Create Themed Party Favor Bags

Your safari theme party is turning out to be epic, so you’ll want party favors that live up to the same hype as your main event. Luckily, you can put together goodie bags that match this theme quickly, easily, and affordably. 

Choose a favor bag or box with a safari theme or animal print design, then add in a few classic items like stickers, candy, and bubbles. For an extra treat, send your guests home with a safari animal cupcake or a personalized animal pencil or coloring set. 

Exciting Safari Theme Party Invites

Design: frau brandt (photo courtesy of Angela & Evan Photography)

This is one of those birthday party themes that absolutely needs an exciting party invite to match. Here are some of our most-loved online invitations for your themed get-together — whether it’s a jungle birthday party or safari baby shower party .

First Safari Invitation

Design: frau brandt

For all those little babies celebrating their first birthday, this First Safari invitation is a lovely way to mark the moment. The gorgeous, soft illustrations are ideal for this momentous occasion. 

Swing On By Invitation

Looking for something more contemporary? This Swing On By invitation is the perfect mix of modern and adorable, with a fun monkey illustration and modern typefaces. 

Calling All Party Animals Invitation

Design: Jessie Steury

For a safari theme party that blends cute with mischievous, this Calling All Party Animals invitation is an ideal match. We love the bold yet sweet illustrations on this design, which is great for an all-out costume party or an understated sleepover. 

Classic Cheetah Print Invitation

For a more sophisticated safari theme party, this Classic Cheetah Print invite is one of our top picks. The black and gold palette is ideal for an adult birthday party, or a teen who wants something a little more dramatic and contemporary than a cutesy jungle invitation. 

X Marks the Spot Invitation

Design: Shiny Penny Studio

Whether you’re hosting a slumber party or outdoor safari theme party, this X Marks the Spot invitation works perfectly. The watercolor background complements the sweet illustrations, and it says “safari” without being too over-the-top about the theme — leaving some mystery for your guests. 

Host a Spectacular Safari-Themed Birthday Party in Style

A safari theme party is one of the best ways to celebrate a special moment for adventurers of all ages. Whether you recreate a safari experience in your backyard or keep it simple with a more contemporary take on the theme, it’s a lovely way to get together and wish someone a very happy birthday. 

Once you’ve decided on your safari theme direction, look for an invite that’s just as creative. Explore our birthday invitation designs to choose a template, personalize it, and send it on its way to your excited party guests.

Frugal Coupon Living

Stretching Your Pennies, Saving Your Dollars

18 Jungle Party Ideas for the Best Safari Party Ever

May 31, 2022 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Birthday , Crafts , Facebook , Home Improvement , Instagram , Party , Pinterest , Social Media Leave a Comment published date: March 29, 2022 modified datt: May 31,2022

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It’s a jungle out there! Don’t get lost in the overgrown vines preparing for this special occasion. Enjoy these easy jungle party ideas and safari themed birthday party inspiration. Overlap the two for the best birthday party for your child. Get the wild party started.

So, you’re planning a party for your little monkey, and you’ve decided on a jungle or safari theme. Great idea! This is a popular theme for many reasons—it’s super cute, easy to pull off yourself, and can be pretty affordable if you do most of the décor and food yourself.

In this post, we’ll share lots of ideas that will help make your child’s birthday party a roaring success. From animal-inspired decorations to fun games and activities, we have everything you need to plan the perfect jungle-themed celebration. So get ready to unleash your inner adventurer and let the festivities begin!

Jungle Party Cake Ideas

Whether you’re throwing a cute party for your baby or toddler or a more sophisticated bash, these leaf printables jungle cupcake toppers will fit right in. They’re stylish without being over-the-top “cute” and can take cupcakes from “meh” to “amazing” in minutes with cute palm leaves and tigers. | Oh Happy Day

This colorful jungle-themed birthday cake will dazzle on any dessert table. Adorable safari animals and trees surround the bottom layer of the cake, while animal tracks adorn the top layer, along with the child’s age. You’ll find loads more ideas here, like the animal cookie sandwiches, banana pudding for monkeys, and some charming cupcakes with fondant animal toppers. |  Roxy’s Kitchen

Want to DIY a cake yourself? It’s super easy to do. Make a basic two-tiered chocolate cake, and add some jungle animal figurines to the top. With jungle animal toys (or safari animals), it’s pretty simple, but it still looks professional and polished. | Kara’s Party Ideas

Safari Birthday Party Food

You’ll find so many cute jungle party foods here, from the snake sandwich, to the lion hummus, to the adorable cupcakes. Even the zebra bites and tiger tales are magazine worthy (and drool worthy). All of the ideas are simple to execute. Don’t make the ideas complicated with a  jungle recipe, run to subway and let the sandwich artist do this meat, cheese and bread laying. You just add the pretty decor. | Chelsea’s Messy Apron

How amazing are these zebra chocolate covered strawberries? While they look difficult to make, they’re actually quite easy by dipping the strawberries in white chocolate first and then dipping the tip in milk chocolate while drizzling some up the “nose” using a spoon to create stripes. |  Arts Crackers

Offer a healthy option that’s still cute and fun, like these jungle fruit and veggie trees. Carrot sticks and celery make excellent tree trunks, while apple or pear slices are the perfect leaves. |  Honey and Lime

Here’s another healthy snack that’s sure to make the kids smile—tiger cub cuties. Draw the faces on with a Sharpie or a food-safe marker if you have concerns about the permanent marker. |  Pen Lights to Pacifiers

Set up a jungle display on your buffet party table by weaving faux greenery throughout the dishes on your table. Include a mix of meats, veggies, and kid-friendly fare like pinwheels and sandwiches. | Catch My Party

Jungle Party Décor Ideas

With some cute safari animals (think giraffes, elephants, zebras, and tigers) and a few inexpensive jungle party supplies from Dollar Tree, you can make fabulous centerpieces for your jungle-themed party for just a few bucks each. These low-cost party decorations make cute party favors too. | Drugstore Divas

Put these animal party cups together to hold snacks like popcorn, candy, or individual cups of veggies and dip. You’ll need craft paper, glue, and scissors to transform your cups into monkeys, giraffes, or parrots themed treats. | Makes and Takes

Every detail of this neutral safari party is gorgeous. From the wooden crafts for displaying the cupcakes and cake, to the pretty favor boxes filled with animal crackers, the tan and brown colors all tie together nicely. I especially love the DIY rosettes in the background of the dessert table. |  A Pumpkin and a Princess

Make an eye-catching balloon arch using animal print balloons along with colors that tie into the overall color scheme for the party. This pop of color will be perfect for taking photos with family and friends. |  Kara’s Party Ideas

Cut animal silhouettes out of cardboard or foam board, paint them, and set them up in various places at your venue. They’ll look fantastic anywhere, from sitting in tall blades of grass, near a tree, or hanging on a wall if you’re partying indoors. This website also has free jungle party printables. | Windmill and Protea

Safari Party Activities for Kids

Set up a crafting area for the children to make a colorful paper plate lion. The design is simple enough for even young kids to do, but all ages will enjoy it. If you want to avoid a mess with paint, use yellow paper plates and red, brown, and orange paper strips instead. |  Taming Little Monsters

For a simple, mess-free craft, try these cardboard tube monkeys. Cut the ears and face out of cardstock or construction paper, and add a pipe cleaner tail. How simple is that? |  Jinxy Kids

Put on your safari hat. Provide a photo op for kids and parents alike using this Jeep idea! You’ll need a cardboard Jeep cutout and some willing adventurers to smile for the camera. | Arts Crackers

