Choose her favorite animal or animals and be specific. The kids can make that the theme for their presents. Forget the costumes. They will impede play, crafts, and games and they will get ruined by the food, cake, pizza, etc. especially in a warm climate.

Wild Kratts party

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:my daughter is really into animals these days, and wants to have an "animal theme" party. she'll invite about 10 girls (mostly in her class) and had the idea of suggesting they come dressed up as animals. any ideas from parents about what kinds of activities/crafts/etc. we can do for this party? it will be at our house. we live in a warm climate so kids can be outdoors.

This would make me not come to your party.

me too, to be honest. we don't have the money for something like that.

What about a traveling petting zoo. In DC there is a company called Squeals on Wheels.

Anonymous wrote:my daughter is really into animals these days, and wants to have an "animal theme" party. she'll invite about 10 girls (mostly in her class) and had the idea of suggesting they come dressed up as animals. any ideas from parents about what kinds of activities/crafts/etc. we can do for this party? it will be at our house. we live in a warm climate so kids can be outdoors.

This would make me not come to your party.

Can you narrow it down to a favorite animal? That might make planning it much easier.

My DD 10 is also very into animals. For her 11th birthday we're having her party at the SPCA. This way it's animal-themed without being too cutesy.

Rather than ask the attendees to dress up to attend, have a box of animal costume parts (barettes with ears, animal noses, belts with tails, wings that can go on shoulders, animal gloves, etc and start with a dress up when each person attends. Put a box of costume pieces in front of a full length mirror and when the guests arrive, you take their coats and they stop by and get to become an animal for the party.

Some ideas for games: the classic pin the tail on the donkey and duck-duck-goose

Crafts: Get animal cupcake tins and bake cupcakes before the party. Have colored icing and those icing tubes and let the kids decorate/frost the cakes and put faces on the animals. Take a picture of all the finished cupcakes and everyone can either eat theirs or take it home (to take home cupcakes, get those clear disposable wine cups, put one in and cover with plastic wrap). You can get little animals either unpainted wood (I think I saw some at Michaels) or small white ceramic (I've seen these occasionally at the dollar store) and let the girls paint animals to take home. Get little animal charms, beads and a bracelet making kit and have teh girls make charm bracelets for themselves with animals.

Do not put the pressure on the guests. Instead have a party where you make animal costumes. Or hire a petting zoo. Or decorate with an animal theme and have a cake with an animals theme. Have the party at Reston zoo or offer to take her send a few friends to the real zoo.

Why not make animal ears on head bands at the party. Try your hand at a little face painting, whiskers, spots, noses. I don't want to worry about dressing my child up as an animal to go to the party.

my daughter is really into animals these days, and wants to have an "animal theme" party. she'll invite about 10 girls (mostly in her class) and had the idea of suggesting they come dressed up as animals. any ideas from parents about what kinds of activities/crafts/etc. we can do for this party? it will be at our house. we live in a warm climate so kids can be outdoors.