• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Grits and Chopsticks

Fresh Recipes and Stories from Around the World

  • Main
  • About
    • meet ann
    • press
    • FAQs
  • contact
  • Recipes
  • At Home
  • Travel
    • Cambodia
    • China
    • France
    • Indonesia
    • Italy
    • Malaysia
    • Singapore
    • Spain
    • Sri Lanka
    • Switzerland
    • Taiwan
    • Thailand
    • The Netherlands
    • United Kingdom
      • London
      • Wales
    • United States
      • Florida
      • New Orleans
      • New York
      • San Francisco
      • Seattle
      • South Carolina
        • charleston
      • Washington, DC
    • Vietnam
  • Skip to the Blog >>>

09.17.2012

diy kid’s safari birthday party

kid's safari birthday party

Top row, left to right: safari animal balloons, $7 for 12 || animal cupcake toppers, $10 for 24 || safari party hats, $15 for 24 || Second row, left to right: animal print cupcake liners, $11.50 for 36 || custom print safari birthday banner, $28 || safari party lanterns, $18 for 12 || Third row, left to right: kraft paper takeout favor boxes, $14 for 50 || inflatable zoo animals, $23 for 6 || jungle leaves, $12 for 48 || Bottom row, left to right: safari cups, $11 for 24 || safari friends paperless post invitation (price varies) || safari paper straws, $15 for 75

When our son turned two, we threw him a safari birthday party. Our kid is obsessed with animals, so it was the perfect opportunity to combine everything he loves about them into one fun-filled, water-soaked day.  Click through to see how to make your own safari birthday party!

safari birthday party

Clockwise, from top left: “monkey snacks,” or bananas dipped in chocolate, rest on a banana-leaf platter; his aunt rearranges her artfully decorated animal cupcakes; sandwiches with various fillings are made of pumpernickel and farmer’s bread to resemble “zebra” stripes; a “tiger” fruit platter with oranges and blueberries and a closeup of his aunt and uncle’s beautiful animal cupcakes

kids safari birthday party

kids safari birthday party

“Tiger fruit” made of stripes of blueberries and orange slices

safari birthday party

Safari animal cupcakes

safari birthday party

monkey sticks — bananas dipped in chocolate

Our little guy has been very clear in the months leading up to our family and friend-filled shindig that he wanted animals at a safari birthday party.  Lots of ’em.  We went with a jungle safari theme, since his favorite animals are in the “lions-and-tigers-and-bears-oh-my” genre.  Even though we’d had a blast at last year’s birthday pig roast, his party last year happened right in the middle of moving into our new house, and I always felt a touch guilty that we’d not had other kids there or more of a to-do for him.  I wanted to make up for last year’s “hey, happy birthday, buddy, here’s a roast pig now leave us to unpack the rest of the house” chaos by giving him a big ol’ bash he’d (hopefully) never forget.

safari birthday party

Above: a homemade bunting spelling out well wishes for the birthday boy

What that translated to, of course, was that by the afternoon of the safari birthday party, our house looked like a safari threw up in it.  Our families arrived early to help us set up, which meant that the entire day became one giant series of parties — decorating while eating grilled Omaha steaks (thanks to his auntie); my dad steaming trout for the little guy’s birthday lunch while others focused on creating his outdoor water wonderland; and eating dinner as a family after all our friends left. 

safari birthday party
The playground set outside also got a healthy sprinkling of safari

Since we had nine kids and around 30 adults coming in and out of the house all day, the hubby and I decided that backyard fun would be a good way to keep the kids entertained while avoiding traffic jams in the house.  All week I crossed my fingers for cool but sunny weather, since we’d had a flood and some unseasonably cloudy days in the wake of Hurricane Isaac.  By the day of the party, the clouds parted and I sang silent thank yous to the forces that be.  Unfortunately, I may have been to vocal in my praise, because it turned out to be a scorcher of a day.


safari birthday party
Party favors were finger puppets from IKEA tucked into kraft paper takeout boxes and decorated with a “thank you” stamp

Luckily, we’d planned for that and had all sorts of water activities outside, including a sprinkler (because what kid doesn’t love a good dousing with a sprinkler) and a baby pool “lagoon” filled with animal beach balls.  Our birthday was a water table, so the kids could also crowd around it for a little cool respite.

diy safari party favors

All you need to make these adorable safari party favors are: thank you stickers to place on each box // IKEA Titta Djur finger puppets // lime green tissue paper // mini kraft paper takeout boxes


jungle birthday party
By the end of the day, our little guy was muddy, hopped up on sugar from his first taste of real birthday cake (we’d declined to give him some last year in favor of sticking to limiting refined sugar until after his second birthday) and could not stop squealing.  I’m pretty sure it was one of his best days ever.

It was up there for me, too.

jungle birthday party

After the party, we set the party table again for dinner with the family

How can you recreate this amazing safari birthday party? Check out the supplies I used below!

Top row, left to right: safari animal balloons, $7 for 12 || animal cupcake toppers, $10 for 24 || safari party hats, $15 for 24 || Second row, left to right: animal print cupcake liners, $11.50 for 36 || custom print safari birthday banner, $28 || safari party lanterns, $18 for 12 || Third row, left to right: kraft paper takeout favor boxes, $14 for 50 || inflatable zoo animals, $23 for 6 || jungle leaves, $12 for 48 || Bottom row, left to right: safari cups, $11 for 24 || safari friends paperless post invitation (price varies) || safari paper straws, $15 for 75



you might also like:
London Cookbook Club, Ch. 7: Made in India
life in london, ch. 2
coconut panna cotta with cherries
holiday venison recipes (marx foods recipe challenge!)