Jungle Birthday Party Favors

Don’t get lost with the chaos of animals and growing vines. Be prepared for your next Safari or Jungle Themed Birthday Party with these 12 Fun Jungle Themed Party Games printable . Learn more about the animal party games and different activities to incorporate into your event! | Frugal Coupon Living

Provide these felt jungle masks for your partygoers to put on as soon as they arrive. It’ll be a fun way to get everyone on board with the theme and will serve as a cute favor keepsake from the party. Your stitching doesn’t have to be flawless for these masks, but if you want to skip the sewing altogether, use a sturdy fabric glue instead. |  Tonya Staab

These DIY giraffe party hats are another fun wearable item for your guests. The printable is free, and you can jazz up the assembled hats with yarn pom-pom toppers. |  Moms and Crafters

You can’t embark on a safari without a trusty pair of binoculars to help you see the animals up close and personal! These DIY toilet paper roll binoculars are a blast for kids to make themselves as a party craft. However, you can make them beforehand and let guests grab a pair during the party or as they leave. The printable binocular cover is a cute touch. |  Go Places with Kids

Make up bags of monkey chow (a.k.a. banana chips) to give to your guests. They’re a yummy sweet treat that kids will love without sending them home with candy. |  Michelle’s Party Plan-It

So, there you have it – 18+ jungle party ideas that are sure to make your birthday one for the record books. We hope you found this post helpful and we can’t wait to see all the amazing things you do with your jungle party theme. Be sure to pin this post so you can come back to it when it’s party time.

We loved a good themed party. Take a look look a more fun birthday party ideas for boys and girls.

• Pirate Party Ideas
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You can keep parties small or even celebrate small celebrations every six months. Take a look at these…

• Family Birthday Celebrations
• Half Birthday Ideas
• Surprise Birthday Party Ideas
• Birthday Party Games for Kids

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Jungle Safari Birthday Party Ideas

By Author Paula Biggs

Posted on Last updated: June 21, 2022

My young friend Sidney was born a conservationist. I’ve never met another person so enamored with or concerned for animals. She even had her wildly talented mother turn her room into a treetop hut overlooking the Costa Rican jungles–with all the correct trees and animals painted on the walls.When her birthday rolled around this year, she wanted to celebrate with a safari birthday party theme.

I was grateful I was given leave by young Sidney to mix up my animals from different continents. 🙂

Remember when I told you Sidney’s mom was wildly talented? I mean ridiculously artistic. I showed up with the ideas and a menu, and her mom put an amazing amount of polish on them. You’ll see what I mean!

Sidney’s mom, Susan, painted this sign for the front door on a piece of cardboard, then aged it. We’ll give styling points to Sidney for the palm fronds across the entrance!

Jungle Safari Tablescape

My part was to come up with a table for the party guests to eat at and a dessert table. Just like last year’s Left Shark party , everything had to be done low cost and EASY. We made almost everything from paper, so check, and semi-check!

Sidney helped decorate outside as well. Members of her very large collection of stuffed animals were strategically placed around the party. This lemur ( buy here ) kept the tablescape company.

I really lucked out with the table settings! The centerpieces were from the watercolor fishing baby shower and recycled to fit our jungle/safari party theme. I put a few fiber optic butterflies ( buy here ) in the thickets to delight the girls.

The placemats and plates were a clearance find at Hobby Lobby, and matched everything wonderfully well! I found paper printed to look like burlap in the dollar bins at Target over the summer and used that for a table runner. If you can’t find a roll of paper for your runner, you can buy a real burlap runner similar to it here.

Seriously, my favorite part was the animals in party hats. My helper made these, and I love the detail! She even cut mini-festooning for the edges after starting with a few plastic safari animals ( buy here ).

Each place setting also sported a pair of binoculars that were also a party favor ( buy here .) Sadly, I didn’t catch a picture of the safari helmets ( buy here ) the girls got as well–but they had a great time with them! Everyone decorated their helmets at the beginning of their party with a little glam.

Other Safari Party Decor

Back to my amazing friend Susan! She made this really fantastic guidepost for the party. Again, she used cardboard to make each individual sign. After painting them, she burned the edges to age the signs, nearly giving Sidney a heart attack that the art was going to be ruined in the process. (Ha!)

My helper that made the animals with party hats also designed some templates for a few tissue paper pom parrots. The parrot is sitting on vines made from twisted brown craft paper and freehand cut leaves. C LICK HERE TO LEARN TO MAKE THIS DIY TISSUE PAPER PARROT.

Safari Birthday Party Food

We laid out a few snacks for the girls while they were running around and swimming (this was a pool party), and made a few in-theme containers for them to go in. Accompanied, of course, by animals in party hats!

The cheetah was my favorite!

Pretzel rods dipped in candy melt and drizzled with chocolate made great “Tiger Tails.”

Nothing could be easier than these Zebra Cake Pops! Buy the Little Debbie snack cakes ( like these) , and put them on sticks made for holding cookies ( but here ) and pop them in a vase. Done!

Here are a few more of my favorite shots from the party…

Safari Birthday Party Activities

Sock puppet animals. Since this was a pool party, we didn’t have to plan much, but we worked in a craft for the girls to do while we waited for all the guests to arrive. We put out socks and a wide variety of ribbons, pipe cleaners, google eyes and material and told the girls to make sock puppet animals.

Pith Hat decorating. The plastic hats got the royal treatment using the same supplies as we put out for the sock animals. This was really a two for one for prep work!

Scavenger hunt. Sidney’s dad created a scavenger hunt that had them running all over. He did a little bit better than I did at Maddie’s Glam Emoji party , as the girls took a little longer to get through to the end to find the treasure chest. Which coincidentally, was a chest of silly string they proceeded to have a battle with in the front yard.

Everyone in attendance had a really fantastic time, and Sidney’s mom and dad’s extra special touches made the party really spectacular!

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Everything You Need To Plan An Epic Safari Themed Party / The Birthday Party Blog

Thursday 11th of July 2019

[…] Photo from: frogprincepaperie.com […]

How to make a DIY Tissue Paper Parrot for Luau Parties

Thursday 27th of June 2019

[…] few years ago we made these DIY tissue paper parrot decorations for a safari party for our little friend Sidney. The paper parrots have been wildly popular on Pinterest, and after […]

How to Make Tissue Paper Pineapple Pouf & Flamingo [Luau DIY] - Frog Prince Paperie

Wednesday 19th of June 2019

[…] can move on to making all kinds of other party decorations–like tissue paper flamingos and tissue paper parrots. […]

Tuesday 16th of October 2018

Is there a way that I can get the parrot pattern I’m going to make a party for my grandson in March and I’ve been trying to start early

Tuesday 21st of August 2018

I love the cheese puffs canter how can i make that

Roxy's Kitchen

Safari / Jungle Themed First Birthday Party Part II – Appetizers, Finger Foods & Snack Ideas

August 8, 2014 by Roxy

After all the delicious desserts listed in Part I of my Safari / Jungle Themed First Birthday Party post, it’s time for some appetizers, finger foods and snacks ideas now! As I mentioned in my previous post I wanted to share all food ideas and party decorations in a single post but it got ridiculously long so I split it into four parts:

• Part I – Dessert Ideas
• Part II – Appetizers, Finger Foods & Snack Ideas
• Part III – DIY Decoration Ideas + FREE Printables
• Part IV – Cheap Party Supplies & Decorations

Going back to this post’s topic now… we served HUNGRY TIGER BITES which were actually my 4-Ingredient Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Roll-Ups ! Ready in just 10 minutes!

I saw a LION FACE MADE OUT OF VEGGIES on Pinterest, showed my husband the photo and asked for his help and this is how it turned out (after taking a few bites of cauliflower) :).

