Jungle Invitation: completed!

Remember this jungle invitation that I was tinkering with? It's done!

After a lot of playing around, I finalized the version on the left and posted a listing for jungle invitations on etsy.

This is the first invitation I've posted that I hadn't designed for a party for the boys, but the idea of a jungle party just seems like so much fun.

Some ideas:

• A fun game that works very well at parties when there are children of very different ages present is a search game (for the boys' second birthday party, which had a bug theme, I scattered a gross of foam bugs in the yard and they had such a blast finding them that they begged us to hide them again for them).
  
  For a jungle animal theme, I would suggest scattering plastic animals and sending the children on "safari" to collect as many as they can find.
  
  
• Face-painting is always a popular activity. Try tiger stripe faces, if you have the time and the talent.
  
  
• Cut out animal "paw prints" and use them to lead your party guests from your sidewalk up to your door.
  
  
• Family Fun always has a bunch of great birthday party ideas. Check out their "It's a Jungle Celebration," with some clever cake ideas, activities, decorations and craft ideas.
  
  
• If you are going to serve lunch, I've made this snake sandwich by Paula Deen before and it was a terrific hit: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/snake-bites-recipe/index.html
  
  
• Older children may enjoy playing "Who am I?" Tape the name of an animal to each guest. Each are allowed to ask other party-goers yes or no questions until they figure out what they are.
  
  
• Pin the tail on the tiger/monkey/zebra or whatever other animal can be especially fun for younger kids.
  
  
• Another fun activity for younger kids can be "Duck, Duck, Hippo" -- most pre-schoolers already know the rules.
  
  
• Guests can be transformed into jungle animals with inexpensive foam animal masks (these are from Oriental Trading -- I've ordered these and they were a good deal).
  
  
• Animal charades can be a fun activity. The kids can act out various animals or try to imitate their sounds for small prizes.
  
  
• Dress the birthday child in safari clothes and invite guests to do likewise. Purchase pith helmets for guests to wear.

Do you have other ideas? Please feel free to tell me about them!