Jungle-Themed Party Games, Crafts and Other Ideas for 2 to 5 Year Olds

Make a card that looks like an elephant by attaching a trunk and big ears to a regular card. Add some squiggly eyes and all that's left is adding the information on the inside.

Get paper animal masks from a party store and use them to send as invitations.

Craft Ideas

Animal Dress-Up

Provide the children with paper plates that have already been outfitted to be masks by attaching stretchy string through holes punched opposite each other. Give each child a plastic visor that they can add ears to. Let them pick their favorite animal and dress up as their favorite animal. If the children attending the party are 2-3 years old, you may want to make the masks and hats ahead of time and let the children pick their favorite when they arrive and add their own decorative touches.

Snake Puppet

Have enough long socks for each child. Before the party add eyes to the end of the sock. Provide the children with fabric pens and let them add designs to their snakes.

Game Ideas

Elephant Scavenger Hunt Game

Explain to the kids that elephants love peanuts. Then show them how to pretend to be an elephant by using their arms as a trunk. Let them know that you have hidden peanuts throughout the house and that they need to pretend to be elephants and find them (please check with all parents to make sure none of the children have peanut allergies). Have the children put all the peanuts they find in a bowl at the snack table and show them how to take the peanuts out of the shell.

In The Jungle

Put the names of jungle animals on pieces of paper and put them in a bowl or hat. Tell the children they are pretending to be animals in the jungle and you are going to tell them which animal to be. Pull out one of the pieces of paper and read it to the children. Then let them pretend to be that animal for a few minutes before pulling out another piece of paper.

Jungle Play

Using rope and large sheets create a makeshift stage. Let the children use their masks and hats or their snake puppets to act out a play or simply pretend to be different animals.

Food Ideas

Serve animal crackers, fruit punch, fruit kabobs, gold fish, bananas dipped in chocolate and of course the birthday favorite cake and ice cream. But give your cake and ice cream a twist by offering ice cream with peanuts and bananas and decorating the cake to look like a jungle animal.