SHARE THIS

8 Comments Filed Under: birthdays, children, design, Entertaining, Ge Ge, marriage & family, projects

Yum
GET ALL THE LATEST FROM GRITS & CHOPSTICKS BY FOLLOWING ALONG ON Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Amy says

    09.19.2012 at 4:28 pm

    He had the best bday party ever! Can’t wait to celebrate birthday number 3!

    Reply
  2. Angel Hsu says

    09.20.2012 at 10:15 am

    the pictures are all so beautiful!! great work, team!

    Reply
  3. shawna [of styleberryBLOG] says

    01.14.2013 at 11:23 pm

    This is adorable! I found your party on pinterest. 🙂 Can you tell me where you found the adorable, bright animal print balloons? I am looking for some for my little guy’s first birthday party! Thank you!

    Reply
  4. Michelle says

    06.24.2019 at 8:02 pm

    Thank you so much for posting this!! Your party looks great and I needed ideas for my little guy’s 4th birthday this October. The links are also very helpful 🙂

    Reply
    • gritsandchopsticks says

      07.02.2019 at 12:21 pm

      So glad to hear it, Michelle! Hope you have a great birthday party for your son!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Zoo Themed First Birthday Party Favours says:
    03.29.2018 at 10:55 pm

    […] Source: Grits and Chopsticks. […]

    Reply
  2. 50 DIY Birthday Party Favor Gift Bags - Smart Party Ideas says:
    01.25.2019 at 11:03 am

    […] 44. DIY Safari Party Favor Boxes […]

    Reply
  3. 30 Coolest Birthday Decorations of 2019 - Fun Birthday Party Ideas - Dodo Burd says:
    09.22.2019 at 6:01 am

    […] How to Make a Kid’s Safari Birthday Party […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

East Meets South in London. I share tips about food, travel and home life inspired by where I'm from, the places I go, and what I eat.

READ MORE

find it

greatest hits

    • cube storage bins ikea kallax Using Cube Storage Bins in Your Magic IKEA KALLAX
    • congee (chinese rice porridge)
    • strawberry balsamic panna cotta
    • whole30 breakfast scramble (and what whole30 is)
    • whole 30 lamb, mint chimichurri & butternut “rice”

Archives

search

Footer

Categories

follow me on social media

Archives

  • Current mood. . . . . . #mood #fireside #instagood #instadaily #instalove #gooddog #goldendoodle #goldendoodlepuppy #puppylove #photooftheday #photogram #abmlifeissweet #lightroom #loveislove #lovemydog #ikethedog #couchpotato #sofadog #dogsofinstagram #dogsofinsta #dogslife #doglife #doglovers #instapic #instadog #puppygram
  • The big meat parade continues ... today was the culmination of a 3-day process of brining, smoking and crisping up a lamb leg from @fieldsofathenryfarmva, accompanied with a spattering of Israeli-inspired sides from chargrilled broccoli with tahini & pomegranates, a bright tomato and red onion salad, yogurt cucumber dip and freshly made flatbreads. As I’ve said this entire crazy, isolated holiday season, I need projects. It’s good for me to have projects. . . . . . #food #nomnomnom #thatsdarling #thehappynow #thekitchn #instayum #instafood #igfoodie #f52grams #chefmode #instapic #droolclub #bhgfood #goodeats #eatfamous #hungry #foodgasm #honestcooking #foodgawker #foodgram #foodstagram #eatstagram #foodshare
  • A cheap and cheerful shakshuka for dinner tonight, with chickpeas swirled in a smoky paprika tomato sauce with wilted spinach and feta, topped with a sprinkling of cilantro (coriander). Accompanied, of course, by a lot of hand-wringing, disbelief and wine. So much wine. . . . . . #food #targetstyle #thatsdarling #thehappynow #thekitchn #instayum #instafood #igfoodie #f52grams #chefmode #instapic #droolclub #bhgfood #goodeats #eatfamous #hungry #foodgasm #honestcooking #foodgawker #foodgram #foodstagram #eatstagram #foodshare #dinnerparty #foodie #foodblog #eeeeeats #yum #shakshuka #onedishmeal
  • E I G H T.
  • Bucket list item #432: bring baby alpacas wearing tiny party hats to daughter’s birthday, cause heart explosions in otherwise dismal start to the year. ☑️ @mypetalpaca . . . . . #birthdayparty #alpaca #peruvian #babygoats #birthdays #abmbeautifullife #abmlifeisbeautiful #photooftheday #instagood #instadaily #instalove #instamood #llamallama #llama #kids #kidsactivities #todayparents #parenting #birthday #birthdaygirl #kidslife #familytime #quarantinelife #2021 #happynewyear #hello2021
  • In the absence of friends, family and parties to celebrate both, I spent this holiday season baking. Really baking. Cookies. Breads. Chelsea buns. Cupcakes. A buche de Noel. This weekend was the finale of a season of sweets, starting with a pistachio and raspberry roulade and then, using the last remaining bits of cream and egg whites I had laying around, a glorious pavlova slathered with leftover lemon curd cream cheese and topped with a cloudy layer of soft whipped cream, berries and toasted almonds. My neighbors have benefited from my baking largesse; my waistline thanks them for indulging me!

Copyright © 2021 Grits & Chopsticks · Design by DESIGNER BLOGS · Privacy Policy