The hippos were getting a little hungry so I made a HUNGRY HIPPO DIP. That would be my 5-Ingredient Spinach Sweet Potato Dip that we enjoy as a dip and Daniel as a full meal! We served it with baked pita chips but tortilla chips or crackers are another option.

And lastly, we had some store-bought snacks:

PEANUTS FOR ELEPHANTS

CHEETOS FOR CHEETAHS

If you’ve found this post useful I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Be sure to  follow me on Pinterest  for more birthday party ideas, awesome cake decorating tutorials and much more!

Visit Roxy’s Kitchen’s profile on Pinterest.

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Safari / Jungle Themed First Birthday Party   –  Dessert Ideas

Safari / Jungle Themed First Birthday Party –  DIY Decorations + FREE Printables

Safari / Jungle Themed First Birthday Party   –    Cheap Party Supplies & Decorations

This post contains Amazon.com affiliate links for products I personally use and love. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, your costs will be the same but I will receive a small commission which is used for hosting and running this site. I appreciate your support! 

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April 5, 2015 at 11:12 PM

I’m planning a birthday party for my brother and thinking of this theme. Thank so much for the tips and help. i love reading your blog!

April 6, 2015 at 9:54 PM

You’re very welcome, Nazeha! I’m glad you enjoy my blog. Have fun organizing your brother’s party, would love to see some pictures if you decide to go with this theme 🙂

August 21, 2014 at 10:51 AM

You are so creative! I love the veggie lion face! Thank you for linking up to Party Time and we hope to see you again next week!

August 11, 2014 at 6:12 AM

Wow, love love love all the details you put into everything! The safari jungled theme is such a fun idea! Your guests must have been so impressed for sure 🙂

August 12, 2014 at 10:48 PM

Thanks Kelly, it’s definitely a super fun theme for kids of any age 🙂 !

August 9, 2014 at 10:16 AM

What a fun idea! That look likes one incredible party!

August 9, 2014 at 10:49 PM

Thanks Ashley! I had a lot of fun putting everything together and our guests loved it 🙂 .

September 4, 2016 at 10:28 AM

Did you use fondant for the tops of the cupcakes too?

March 7, 2017 at 12:53 PM

[…] veggie platter complete with dips makes a perfect centrepiece for your buffet table! The lion is made up of carrots, peppers, mushrooms and cauliflower – you […]

[…] I – Dessert Ideas Part II – Appetizers, Finger Foods & Snack Ideas Part III – DIY Decoration Ideas + FREE Printables Part IV – Cheap Party Supplies & […]

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A Night Safari Dinner Party

Why not plan a dinner party around a safari theme?  I had been to a wedding shower in an event space at a zoo and they did not tie the theme to the zoo at all, despite the fact that we could view the elephants from our location.  I thought how fun it would have been if they had themed the shower as “Suzy is wild about Bob”.  The following year I was asked to plan a thank you event for clients of my husband.  I immediately thought of “we are wild about our clients”.  Unfortunately that event never came to fruition.  

Finally the time came when I was planning to host a dinner party for some special friends and I really wanted to do something out of the ordinary.  I don’t really have enough room at my inside dining table for six, so this would be a dinner party out on the lanai.  I decided to set the whole party around a safari theme and spend our entire evening outdoors. 

This would be a great place for a few friends to relax together and enjoy the company and the food.  To get inspired I took a trek around Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park.  Disney, of course did such an incredible job not just building, but creating what appears to be a little bit of Africa and Asia right out of the swampy lands of Florida.

Why not plan a dinner party around a safari theme?  I had been to a wedding shower in an event space at a zoo and they did not tie the theme to the zoo at all, despite the fact that we could view the elephants from our location.  I thought how fun it would have been if they had themed the shower as “Suzy is wild about Bob”.  The following year I was asked to plan a thank you event for clients of my husband.  I immediately thought of “we are wild about our clients”.  Unfortunately that event never came to fruition.  Finally the time came when I was planning to host a dinner party for some special friends and I really wanted to do something out of the ordinary.  I don’t really have enough room at my inside dining table for six, so this would be a dinner party out on the lanai.  I decided to set the whole party around a safari theme and spend our entire evening outdoors.  This would be a great place for a few friends to relax together and enjoy the company and the food.  To get inspired I took a trek around Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park.  Disney, of course did such an incredible job not just building, but creating what appears to be a little bit of Africa and Asia right out of the swampy lands of Florida.

I had a basic space that served us well, but I wanted to give it the feeling of one of the exotic African safari resorts you see where guests fall asleep to the sounds of the animals in the jungle.  I looked around my house and began to find elements that I could move outside to give the space more of a feeling of an indoor dining room.  I brought out this bookshelf (yes, I had to hide all the books in a closet for the evening) and began dressing it with appropriate knick knacks.  I arranged this in the corner by the seating area.  This is where we would gather for drinks and appetizers.

At the other end of the lanai I brought out this piece of furniture we use as a bar and created this large, showy arrangement to be a focal point.  I mixed in a few artificial leaves and flowers I had on hand with ferns and palmettos cut in the wilds of Florida and added some of the feathers I have used in Fall arrangements.  

I picked up the elephant painting from World Market and hung it on the wall with Command Strips for outdoor use between my piece of furniture and my outdoor lamp which I elevated on a outdoor end table.  Hanging a piece of art really made the outdoors seem like a room within my home.  

A piece of a palmetto was also stuck up on the wall with outdoor Command Strips for a little more interest. 

For the table centerpiece I used these four black and leopard placemats which I laid out on the table like a runner.  I placed river rocks down the center as if they were a river flowing down the table.  Next, I took five variegated Liriope plants, tied Spanish moss around the pots with raffia and sat them down the center of my table.  I additionally dressed them up with bamboo.  Next I nestled some stately giraffes, an elephant and zebra wooden animals and finished with lots of votive candles.  

My table setting was easy to put together with these plates I found at Home Goods.  I saw these and thought they looked very much like the pattern of giraffe fur.  I used chargers which were a nice burlap texture.  The green textured glasses also came from Home Goods.  Black napkins were an easy choice, but I kind of skimped on my napkin rings, using a paper towel tube cut into pieces and covered with animal print duct tape.

When dusk set in, the whole feeling I wanted really enveloped us all as we settled in at the dinner table by candlelight.  I have shared the incredibly easy, yet very delicious  Chicken Curry and Rice  dish I prepared for my guests this evening.  Click on that link for the recipe.

Supplies for styling your own safari party:

Wooden chargers Safari Grasslands Giraffe Mother and Calf appetizer plates Animal print tablecloth Artificial palm plants Antelope statues

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37 Comments

You are so good at this Chloe. In each table and party you create the feeling comes through loud and clear. Kudos to you!

Sandra, Thank you so much for your compliments. I have been hosting parties like this forever and am so glad I discovered blogging and the opportunity to share my ideas!

I absolutely love the safari decor in your photos. My living room use to be decorated in a safari theme and I really miss it… I wish I never changed it! lol Thank you for linking up with us on the Oh My Heartsie Girls Wordless Wednesday Link Party!

Wishing you an amazing week!

xx Lysa Co-Host

Thanks Lysa. I have had a British Colonial theme in the past which gave me lots of pillows and other figurines to use!

Your tablescape is wonderful, I especially like it after dark, it takes on a whole different feeling!!! Thanks for sharing on the Oh My Heartsie Girl WW this week!!! Karren

Thanks Karren, You are so right, it truly was beautiful after dark!

You have seriously thought of everything! I love all your sophisticated safari details!

