Although anyone can visit and enjoy a zoo, farm, or aquatic event, these places generally cater to the animal lover in children. A party with an animal theme can generate a lot of creative ideas. Noah’s Ark is an obvious choice for a child’s animal party. According to the book of Genesis in the Holy Bible, there was an excess of 30,000 animals (2 per each species) aboard the vessel that was deemed the sole survivor of a flood that swept the land. With so many animals in the world, guests to such a party could have a significant number of options for costumes.

An animal party doesn’t have to focus on real animals. An animated animal party theme can prove to be just as fun. The host can choose a particular cartoon show or movie and have the partygoers arrive dressed as their favorite character. For a children’s party, coloring books, giving all the children gifts, and decorating the venue with accessories from cartoon characters are all ways to spice up this type of animal party. A party with an animal theme should have activities that focus on animals. An old game, but definitely a goodie is Pin the Tail on the Donkey. Filling a piñata in the shape of an animal with candy and allowing a child swing at it blind folded is also an old party favorite.

Some common themes include:

• Jungle Party
• Rainforest Party
• Crocodile Hunter Party
• Reptile Party
• Safari Party
• Bug Party
• Ladybug Party
• Dinosaur Party
• Zoo Party

Animal Party Decorations
It's a Jungle in Here – As the children enter, give them safari hats and plastic compasses.Create a jungle atmosphere with lots of foliage, artificial or real. Hang stuffed monkeys from the branches of trees. Use lots of potted plants and trees real or artificial (borrow extras from friends & neighbors). Arrange stuffed animals next to large plants. Use green streamers, jungle print balloons, and construction paper snakes (see invitation instructions above) or plastic snakes hanging in corners, from doors and from the center of the party area. Add bunches of bananas and toy jeeps. Use butterfly or fish net swags around tables and across the room as you would with crepe paper. Place little plastic bugs in the netting to make it appear as if the kids are on safari, catching critters.

Jungle Table – Use animal print fabrics and inexpensive natural burlap as table drapes and chair covers. Use jungle print plates and napkins and bananas labeled with each guest's name as place cards. Use Snake Cake (below) as a centerpiece.Throw animal crackers as confetti all over the table as part of the look, as well as a tasty snack for hungry children.

Jungle Sounds – Play animal or rainforest sounds as background sound effects.
Elephant Walk – Use chalk to draw big animal footprints on your driveway, sidewalk and patio.

Animal Party Games
Dinosaur Dig (ages 3-5) – The perfect game for a sandbox. Hide a bunch of small plastic dinosaurs in the sandbox and let your guests dig through the sand in search of those elusive dinosaurs.

Safari Hunt or Bug Hunt or Crocodile Hunter Game (ages 3-5) – Hide lots of plastic animals throughout your yard or house and let the children hunt for as many as they can find. For the bug hunt, give each child a bug keeper as a party favor and let them store their bugs in it.

Find Your Animal (ages 3-5) – Each child has to bring his/her own stuffed animal. Put all of the animals together to make one big pile of animals. Then one-by-one, blindfold each child and have them try to find their animal. Give each child who chooses the correct animal a prize!

Bug Says or Crocodile Says or Monkey Says (ages 3-7) – The players get into a circle and fulfill the commands of the leader. But they must fulfill only those commands which begin with the word "Bug". For example: "Bugs, squat!" "Bugs, link your arms!" If a command is given like "Stand apart!" without Bugs being said before it and a player follows the command, they are out. The player who stays in the game the longest is the winner.
Spider Crawl (ages 3-7) – Individual race or team relay. Have the children get into the spider crawl position and have them race through a course or a set area.

Animal Tag (ages 3-7) – As in classic tag, everyone runs around avoiding "It." When a player is tagged, "It" assigns them an animal. For example, "You're a monkey," or a camel or an elephant or a parrot. The tagged person must stand where he is and act like that animal until another player tags (frees) him or the game ends. The game is over when everyone has been tagged.

Musical Animal Acts (ages 3-7) – A fun variation of musical chairs. When the music stops, the guest without a chair must pick the name of an animal out of a hat and must act it out as the other guests guess what it is. Repeat until all the animals have been acted out.

Peanut Push (ages 3-7) – Ask guests to pretend they are elephants and push a peanut across the floor with their noses. For older kids, this could be a relay game.

Animal Sounds Contest (ages 3-13) – Have your guests stand in front of the group and make their best animal noises. For older kids use a panel of judges to later award prizes for the best, longest, shortest, loudest, quietest, most obnoxious, silliest, least like an animal... until everyone wins and has a good laugh in the process!
There's a Monkey on My Back (ages 6-13) – Pair up your party guests and put a sticker of an animal on each child's back. Have the guests try to guess what their animal is by asking only yes or no questions of their partner. For example, "Do I have legs?" and "Am I green?"

Jungle Charades (ages 6-13) – Download pictures of jungle animals and glue them on index cards. Have guests take turns choosing a card and acting like the animal while others guess.

Jungle Knots (ages 6-13) – This game will tie your guests up in knots! Instruct your guests to stand in a circle facing inward. Everyone extends their right hand into the ring and takes hold of someone else's hand. Then, do the same with their left hands. The object of the game is to see if they can untangle the "knot" by stepping over, ducking under people or turning around. Whatever happens, they can't let go of hands!

Animal Facts (ages 6-13) – Make a list of animal facts with true/false answers and see who can get the most correct answers.

Animal Party Food
Swamp Juice – Turn green Gatorade into a steamy swamp! After you've poured a glass, add a few Pop Rock candies. It will crackle, pop and spit when it hits the punch. Awesome!

Ladybug Sandwiches – Take sandwich bread, remove the crusts and cut into to circles with a round cookie cutter. Spread a light coating of butter to one side of bread circles. On half of the bread circles add peanut butter. Top these with another bread circle, then add about 2 teaspoon of red jam or jelly and spread over the top of the bread. Cut raisins in half and place them around on the top of sandwich to resemble a ladybug. Add some cucumber sandwiches to resemble leaves. Cut sandwich bread in rounds or leaf shapes; lightly cover each round with butter or 1 teaspoon of whipped cream cheese, or cheese spread. Top each round with a thin cucumber slice.

Jungle Sandwiches – Use cookie cutters to make animal-shaped finger sandwiches.
Monkeys on a Stick – Push a craft stick into a peeled banana. Coat the banana in dipping chocolate or peanut butter and roll in peanuts or chocolate sprinkles. Freeze and serve. (Beware of peanut allergies.)

Animal Cookies – This is a popular treat that can be made using any sugar cookie dough recipe and animal cookie cutters. The kids would have fun decorating their own cookies at the party, too.

Ants on a Log – Wash celery and cut it into pieces (about 5 inches long). Spread peanut butter or cheese spread (get the type in a can with the nozzle) on the celery, from one end to the other. Press raisins into the top. You might want to make both types in case you have kids who are allergic to peanuts.

Worm Sandwiches – Cut hot dogs into slices lengthwise and boil or microwave until the slices curl like wiggly worms. Serve on hamburger buns.

Pizza Snakes – Simply roll out the refrigerated pizza dough in the form of a snake you want. Add pizza sauce, toppings, and an olive for the eye. Bake at 425°F for 6-8 minutes.