In the jungle, the mighty jungle the lion sleeps tonight.

Thats probably because hes all tuckered out from playing these safari-themed games
with all of his jungle friends. Chances are, your child will be happily worn out, too,
after a day of playing at his safari-themed birthday party.
Monkey Tag
This game is played much like the classic backyard game of freeze tag, but the player
who is it has to act like a monkey.
When a player is tagged, rather than freezing in place, she jumps around and acts like
a monkey. Once a player is turned into a monkey, she has to continue to imitate a
monkey as she helps the original monkey tag the remaining players. Every time a
player is tagged, another
Lucky Monkey
Cut banana shapes from yellow card stock. Write the word monkey on one of them.
Write the names of other safari animals on the remaining bananas. Place them in a
safari hat. Have the kids gather in a circle and take turns picking a banana out of the
hat. If a player chooses an animal other than the monkey, he has to run around the
circle imitating that animal. When a player chooses the monkey banana, however, he
is the lucky winner of a prize. Keep playing until everyone has a turn to be the lucky
monkey.
Catch the Snake's Tail
Gather the players and have them line up, each player holding the waist of the player
in front of her.
The line they form is a snake. The object of the game is for the snake to catch its
own tail. The first player in line will lead the rest of the snake around the jungle as he
tries to catch up to and touch the last player in line. The snake chain must not be
broken or the snake will have to return to the starting line and start over.
Safari Animal Scavenger Hunt
Before the party, hide several plush jungle animals around the party space. Gather the
kids and tell them the safari animals have gone missing. Then call out the name of one
of the missing animals. Once they have retrieved that animal, call out the name of
another. Keep playing until they have rounded up all of the wayward safari creatures.
Sleeping Lions
Forget freeze dance, the lazy lions are too tired for that kind of action. Instead, play
some music and have your party guests prowl around the dance floor, roaring like
lions. When the music stops, instead of freezing, the kids will fall to the floor and lie
still like sleeping lions. The last child to become a sleepy lion is out of the game. Start
the music again and play for as many rounds as it takes until only one player remains.
Elephant Trumpet
Have the players sit in a circle and trumpet-like elephants. Pick one player to stand in
the center of the circle. Have the child in the middle close his eyes. Walk around the
outside of the circle and pat one child on the head. That child performs her best
elephant trumpeting sound. The player in the middle has to guess which player was
the trumpeter.
Jungle Animal Charades
Like the classic game of charades, this activity requires players to act something out
without using any words. Write the names of various jungle animals on note cards,
fold them up and place them in a safari hat. Players will pull an animal name out of
the hat and try and get the others to guess the name of the jungle animal using only
gestures and motions.
Play Classic Games with a Safari Theme
Put a jungle-themed twist on classic party games. For instance, change the game of
Duck Duck Goose to Lion, Lion, Tiger. Instead of Hot Potato, play Rotten
Banana. Play Pin the Tail on the Monkey or use animal-themed songs as the music for
musical chairs.

GAMES

1. CHARADES based on animals or animal movies and books.

2. Animal MATCHING CARD games.

3. ANIMAL RELAY
The players form two lines with equal numbers on each team.
The first player on each team is one animal, the second a different animal. (Have
youth draw from a container for which animal they will be.
#1s are the same animal
#2s are the same animal
#3 the same, etc.
On the word go", the first team members act like the animal they represent; they run,
hop or crawl to a given place and back.
The following players then acts like their animals and so on until one team is
finished and all sitting down. Use animals such as kangaroos, bunnies, dogs, cats, etc.
4. RUN RABBIT RUN
Half of the group are called foxes and the other half are named rabbits. Rabbits are
standing behind a line at one end of the play area. (home) Foxes are scattered all over
the gym.
Captain Rabbit leads his/her brood for a walk.
The leader of the foxes says: "Run Rabbit Run!"
All rabbits run trying to return to their home.
All TAGGED rabbits become foxes. Continue until there are no "rabbits" left.
5. A WHAT? (Only using things to do with animals)
Form a circle.
First player passes any object to the next person and says, This is a dog bone. The
second says, A what?
The first repeats, A dog bone. The second says, Oh, and passes it to the third
person saying, This is a dog bone,
Third says, A what? The second person then turns back to the first person and asks
again, A what? Second tells third a dog bone.
It continues in this manner.
After the object reaches the fourth person, the first starts over again with a new animal
related object. And chaos begins!
6. WHO AM I?
.....Version#1: When the children come through the door, tape an animal or animal
item/object to their backs. They may ask each other "yes and no questions" about
what they are. Explain that the first question they may want to ask is "Am I an animal
or an object?" At the end, each child takes a turn saying what they think they are.
Suggestions: cow, pig, sheep, dog, horseshoe, hay, dog bone, etc...

.....WHO AM I? Version #2:

Before the game, cut pictures of animals out of old nature magazines. Try to use the
pictures on the covers, because they are sturdier. Then pin a picture with a safety pin
to the back of each childs T-shirt. They all ask each other "yes or no questions", such
as "Do I swim in the ocean?" "Do I have feathers?" or "Do I live in the jungle? Its
also a good ice-breaker - if some of the kids don't know each other very well.