Thanks so much Christine! I have wanted to do this for so long, I had a lot of time to think about the details!

You are so talented! How creative and adorable! Thanks for linking up at OMHG WW this week!

Thank you Alyssa! I will try and stop by again soon!

I love the safari theme for a dinner party! The table runner out of place mats looks great.

Thank you Valerie! At first I was disappointed I didn’t have 6 of the placemats to use, but I think it turned out better using them for a runner, too!

This is fantastic! I would love to go to a party like this and maybe I will host one someday! I love how you found a lot of it at your own house. Thanks for sharing this on Oh My Heartsie Girl Link Up.

I want to be invited to a party like this too, but I have to say, I loved hosting it! I am still holding out for hosting a “Bride is WILD about Groom” bridal shower at the zoo!

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Wow! I hope your guests appreciated all of your efforts and the details that went into your party. Your floral arrangement is stunning. Did you used to be a florist? I’m in love with those plates. I have to stay out of HomeGoods because I always find something I want.

Dawn, My guests enjoyed it all! Yes, my secret is out, my husband owned a flower shop when I married him and I went to work with him! I haven’t done it professional for years (and years)! Yes, Home Goods can be dangerous!

I love those plates! They are so cute! Thank you for linking up to Party Time and we hope to see you again next week!

Such a cute party I love all the attention to detail, so many cute decorations. Thanks for sharing at On Display Thursday. Join us again Thursday morning.

Thanks Leia!

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Wonderful! Love seeing animal print done is a fresh, new way. Gorgeous table!

Chloe, I’m a new admirer of your safari setting. Kudos!!! Love it! I have been searching and searching for inspiration to do a safari setting, comfy and cozy in a home and not in a themed wedding space. “Your entire atmosphere is right on” I know yours was for a dinner party but it does not look “planned,” it gives the feeling of everyday living. I love this. Hope you don’t mind but I’ll have to adopt your ideas with credit to you of course. Thanks for sharing.

Linda, I am so honored by your kind compliments. I appreciate that you want to adopt my ideas into your own party! Have fun and make sure you share the pictures with me! Hugs! Chloe

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Dear Chloe: How fun to have this special table setting and theme. It is very exotic looking and you did a lovely job. Thanks for sharing and linking.

Thank you Bernideen, it was a really special dinner and evening!

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Hi I really love this decor I’m looking for similar plates where can I get the same or similar plates thanks

Thanks for stopping b y Chanel. I have had these for several years. I think I bought them at Home Goods, but I could be wrong about that. Good luck for your search!

I’m hearing jungle drums as I write. Chloe, WOW I really felt in the jungle. Just beautiful and so creative. You thought of everything.

What fun Chloe! You really went all out and really created a safari feeling experience! Love the focal point arrangement, beautiful! I know you’re guests were completely charmed, and that you all had a wonderful time!

Wow, Chloe, your creativity never ceases to amaze me. The entire scene looks authentically safari-like. The details are crazy good, and relatively simple as you described them. I’d feel pretty special if that atmosphere had been created for a dinner party for me!

Chloe, I have always loved safari themes. Who wouldn’t love to have dinner at this beautiful and well execute tabletop?!!

Usually I am always appreciating the talent that goes into executing a beautiful tablescape. However, this time I was taken mostly by the decor. The details that went into turning the place into an indoor/outdoor exotic setting. I particularly loved the evening pictures. When I saw the final product all I could think up was: ” At what time is dinner.” I know that your guests must have gain an enjoyable experience. It was a fantastic job .

Thank you so much Edmee! It was a lovely evening with friends. My favorite thing is setting a theme for my dinner parties and this one was particularly fun!

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A 6-Step Guide to Hosting the Ultimate Safari-Inspired Dinner Party

Above is a photo of my family enjoying a traditional South African barbecue!

Nothing is more special to me than celebrating my love for Africa’s enchanting spirit, fantastic cuisine, and exceptional wines with my friends and family. I have so many wonderful memories of hosting backyard safari-inspired barbecues (which are called braais in southern Africa) and rustic Cape Winelands -inspired dinner parties; and I want to share my safari-themed dinner tips with you!

Below is my step-by-step guide for hosting an authentic and beautiful dinner party with some African flair:

1. Spread the word with invitations: Whether you want to buy invitations, create your own, or send them out online, the possibilities are endless. I personally love making my own invitations, using a paper punch (such as the elephant-shaped paper punch from Martha Stewart’s collection ), nice card stock in earth-tone colors, and some ribbon.

And no matter which way you wish to send out your invitations, remember to inform your guests of the theme, and encourage them to go a little “wild” when choosing their attire for the evening.

Below is an example of a card that the Hills of Africa team made as a gift tag (you can use this same idea for creating your invitations):

2. Select savory menu items: Influenced strongly by European settlers, cuisine from southern Africa is extremely diverse and full of unique flavors from around the eastern hemisphere.

Some of the staple produce found in traditional southern African cuisine include corn, squash, sweet potatoes, cabbage, and green beans. Africans on the coast incorporate lots of seafood into their diet, which include hake, rock lobster, mussels, and cod. The main cuts of meat found throughout the southern regions of Africa include meat pies (which were inspired by English and Dutch settlers), Boer chicken pie, bobotie, sausage, lamb, ostrich, beef, pork, and frikkadels (which are hamburgers). Many of their dishes are also categorized as bredies, which are stews.

To learn more about the history of South African cuisine, click here .

So, as you can see, there is a wide variety of cuisine you can serve at your safari-inspired dinner party. But to help you whittle down your menu choices, click here for a few of my favorite homemade dishes to cook for friends and family. Below is a photo of one of my husband’s favorites, Chakalaka ( click here for this recipe ).

 For more recipes, click here to be directed to our Pinterest board, A Bite of Africa.

3. Choose from the best South African wines:  Because South Africa is one of the world’s top wine-producing regions, most wine stores and grocery stores in the United States carry a wide range of South African wines at varying prices.

I have so many favorite South African wines, it’s hard for me to select my favorites (some are actually not exported, so they can only be tasted locally in South Africa ). But, if I had to choose some of my favorite South African wines that can be purchased in the United States, I would have to say Ken Forrester’s Chenin Blanc, Winery of Good Hope’s Bush Vine Pinotage, Bradgate’s Syrah, and Cederberg’s Cabernet Sauvignon (just to name a few!).

4. Decorate with earth tones and textures: The use of stones, wood, burlap, and other rustic materials and fabrics with natural coloring is a great way to add some African inspiration to your décor. And don’t be afraid to add a pop of color using colors inspired by the Maasai people of Kenya . These colors include deep reds, blue, and yellow. Below is a photo of the Maasai to give some inspiration to your color palette!

5. Set the mood with music: Almost all African music has a motivational beat that is sure to get your guests moving and shaking. From African pop to Afrobeat and gumboot styles to jazz, Africa is home to some exceptional musical genres that will add some zing to your dinner party. After all, the best way to entertain guests is to engage all five of the senses.

National Geographic has a great list of featured African artists to include on your playlist. Click here to see them .

6. Always add little personal touches:  Create fun wine tags so people know which glass is their glass. You can use the elephant paper punch mentioned above in the invitations section to punch out little elephants and write names on each elephant. You can then attach a string or ring to them so that guests can place them on their wineglass stem.

I also suggest using a traditional African fabric to make napkins, such as batik fabric. You should be able to find some African-inspired fabrics at your local fabric store.

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Jungle Fruit and Veggie Trees Snacks – Safari Themed Food

These jungle fruit and veggie trees are such a fun snack to make for your safari party theme food, and also for watching Jungle Book movies! If you are looking for Disney’s Jungle Book food ideas, this is the perfect one.

