Anyone who has read Rumble in the Jungle, knows what a fun book it is and for this special 2-year-old it was the obvious choice for a party theme! From the personalized binoculars, DIY Safari Mix buffet for the little ones, and snake-wrapped wine glasses for the big ones, this Rumble in the Jungle was anything but a boring kid's party!
Jungle Decorations
Skip the tacky streamers and expensive banners - make your own jungle decorations! There is no need for helium, simply, blow up your balloons, attach a string and hang a staggered bunch from your light fixtures, doorways, etc. We used 2 shades of green balloons, brown string and jungle garland for that added jungle feel.
Tips: Adding a marble or floral stone to the balloon before it is blown up will help to weigh down each balloon just enough to prevent them from constantly swinging around.
Since you are not using helium you can blow up your balloons the day before the party.
If there will be little ones at your party, make sure the balloons are out of their reach.
Cupcakes
Are you tired of the same old cupcake toppers? Try finger puppets instead! These adorable animal finger puppets were the perfect addition to our mini cupcakes and the kids were so excited to play with them after devouring their cupcake. Just remember to wash anything you plan to put on top of your cupcakes.
Tips: Mini cupcakes are a must for a little one's birthday party - they are the perfect size and do not require a fork and plate.
If you aren't planning to make your own mini cupcakes, The Clueless Chick's mini cupcakes of choice are these from Whole Foods. They are a bit pricey but worth every penny and then some!
Be sure to have plenty of wipes or wet towels handy to quickly wipe up frosting mishaps.
My Safari Mix Buffet
A fun and unique way to serve snacks is to make a kid-friendly snack buffet! All you need are a few containers, scoops and cups. Don't forget to place your buffet out of reach of little hands :-) For this Safari Mix we used: Goldfish, Pretzels (no salt), Animal Cookies, Cherrios and M&Ms. We also added a personal touch by labeling each snack cup with a "My Safari Mix" sticker.
Tips: If you don't have snack dispenser or scoops, simply use a few bowls or vases and a spoon or ladle. Or, skip scoops all together and use plastic pitchers with a handy pour spout.
Keep in mind that little ones will be walking around with these snack cups, so avoid anything that may make a sticky mess.
Don't forget to label each snack on your buffet in case anyone has a food allergy.
Fun Safari Favors
For a Rumble in the Jungle party, what is more fun an personalized binoculars and safari hat? Simply pick up multi-colored binoculars and personalize them with letter stickers, or use your paint pen to write each child's name on the side. Don't forget about any mini guests, these adorable monkey rattles were perfect for mini guest under 1.
Tip: To save yourself the stress of maintaining an exact list of guests for your personalized favors, skip the personalization, they will have just as much fun playing with everything.
Toy Decorations and a Jungle Safari
A fun way to decorate your party is to incorporate toys. We used 12 inflatable animals, placed around the house as fun decorations, and incorporated them into a fun Jungle Safari activity.
Jungle Safari:
1. Make a map of the party location for each child,
naming each nook something fun and safari
like (i.e. Lagoon, Watering Hole, etc.)
2. Place animals around the house for the little ones to find
Tip: Unless you plan to use these animals again, send them home with some of your little guests.
Safari Bowling
What could be more fun than a safari theme little kids bowling alley? This is a very inexpensive a fun DIY activity. It is always a good idea to have multiple activities for little ones since we know their attention span is a bit limited :-)
Safari Bowling Alley:
1. Inflatable Safari Buffet $11
2. Empty water bottles $0
3. Pour a small amount of water into each water bottle (just
enough to weigh it down) and add a drop of food coloring
4. Seal each bottle with tape or glue
5. Arrange water bottles like bowling pins and grab one of your
little one's medium size balls to be used as a bowling ball
Jungle Juice
A fun and easy Kid-Friednly Signature Drink: Jungle Juice!
Jungle Juice = White Grape Juice + Frozen Grapes
Simply wash red and green grapes, place them in a ziptop bag in your frezer the night before the party, and add them to your drink dispenser. Frozen grapes are an adorable decoration and will keep the juice cold without watering it down. For an additional twist, add a few clean mint leaves
Tip: When hosting a party for little ones at your home, it is a good rule of thumb to only serve clear liquids (water, white grape juice, apple juice, etc.) so that you're not cleaning up grape juice stains!
Beverage Station
When you're planning your little one's party, don't forget to have some grownup drinks too!
Tip: To avoid a wet mess on your counter, table or tablecloth from a bucket filled with ice, simply place a Cork Mat (just like you would use under a potted plant) under the bucket and you'll be mess free!
Don't forget to clearly mark your recycling bin if you are serving any caned or bottled drinks.
Wine Glass Markers
When you're decorating for you little one's party, don't forget to throw in a decoration or two aimed at the parents. Wrapping a small snake around the stem of the wine glasses as a glass marker was the perfect grownup safari touch!
Tip: Don't forget this trick when Halloween rolls around!
These snakes are also the perfect addition to your hanging jungle balloon, and each of your serving dishes.
