JUNGLE THEME PARTY GAMES & ACTIVITIES
Are the kids ready to brave the wild with these fun jungle theme party games and activities?!
Most of these games only need a little bit of set-up and you'll likely already have most of the items at home.
GAMES
Feed the Lions
In advance make several large lion head cutouts of various sizes out of strong card.
Make a hole for the mouths and then color or paint the heads.
Make each mouth a different shape or size to make it more challenging.
Suspend the lion heads from a tree or chair and get the kids to toss bean bags or small stuffed animals into the mouths.
Give points for each mouth and the highest scorer wins.
Elephant Race
Dividing the kids into two teams and line them up in two rows. The first child in line bends over and lets one hand hang down (the trunk) and puts the other hand (the elephant tail) through his/her legs to the person behind him/her.
The next person bends over and grabs the first person's "tail" with his "trunk." The process repeats so that all the elephants are holding on to each other.
On the whistle the two teams race to the finish line and the first team to reach it without breaking the chain wins.
Loose Animals
This is always a fun jungle theme party game and involves a game keeper trying to round up some loose animals. In advance make some cards (one for each child) and stick a picture of a wild animal on each. Draw two chalk lines several meters apart on the ground and have the kids stand in between the two lines.
Choose one child to be the gamekeeper and the others are all given an animal card. Tell them to keep their animal identity secret from the gamekeeper. The gamekeeper then patrols the park and shouts out the name of an animal.
If an animal hears his name he must run past the gamekeeper wherever he may be and touch the other chalk line before the gamekeeper catches him. If caught he must leave the playing area and is said to have been put back in the game park. The last animal caught becomes the next gamekeeper.
Tarzan Swing
For this game you need to be outdoors on a warm day and have a sturdy tree. Fill up one or more paddling pools with water and place them under a strong branch of the tree. Put plastic crocodiles in the water to make a "swampy." Tie a jungle rope to the branch and let it hang down so the kids can easily reach it. You could tie in a couple of knots to make the rope easier to grab.
The kids take turns to see if they can swing across the swampy water without falling in. Naturally they are going to want to get in at some time so be prepared for lots of wet kids!
Free the Monkey
This is an outdoor game and you need a smooth horizontal tree branch or a climbing frame.
Place a toy monkey in a makeshift cage or sack. Tie the cage to a rope and fling the rope over the branch. To the loose end of the rope attach a bucket. The bucket needs to be much lighter than the cage so you may need to add some weighted bags to the cage. Fill the bucket with heavy objects such as rocks or potatoes so that it sits on the floor but the monkey in the cage is suspended in the air.
The kids will be in two teams you will need to make two cages and have the buckets weigh equal amounts.
On the whistle each team member takes a turn running to the bucket, grabbing a pebble or potato, and rushing back to his team. Then the next person goes and does the same.
As the bucket empties, the cage should lower. Once it is on the ground, the team must grab the monkey and rush to their base. The first team to free the monkey is the winner.
ACTIVITIES
My Own Binoculars
As a warm-up activity for younger kids, get them to make their own binoculars. In advance collect many cardboard toilet rolls and get the kids to decorate two toilet rolls with paints and marker pens or stick on crepe paper. Glue or staple them together and then thread a string trough two holes made at one end so they can wear them around their necks.
Animal Faces
Get creative with face paints and transform guests into jungle animals! Look online for ideas or consider hiring a face painter.
Animal Knowledge
Arrange a trip to the local zoo or hire an animal expert to come to your house with a selection of snakes or small animals.
NOTE: Check beforehand that none of the children have a real fear of certain animals.
Silky Snakes
Purchase a number of cheap silk neckties from thrift stores or second hand shops. Unpick the stitching at the widest end of the tie. Give each child a tie and get them to stuff it with cotton wool or cut up rags. Use rulers or sticks to push the padding down the snake.
Close the end using glue or give it a quick stitch. Attach buttons for eyes and a red felt tongue. The kids can then take these home afterwards.