Fun jungle-themed snacks

What classic film combines adventure, fun, a jungle, and teaches the ‘bare necessities’ of life in a Disney fashion? Yep, it’s Disney’s The Jungle Book ! The 1967 favorite has been re-mastered in high definition, and is available now on Blu-Ray and DVD!

Jungle Book Food Ideas – Fruit and Veggie Trees Snack

The kids are pretty excited, I jazzed up the movie a bit, explained the film’s story as one of my childhood favorites and they couldn’t wait to see it! We stopped by Walmart to grab a copy of the film, the Blu-Ray combo pack Diamond Edition has both DVD and Blu-ray discs and Walmart is the only place that you can receive a free Jungle Book lunch box with purchase. It’s gonna be a jungle movie night!

Jungle fruit and veggie trees snack

For a little jungle safari snack during the movie, I decided to put together a fun, healthy recipe that is themed for the Jungle Book movie. We grabbed some fresh produce and supplies while we were at Walmart. Sure, popcorn and soda are good, but can we get something with a little less sugar? Make these fun jungle trees with fruits and vegetables for your Jungle Book movie night!

How to make these jungle-themed snacks

Ingredients you will need:

• Mini plastic cups
• Jungle safari printed paper (I chose leopard)
• Blueberries

Step 1: Make the jungle-printed party cups

Making these fruit and veggie trees was pretty simple. Start by cutting out a few strips of your safari jungle printed paper, wrapping them around the mid-section of each plastic cup. Secure each strip of paper with a dot of glue. I decided to cut mine a little curved, like cupcake wrappers, so they’d fit nicely.

Step 2: Assemble the tree trunks in each cup

Wash all of your fruits and veggies, cut your apples into thin slices, and soak them in cold salted water to prevent browning. Next, cut 3 – 4  inch pieces of carrots and celery to use as tree trunks. Put them into the center of the cup, then add blueberries surrounding the tree trunk to secure it, a little over halfway full.

Step 3: Add the jungle tree leaves on top

Insert a toothpick down the middle of the tree trunk, leaving the top half of the toothpick out and exposed. Take your thin apple slices, blot them dry, and arrange about 6 – 7 onto each tree, pressing the ends of them into the toothpick one by one and fanning them out evenly.

That’s it! Simple, isn’t it? We had a great time watching the movie and devouring these jungle trees. This is one snack that I don’t mind them indulging in! We hope this becomes one of your favorite jungle party food ideas.

Enjoy this Jungle Book-themed food!

Whether you are watching the Jungle Book movie or having a jungle safari party, these jungle book fruit cups are tons of fun to make, and healthy to eat. This tropical honey pineapple fruit salad might be another fun fruit idea to serve at your safari parties.

Pick up the Diamond Edition of Disney’s The Jungle Book Diamond Edition Blu-ray and DVD , recently released from the Disney movie vault. I am thrilled that my kids can grow up with the same classic movies that I did as a kid. They just love Baloo and the ‘bare necessities’ song. We had a great movie night together, I live for these family moments!

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This is the perfect webpage for everyone who hopes to find out about this topic. You realize a whole lot its almost hard to argue with you (not that I really will need to…HaHa). You definitely put a fresh spin on a topic that has been written about for decades. Wonderful stuff, just great!

Deanna, these are so clever! A perfect #junglefresh snack! #client

These are so cute. It is a surefire way of getting picky kids to try their fruits and veggies and eat more!

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Everything You Need for a Safari Themed Birthday Party

Lauren Miolene

We’ve all been to dozens of kids birthday parties , and we can probably agree they get repetitive quickly. That's why it’s always best to have a fun and exciting theme to make it stand out from the rest. If you’ve ever thought about hosting a safari themed birthday party, take this as your sign to get adventurous!

If your kiddo’s birthday is soon, take a walk on the wild side this year by hosting a safari themed birthday party using creative ideas from The Bash. Start with an outdoor venue, live animals, and of course plenty of safari inspired food and drinks. Use our handy kids birthday party checklist as a guide, so you don’t miss a thing.

Keep reading for safari themed birthday party ideas…

Safari themed venue.

You’ll want to establish a home base for this safari themed birthday party. We recommend keeping the festivities outside to enhance the adventurous setting.

Having the safari themed birthday outside just makes sense, so take the party to the park! Visit your local park that has plenty of tables, a pavilion, and a play area to celebrate the guest of honor. The park is also the perfect location so guests have ample space to run around and play.

You can never go wrong by hosting your child’s birthday party in your own backyard with the fresh air and sunlight. Sometimes the comfort of your own home makes the best party venue for everyone. Spend the day outside and easily transition the get-together inside depending on the weather.

If your child is an animal lover, organize this birthday bash at the zoo. Contact zoos in your area to set up a tour with different event packages. Visit different  website to read about animal interactions, a private party space, and other fun surprises.

Safari Theme Party Outfit

You’re probably wondering what to wear for a safari themed party, and the answer is all in the details!

Safari Hats

Invite guests to bring their dress up safari hats or take a trip to your local party store to distribute at the celebration. Your child and their friends will love this special touch that will get them into the safari spirit and provide additional protection from the sun. This creative touch also doubles as a party favor!

Animal Print, Camouflage, and Neutrals

Tap into the adventure for this safari theme with animal print, camouflage clothing, or neutral colors. Ask parents to dress their kiddos in these wild prints to help complete the safari aesthetic.

Safari Vests

To feel the part, guests will have to look the part. Stock up on children’s safari vests from Amazon so everyone can look like a wildlife explorer. These vests come complete with badges, patches, and plenty of pockets to keep some extra goodies in.

To complete any safari ensemble, you’ll need a set of binoculars. Of course guests can bring their own pair if they have them, but you can also distribute them in goodie bags so they can be used during the party. Shop binocular party favors on Amazon so everyone can have their own set.

Safari Theme Party Entertainment

These safari theme party entertainment ideas are guaranteed to bring a roaring good time.

Live Animals

This safari party requires animals, we don’t make the rules! Take a look on The Bash for live animals that can make a special appearance at the birthday celebration. Communicate with different animal handlers to decide which types of animals make the most sense for the faux-safari party. Choose from monkeys, reptiles, and much more!

Find Live Animals

Bounce House

The kids will feel like queens and kings of the jungle with an epic bounce house at the celebration. Browse various party inflatables including obstacle courses and waterslides that will match the safari themed birthday party. Jumping like kangaroos all day is the perfect way to release some of their energy.

Find Bounce Houses

Let the kids (and adults) unleash their inner animals by transforming them into their favorites! Face paint artists on The Bash use non-toxic paint to turn guests into safari creatures like lions, and tigers, and bears—oh my!

Find Face Painters

Photo Booth

A photo booth is exactly what this party needs to help create the safari feeling. Rent a photo booth for the day that will provide safari themed backdrops and props for an immersive wildlife experience.

Find Photo Booths

Allow the kids the opportunity to try different foods from various types of carts. From cotton pizza, to snow cones, and even donuts, party guests will love the freedom of choosing their own party food. Book your child’s favorites on The Bash.

Find Food Carts

Safari Theme Party Activities

Incorporate these safari theme party activities that will keep guests of all ages occupied and entertained.

You’ll need some sort of transportation for this safari adventure! Charge up your child’s mini trucks and cars, or shop safari vehicles on Amazon for guests to drive around the yard in. Block off an area with plenty of space so parents can keep an eye on the little ones.

Animal Charades

Put everyone’s acting skills to the test! A few rounds of animal charades is the perfect activity for this safari themed birthday party. Write various safari animals on a piece of paper for guests to randomly choose and act out. Their friends will have a ton of fun guessing and laughing about what animal they are.

