Party Tips
1. Mail invitations two weeks before the party date.
2. Plan a safe, comfortable place for the party where the children can have fun, but will not hurt themselves or your home. If you plan an outdoor party, be sure to have a backup plan in case of bad weather.
3. Limit the party time to two hours or less for children less than six years of age. For older children is fine up to three hours. 
4. Prepare more activities than you plan to use in advance. Activities usually take less time than planned and you may want to keep the children busy.
5. Include the birthday child in preparations as often as possible. Let her or him stuff the party favor bags, make suggestions for games, help with the decorations, set the table, and mail the invitations - even if that only means putting them in the mailbox.
Fun Activities
Zoo Trip
For a special birthday adventure, take your guests on a field trip to the zoo. Call prior to see if they offer special guided tours for your birthday group.
Jungle Mural
You’ll need:
- wide sheet of butcher paper and tape
- paints, markers, crayons, stamps, etc.
Invite everyone to create a lush, green jungle mural;
Tape a wide sheet of butcher paper on the lower portion of your wall so kids can reach;
Spread out picture samples of jungle animals for ideas;
(You can use items from your party pack.) Provide paints, markers, etc., for your budding mural artists. (This is a perfect activity to keep kids entertained while other guests are arriving.)
What Animal Am I?
You’ll need:
- masking tape and a permanent marker (or stickers)
Get your little jungle friends off to a swinging start;
Write the names of wild animals on strips of masking tape before the party, so each guest will have one. (For younger kids, draw pictures or use stickers instead.) Once guests arrive, attach a name to each kid’s back, but don’t let them see the name.
Players have to try to guess which character is on their own back by asking everyone else questions that can be answered with “yes” or “no.” (*Names to choose from include hippo, grizzly bear, giraffe, zebra, lion, penguin, chimpanzee, dolphin, kangaroo, etc.)
Jumping Giraffes
You’ll need:
- a small apple (with stem) for each child and string
Kids get to eat just like giraffes;
Tie a piece of string securely around each apple stem;
Hang from a household fixture, tree branch or swing set;
Be sure apples hang low enough for kids to take bites without using their hands. It will be challenging to keep the apples still long enough to eat them, and funny too!
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