7. ANIMAL BUDDIES
Is similar to Who Am I? This time, whisper in each childs ear a name of an animal.
Tell them that other person that is the same animathere is at least one l as they are.
Throughout the event they may ask each other yes and no questions to try to figure out
who their "Animal Buddy" is. At the end of the time tell everyone to go sit by who
they think their partner is. Go over the clues with the kids until they figure it out and
everyone is sitting next to the correct buddy.

8. MONKEY TAG
Scatter with three or four persons who are "It".
All players run around. When they are tagged, they must lie on their backs, feet up in
the air.
They are free if another person can touch both feet with their elbow before being
caught.
Time the game so many get a turn at being "it".
9. Play the "FARMER, ZOO KEEPER, or VETENARIAN SAYS Instead of
"Simon Says"

10. Play PIN THE TAIL ON THE DONKEY OR other versions such as: Pin
the Tail on the Cow, Pin the Comb on the Rooster, Put the Hat on the Farmer, Put
the Tire on the Tractor or Pin the Tail on the Piggy, etc.

11. Play "Duck, Duck, Goose"or other versions such as---CAT, CAT, KITTY,
Chick, Chick, Rooster, or Pig, Pig, Piglet, etc.
12. ANIMAL SOUNDS
Randomly assign animal types to children (They pick them out of a container)
As youth walk about the room, they make their assigned animal sound; they have to
find others that are making the same sound. Two of each animal works well because
the process of elimination will help those with an unusual interpretation of the animal
noise.
13. FIND THE ANIMALS!
BEFORE your event--- hide several farm animal (or zoo or pet store) toys or cards
around the event area, yard, etc.
Paint or decorate a box to look like a barn or cage---or use a BASKET....
Before you start, explain to the children that old McDonald's (or the pet shop or Zoo
Keepers) animals got out.
The children are to search and collect the toys/cards and RETURN THEM TO THEIR
HOME.
Give each child an appropriated treat or prize for hunting..
14. DOGGIE, DOGGIE, WHERE'S YOUR BONE?
A child is picked to play the part of the dog. He or she sits on a chair with an object
under it (to represent the bone) with their back to the group.
While the dog is turned around with his or her eyes closed, someone steals the bone
and hide it somewhere on his person.
Then everyone sings: Doggy, Doggy, where's your bone? Somebody's stole it from
your home. Guess who it might be.
The dog has three chances to guess who took it.
if the dog guesses right, he gets to do it again. If he guesses wrong, then the child who
has the bone gets a turn as the dog.
15. A DRAWING GAME: ANIMAL JUMBLE
Using construction or white paper, ask each child to drawn a different body part of an
animal, but to have their animal be a secret. For example, have one child draw the
head, another draw the tail, another the legs and so on.
Have the children pick the animal they want to draw.
When they are done have then put the animal together with tape or glue.
Have fun coming up with a name for the animal (monk-dog-lion-potamus
16. If you're having a party, this is a fun way to distribute goody bags!
Have the kids "fish" for their treats!
Before the party, decorate a white sheet with colorful fish and other sea creatures and
make a fishing pole by tying string to a stick and putting a clothespin on the other end.
Attach the sheet over the door to a room or large closet. Put the bags behind this.
At the end of the party, get behind the "pond" and tell the kids they're going fishing.
One at a time, have the kids cast their line OVER the sheet.
Attach a goody bag to the clothespin and give the line a tug to let the child know when
they've caught something.
17. BARN YARD SEARCH .....A good outside or gym area game.
Hide small pieces of wrapped candy in an area where kids can run around.
Divide the group into three or four teams---depending of size of group.
Assign each team an animal noise: bark, meow, moo, or oink.
Give one person on each team the animal trainer a plastic cup or bowl.
To play:
Tell all the animals to sniff out the candy.
Everyone is allowed to look for the candy, but only the designated animal trainer for
each team can scoop it up and put it in the team cup.
When someone finds a piece of candy, they have to stand next to it and make their
animal noise until their team's trainer comes over to grab it.
To be fair consider everyone pooling their candy at the end and then distribute it
evenly.
18. Version #1: GIVE YOUR FRIEND THE CHICKEN (Gym Game)
Person with the ball (or rubber chicken that can be purchased in novelty stores) is
IT.
When IT tags someone, the tagged person becomes frozen.
When someone gives the frozen person the chicken. They are brought back to life.
Use poly spot carpet squares as safety zones; these are the hen houses.
Version #2: CHICKEN CACCIATORE
You have two (or another #) taggers, and two youth with rubber chickens.
The taggers run around and tag children to freeze them.
The students with the rubber chickens can run and unfreeze the "frozen."
After a few minutes - switch the taggers and the chickens.
19. FRISBEE OR BEAN BAG THROW
Throw a small Frisbee or bean bag at a large picture of a Dog (or other animal) on the
ground, the closest is the winner.
20. ANIMAL PARADE (For young children)
Children form a circle. One person is chosen to be the leader.
The leader calls the name of a child and names an animal.
The child does an imitation on the movements of the animal named.
After everyone has had a chance to imitate an animal, all players form a line for an
Animal Parade" led by the leader.
The group moves around the room, each imitating the animal he/she
represents... Variations: Play a round with sound imitations only---or a combination of
sounds and movements...
21. CHARADES USING ANIMAL CRACKERS
Child takes an animal cracker out of a bag/container and doesn't show it to the rest of
the group. They then act out the animal while the other children try to guess what it is.
When the group comes up with the correct answer, the child acting out the charade
can eat the animal cracker! the game continues.