Scavenger Hunt

Send the little explorers on a safari themed expedition during the party. Break everyone into groups, give them riddles to solve, and watch as they follow along to find the prize. You can keep this activity safari themed, but any type of scavenger hunt will work.

Outdoor Activities

Hosting your party outside means there will be plenty of space for all kinds of games and activities. Set up stations with things you probably already have like hula hoops, jump ropes, and other fun yard games that will keep everyone occupied.

Safari Theme Party Decorations

Get wild with these safari theme party decorations that will make this birthday extra special.

Any birthday party, especially a kid’s, needs balloons! Balloons are one of the best decor options because they are fairly easy to purchase or even assemble yourself. For this safari theme, use various shades of brown, green, and orange, or any other color you might find in the wild. You can also get balloons shaped like typical safari animals to incorporate. Details like this will help bring the wild theme to life!

Pro tip: Hire an event planner through The Bash that is an expert in assembling unique balloon arrangements.

Stuffed Animals

The key for any event decor is to make use of things you might already have. Incorporate your child's stuffed animals throughout the space to capture the safari theme. Find jumbo size plush animals including tigers, giraffes, and elephants that everyone will want to get a picture with.

One of the best places to incorporate themed decor for an outdoor party is on the tables. Whether you decide on multiple small tables or one large one, incorporate animal inspired tableware for guests to use. Shop animal print utensils , napkins, and tablecloths that will make the celebration pop.

For this safari, you can also use details like vines, pampas grass, and compasses for a wild dining experience.

Any experienced explorer most likely spends the majority of their time in a tent. Play into the safari theme by setting up tents in the outdoor space for a backdrop. Arrange a few blankets, pillows, and small activities like coloring books that will help keep everyone entertained.

Safari Theme Party Food and Drinks

Make sure there is plenty of fuel for the explorers at the safari themed birthday party.

Safari Themed Birthday Cake

You’re going to want to incorporate the safari theme into every party detail, including the cake. Place an order from your favorite bakery ahead of time to ensure there will be plenty of sugary animals, fake vines, and other wild accents on the birthday cake.

Dinosaur Chicken Nuggets

Who says dinosaurs can’t be invited to the safari party? Chicken nuggets are one of the most loved kid’s foods that are easy to make because all you have to do is pop them in the oven! Serve with different sauces, french fries, and maybe some broccoli trees.

It’s important that a safari explorer keeps plenty of snacks on hand that are easy to travel with, for example, trail mix. Make your own by purchasing a variety of nuts, dried fruit, and small candies. You can also set up a trail mix bar including separate ingredients so guests can make their own take home bag.

This dessert is a delicious DIY treat! All you’ll need to do is add crushed Oreos, gummy worms, and candy rocks on the top of a pudding cup to look like mud. If you don’t prepare these beforehand, kids will love decorating and customizing their own.

Ants on a Log

One of the best snacks for kids usually incorporates them being hiddenly healthy. Make a childhood classic of ants on a log that will help fuel the little explorers during the safari themed birthday party. All this classic entails is spreading peanut butter on a celery stick, and topping with raisins. This snack is easy to customize because you can easily swap the peanut butter with hummus in case of any allergies.

“Jungle Juice”

Whip up a big batch of kid-friendly jungle juice to quench everyone’s thirst. Add any ingredients you want; fruit juice, Gatorade, fresh juice, soda, the possibilities are endless. Serve in a beverage dispenser with a spout so kids will be able to easily refill their canteens. For an adults only drink, try adding champagne for a delicious and fruity mimosa.

Animal Crackers

Who doesn’t love animal crackers? Arrange a platter of plain and frosted animal crackers with different types of dessert dip. Guests will enjoy this sweet treat by dipping their cookie in edible brownie batter, cookie dough, and cheesecake dip.

Banana Splits

This safari themed birthday party will make everyone go absolutely bananas! Your child and their friends will love a homemade banana split that is the perfect treat to end the day.

Safari Themed Party Favors

You’ll definitely want to toss a few of these safari themed party favors into everyone’s goodie bags.

Custom Canteens

Once everyone RSVPs and the guest list is complete, place an Etsy order for customized canteens with everyone’s name. Kids will love having their own custom canteen to drink out of and make them feel like they are on a real safari.

Animal Bubbles

Little kids love bubbles, so give them their own to play with! Find animal inspired bubble bottles on Amazon for guests to use during and after the party.

Animal Ears

Once the face painter turns the kids into their favorite animals, give them ears to match. Visit your local party store or place an online order for lion ears, tigers, giraffes, and more. Try to stock up on a variety so everyone can choose what animal they want to be.

1st Birthday Safari Theme Party: Wild One

Turning one year old is wild! That’s why “Wild One” is such a popular first birthday party theme. You can easily incorporate these same safari ideas into this milestone occasion, but you’re not going to want to forget these details.

If you’ve seen kiddos go wild and destroy their gorgeous birthday cake, that’s exactly why smash cakes have become popular. Smash cakes are typically a smaller, homemade cake specially made for the guest of honor. After the proud parents help blow out the candle, let the one year old celebrate their special day with their own cake. It’s completely up to them if they play with it or eat it, but this way it saves plenty of birthday cake for the other guests to enjoy.

Photographer

A first birthday only happens once, so you’re going to want to remember it forever. Hire a photographer to capture every detail: the decor, the cake, and of course all the smiling faces in attendance! Miss no photo opportunity with our helpful 1st birthday picture list for ideas.

Photo Backdrop

You’re only going to be able to host a “wild one” themed birthday for your baby once, so make a photo backdrop for plenty of pictures. Create your own using a safari background, plush animals, and a big metallic “1” balloon. This backdrop will also act as a focal point in the party space.

Find more kids’ party ideas and inspiration here on The Bash.

Wild and Onederful: A Complete Guide to Safari-Themed Birthday Parties for Kids

The "Wild One" safari theme is the perfect way to celebrate your child's first birthday in style. With adorable animal prints, earthy colors, and jungle-inspired decorations, the party captures the essence of a wild adventure. Wild One onesie s or animal costumes for the little guests add an adorable touch, setting the stage for an unforgettable photo op.

Decorations: Create a jungle paradise with faux vines, animal-shaped balloons , and wooden crates. Use animal-printed tablecloths and add plush toy animals as centerpieces. Incorporate green foliage and tropical leaves to bring the wild outdoors inside.

Activities: Set up a sensory play area with textured materials for little ones to explore.  A soft play zone with animal-themed toys will keep the youngest guests entertained. Don't forget to have a designated coloring station with a personalized safari themed coloring sheet !

Food: Opt for finger foods and snacks that kids can enjoy easily. Animal-shaped cookies , fruit skewers, and jungle-themed cupcakes will surely delight their taste buds.

As your child turns two, the "Two Wild" theme lets them embrace their wild side while celebrating the milestones they've reached. This safari party trend combines elements of adventure and playfulness, making it perfect for energetic toddlers and their friends.

Decorations: Emphasize the number "two" with creative decorations like balloon displays or cake toppers. Incorporate wooden elements and animal cutouts for a rustic yet vibrant feel. Hang signs and banners that showcase the phrase "Two Wild" to tie the theme together.

Activities: Organize a scavenger hunt around the party area, where little explorers can find hidden treasures and small prizes. Set up a mini jungle gym with tunnels, slides, and climbing walls to keep the kids active and engaged. When your party animals need a creative outlet, have that special coloring station ready with a Party Animal-themed coloring tablecloth personalized with your kiddo's name!

Food: Serve a variety of snacks and treats with animal-themed labels. Offer a grazing table with fruits, veggies, cheese, and crackers, allowing the kids to nibble throughout the party.

YOUNG, WILD AND "THREE": 3rd Birthday Party

Turning three is a major milestone for any child, and the "Wild and Three" theme amplifies the excitement of this special day. This party theme combines the best of both worlds, with elements of the Wild One and Two Wild themes, while adding a few new twists.

Decorations: Use a mix of animal prints , jungle greenery, and metallic accents to add flair to the party space. Incorporate three-dimensional elements like faux tree stumps and animal standees for an immersive experience.

Activities: Organize a craft station where kids can make their own animal masks or safari hats. Set up a storytelling corner with animal-themed books, inviting the kids to embark on imaginary journeys to the jungle.

Food: Go for a mix of kid-friendly favorites and adventurous treats. A colorful fruit punch station and animal-shaped sandwiches are sure to be a hit. Don't forget the safari-themed birthday cake as the grand finale!

See more inspiration on Instagram

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Kids , Birthday

Go wild with these 15 safari theme party ideas

July 29, 2023

Does your little explorer spend all their time slashing through the dense jungle in the backyard with their pretend machete? Or maybe their room looks like a wildlife refuge with all their ferocious stuffed safari animals. If either of those descriptions sounds like your child, then we’ve got the perfect birthday party theme for you.

With a safari theme birthday party , your mini adventurer is guaranteed to have a ferociously good time while also showing off their love for nature. Keep reading for more safari theme party ideas than there are zebras on the savannah.

“ Giraffe Birthday ” by Rifle Paper Co. for Paperless Post; image via Pexels .

Table of Contents

Plan a journey to the wilderness… or to the backyard

You know that a safari theme birthday party would be perfect for your little animal lover—but what exactly does the party planning look like? There are a ton of exciting options to make this next birthday a special one, both at home or out in the wild. Here are some ideas to add a bit of adventure to your safari birthday party.

1. Visit a local zoo or wildlife center

Zookeepers actually make great party hosts, especially when they bring some of their furry (or scaled) friends for each guest to take a look at. Plus, they often have party rooms you can rent out where the explorers can enjoy safari snacks on-site.

2. Create a backyard safari

In many places, it’s possible to hire an exotic animal handler who will visit your home with their menagerie. Your little adventurer will never forget the birthday they hung out with a boa constrictor!

3. Plan a wild dress code

For your safari theme party idea, encourage guests to show up in animal masks, animal prints, or full-on costumes of their favorite beasts. 

Due to the *nature* of a safari theme birthday party, there’s a good chance that it includes some kind of outdoor element. But what if the weather isn’t cooperative? Hardy adventurers won’t let a little rain or snow stop them… but it might stop your birthday plans. Luckily, there are plenty of fun safari activities you can plan for indoors.

4. Put on a movie

There are so many fun animal movies to choose from. Might we suggest “Madagascar,” “The Lion King,” or “The Jungle Book”?

5. Play some games

Whether you’re playing Monkey in the Middle or Sleeping Lions , plan some fun kids’ birthday party games to have everyone feeling like a true party animal, indoors or out.

6. Create some safari crafts

With a few simple party supplies, you can set up a safari craft station where your young guests can make their own artistic safari animals.

Safari-themed party supplies are available at Paperless Post Party Shop .

Decorations for a wild safari party.

Whether you’re hosting at home or elsewhere, you’ll want the venue to give off serious jungle vibes for your safari-themed party. Seek out garlands and streamers that look like vines, and balloons in varying shades of greens and browns. Some other decoration options to consider include the following.

7. A fun garland to set the mood

Set the mood by inspiring guests to Party like an animal with this decorative garland , featuring an elephant wearing a party hat.

8. An animal-shaped pinata

Fill this cheeta party pinata from Paperless Post Party Shop with treats for the kids to enjoy.

9. Creature-shaped plates

From animal print plates to plates shaped like animals , themed plates help bring your safari theme to life.

10. Animal-inspired costumes

Get into the safari spirit with safari animal print party hats and lion masks .

11. Delightful safari-themed party favors

Thank your guests for a roarin’ good time by sending them home with safari print party bags filled with trinkets like temporary animal tattoos .

Feeding hungry safari explorers (aka partygoers)

Of course, a day spent exploring will leave your guests licking their chops and circling the birthday cake like it’s a water buffalo. So, what kind of food does one serve at a safari-themed birthday bash? Animals eat all kinds of things, but these explorers will probably have a taste for cakes and treats, above all else.

12. The birthday cake

Maybe it’s shaped like your child’s favorite jungle animal or decorated with a scene from the safari of their dreams. Also, some animal candles make the perfect topper. 

13. Cupcake decorating kit

For desserts that can double as an activity, have your guests decorate cupcakes with animal-themed toppers . 

14. Animal tail treats

We love this idea of decorating chocolate-covered pretzel rods to look like tiger tails!

15. Veggies… but shaped like a lion

For a healthy snack, you can make a safari-themed veggie tray by using a dip (like hummus or ranch) as a lion’s face and surrounding it with peppers and carrots to form a lion’s mane. 

Wording for an adventurous invite

Once you’ve picked out your favorite safari-themed invites , it’s time to invite your child’s fellow adventurers with the perfect birthday invitations . If you’re more of a Tarzan than a Jane and have trouble choosing the right words, consider the below examples for your kids’ birthday invitations to get those creative juices flowing. 

Welcome to the jungle!

Axl is turning FIVE

Saturday, April 2nd

The adventure begins at:

4 o’clock in the afternoon

Please RSVP

Or, if your safari theme party is taking place at a location other than your home, you might use the following wording on your safari invitation :

Calling all critters!

Join us at the John Hammond Zoo

Animal print attire is highly encouraged!

“ Wild One” Flyer by Paperless Post.

Have a roaring good time with paperless post.

If party planning has you feeling like you’re lost in the jungle, Paperless Post is here to make it a walk in the park. Not only is Paperless Post your one-stop destination for exotic invitations and party decorations , but our app—available on both iOS and Android—makes organizing your birthday safari even easier. You can send invitations and track RSVPs right from your phone, plus communicate directly with other parents about things like dietary restrictions for all those safari snacks. 

With Paperless Post, your adventurous safari theme party will have your guests howling for more. 

Looking for other kids’ birthday party themes? Try our articles detailing how to throw parties for mermaids , race car fans , and unicorn lovers .

Browse safari invitations

Hero image via Kara’s Party Ideas .

Keep On Reading

• Get-Togethers 10 spring birthday party ideas for a celebration in full bloom
• Baby 36 first birthday party themes and ideas for a one-derful party
• Interviews How to throw an animal-themed birthday party like Sister Parish Design’s Eliza Harris

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November 6, 2021

Safari Birthday Party for Kids…Family Style

I’m not “lion” when I say that there is no better way to pull off a party than family style. With a theme like jungle safari, there’s no monkeying around…well, maybe a little bit.

What Do I Mean By Family Style?

I am a visual learner and I can do almost anything if I can see it. I am not one to usually create ideas out of thin air; I need help with that. That’s why God put us in families. For those of you who don’t happen to have 6 monkeys like me, friends can be the family you choose. Putting a party like this together is a group effort and I just happen to be surrounded by some amazing people. I love to provide opportunities to pull that creativity out when it comes to having a party.

Being a detailed person, I like to start with an idea and let it evolve by rallying my little adventurers and brainstorming together. Most things, at any party we put on, are a result of scanning Pinterest boards, searching Youtube videos, or asking around. I take a little of this and a little of that to form the vision for the project, pull together all the talents and gifts around me, and then set my zoo to work in areas that they choose.

Big Parties…Momentous Occasions

Let me start by prefacing the fact that we don’t have huge parties like this every year. What are you nuts? That would make me bananas. With 6 kids, I’d be a full-time party planner. We still celebrate birthdays every year with family and maybe a few close friends, but on a much smaller scale. Normally, kids enjoy breakfast in bed if they want, they get to choose their birthday dinner and dessert, and whether or not they want a present or an experience for their birthday. Big-themed birthdays happen on momentous birthdays like the 5th. I don’t know where this decision came from, it is just what we decided. You can do a big themed party at any age and every year if you want, I just wanted to make it clear that my life is not all about planning parties year-round. Big celebrations are special, but everything is worthy of celebration.

Delegate and Unleash the Creativity

Mom, you are amazing. Everyone knows it, but the best thing we can do for those around us is to impart all our brilliance by involving the whole family in the process. Learn to delegate and make this a family affair. Gone are the days of just mom doing all of the work, arriving exhausted at the party, serving single-handedly, and leading up the cleanup crew of me, myself, and I. No way! This is just as much a party for you as it is for everyone else. The party starts in the months previous when all the gathering, planning, and preparing are going on. As a result, the culmination is just the final act, the celebration of all the fun you have had preparing. Furthermore, this is about tapping into what is inside and modeling the joys of serving and loving on purpose.

This is not just a party. It is a celebration and I love to watch the other children working hard on making their sibling’s birthday so special. What are we celebrating? The goodness of God! If you are having a party for a King, how would you celebrate? Each little life God has placed in your care is a reflection of the King and a reason to celebrate. It doesn’t have to cost a pretty penny, in fact, finding out cost-effective ways to have a party is part of the fun. It is all about unleashing what is inside collectively as a family and really letting the creativity flow. Life is worth celebrating…every detail.

Safari Party Favors & Decorations

We set the stage by transforming the whole backyard into a jungle safari. From a tiki torch-lined driveway to burlap-covered tables and cardboard cutout safari animals, guests were transported to a jungle safari paradise. A jungle safari playlist, with its wild animal sounds and tribal beat, roared in the background setting the stage for a complete sensory overload.

Safari Ball Jar Tumblers

These pint-sized ball jars were super fun and festive. I loved the idea that everyone had a glass with their name on it and there would be less landfill. They also added to the decor. Using a hot glue gun, I glued burlap ribbon around and then hot glued a coordinating safari ribbon on top of that. I just purchased a few spools of ribbon at the craft store and then finished them off with a sticker to write their name. I popped in a bamboo straw and…voila!

Safari Binoculars

Upon arriving, guests were given a set of binoculars and a safari hat. The binoculars were made from pool noodles found at the dollar store in several fun colors. I cut them into binocular sizes and wrapped them together in various safari duct tape designs such as cheetah, zebra, leopard, peacock, and giraffe. A loop of burlap twine was fitted into the tape to form the strap. The children (of all ages) loved playing with these.

Animal Plate Favors

We purchased some adorable safari stencils on Etsy to create special “It’s My Birthday” plates for each family. Truthfully, I am not sure I would do these again, at least not on a plate. In hindsight, I think it would have been a better idea to use the stencils on a small square canvas to give as a gift. The idea was to give each family a special birthday plate of their own. The paint was baked in a low-temperature oven to preserve the painted image, but it didn’t last as long as we had hoped. We could have found a little better use of our time. Back to the drawing board on that one.

Animal Safari Cardboard Cutouts

This project blew me away as I was unaware of how talented my children were at painting. I discovered I had a family of budding artists. You never know what gifts your children possess unless you give them opportunities to explore. Their art abilities exploded after this party as they discovered their inner artists.

We gathered large refrigerator and appliance boxes from local stores that didn’t need the boxes. We just roughly traced out each animal and cut out the design and the children went to work coloring in all the details. Shout out to my mother-in-law for her amazing crafting gifts and patient love in working with the kids.

Safari Party Food

The cool thing about the menu for this party was that the only recipe I used was for the cake. Everything else came together easily just by adding some fun safari-themed names on miniature chalkboards. I wanted to keep the menu simple and keep the cost down so we did organic hot dogs over the backyard bonfire and the rest were snack foods (on the healthy side of course).

The punch was Get Naked’s Green Machine juice purchased in bulk at Costco, but you could do any recipe or color. Keep it 100% juice. We don’t need to load our kids down with artificial colors or sweeteners when there are so many beautiful colors available in nature. This party punch looks yummy.

Safari Party Games

Pin the Tail on the Elephant

This was just a spin-off of the old classic, Pin the Tail on the Donkey. Each child is blindfolded and spun around 3 times and set in the direction of the elephant where they have one opportunity to place the elephant’s tail…without feeling around.

Face Painting

Do you have any starving artists among you who need some extra practice? Face painting is always a hit with children, and it doesn’t take too much to get down to about 4-5 designs kids can choose from. Some face paint kits include stencils or designs in a booklet. You can find face paint palettes at your local craft store or on Amazon .

Hide n’ Seek Treasure Stones (aka Elephant Dung)

Who doesn’t like to play hide n’ seek? Hiding homemade elephant dung all around the property for our young jungle explorers to discover and inspect was really the cherry on top of the party. It doesn’t take a whole lot of effort to take something ordinary and make it extraordinary. With only a few ingredients you most likely already have around the house, you can turn everyday flour and coffee grounds into mounds of giggles and hidden treasures.

By mixing flour, salt, sand, and coffee grounds together into a ball and hiding a small treasure inside, these Treasure Stones can be formed into anything from elephant droppings to horse dung (for a cowboy party). Scattered all over, the children delighted in searching out the property next to trees or under bushes to find their treasures.

Treasure Stones are hard on the outside, yet easily break open to display the treasure inside. Because the stones bake at such a low temperature, they are protected from melting inside the biscuits. Some common items you can hide inside them are:

• toy rings or necklaces
• little plastic animals

Treasure Stones aka Elephant Dung

Going on a treasure hunt in the most unlikely place...elephant dung. Perfect for your safari party. Treasure Stones are hard on the outside, yet easily broken to expose a hidden treasure inside. The kids will love it!

Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup used coffee grounds
• 1/2 cup table salt
• 1/4 cup sand (you can use coarse cornmeal if you are in a pinch)
• 3/4 cup water
• small toys such as plastic rings, coins, little plastic safari animals, etc.

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 175 degrees. Add all your dry ingredients and then slowly add in your water making sure to keep a firm but moldable consistency. If the dough is too wet, add more flour or sand. The dough should be firm.
• Break off pieces and roll into balls. Add a toy in the middle and slightly flatten to look like a smooshed ball. It should resemble elephant dung.
• Line a cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper and dust with flour. Bake for 45 minutes and allow to cool before hiding.

No worries about toys melting inside the Treasure Stones. The temperature is so low and they are protected inside the mounds. Recipe can be doubled or tripled depending on how many explorers you have.

Thanks to Family & Friends

Shop This Post

• Safari Print Duck Tape – I purchased several patterns and prints, including zebra, cheetah, leopard, peacock, and giraffe.
• Jungle Safari Party Plates, Napkins, and cups
• Bamboo Paper Straws
• Burlap Table Covers and Ribbon
• Safari Animal Stencils were purchased on Etsy
• Cardboard for animals gathered from local appliance stores

In everything you do -eat, play, and, love- may it always be Seasoned with Joy!

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Unless stated otherwise, I will only recommend products I personally enJOY. See my full disclosure here .