How To Host a Wild and Fun Jungle Theme Party

If you’re a party animal with an urge to host a jungle theme party, we’re with you. Visions of palm fronds, exotic birds, and tropical flowers dance across our imaginations, inspiring party ideas for a host of different events.

Whether you’re planning a jungle-inspired or safari-themed birthday party, baby shower, graduation, or other fun event, this guide will help you set the scene. You’ll also get some digital invitation inspiration that will have your guests going wild with excitement.

3 Steps to Hosting a Jungle Theme Party 

There’s a wide variety of options for a jungle theme party. You can opt for bright hues or baby animals in soft pastels to suit a baby’s first birthday party or select more elegant prints and party decor for a teen’s sweet 16. You can also modify the jungle theme to suit a graduation party by hosting a jungle luau to honor the journey into the “concrete jungle.” 

Whatever jungle or safari theme party you choose to host, here are some ideas ranging from animal-inspired decorations to tasty feasts you can serve up.

Go Wild With Decor

When it comes to the color scheme of a jungle theme party, animal print is king. Use animal motifs and colors like orange, green, and brown when decorating the event space. The jungle is also a bright and lively space, so hues like magenta and red can be peppered throughout the party decor — think orchids and hibiscus flowers that bloom in the jungle. 

Here are some great jungle decor items to consider for your upcoming bash.

• Balloon decorations: No event is complete (especially a safari theme birthday party) without party balloons! Look for animal balloons featuring tigers, elephants, monkeys, and other wild beasts. You can also opt for zebra stripe or animal print balloons. Display them around the event room, make a DIY balloon garland, and tie a few special latex balloons to the chair for the birthday boy or birthday girl.
• Safari animal stickers: If your jungle-themed party is a kid’s event, get some animal stickers they can use to decorate cards or stick on each other. Giraffes, zebras, lions, and crocodiles are all great choices. For an even wilder atmosphere, look for animal stickers in vibrant colors or metallic designs that shimmer and shine.
• Animal print tableware: Set the stage for a jungle-inspired meal with animal print tablecloths and animal table decorations. For easy clean-up and an easy design element, use paper plates, cups, and napkins featuring a safari theme. For a young child’s birthday party, consider plates featuring wild animal faces. For older kids or an adult safari party, look for jungle motifs like monstera or palm leaves and jungle animal prints, which can be more elegant.
• Confetti: Never mind the clean-up. There’s something about confetti that makes a party even more fun. Sprinkle animal print confetti on the table or hand out party favor bags or goodie bags with party poppers packed with confetti.
• Birthday banner or backdrop: If you’re hosting a jungle birthday party or baby shower, draw attention to the guest of honor with an animal-inspired backdrop. Hang an animal print on the wall, use wild animal wall stickers, or make a balloon arch with green, orange, and brown balloons. You can even find large safari wall stickers on Etsy and Amazon that the mother-to-be or birthday kiddo can repurpose in the nursery or bedroom.
• Photo Booth: Capture memories of the day and relive the fun of your jungle theme party with a photo booth. Set up a themed backdrop and have plenty of photo props such as animal cutouts, animal face masks, safari hats, and animal print glasses.
• Live animals: This may be over the top, but live animals are the ultimate VIPs when planning a safari zoo party. Some party planning companies offer exotic animals like camels for large events while others offer horse rides. You can even consider a virtual experience with companies like Dave’s Jungle, which offers virtual live animal and reptile shows. Alternatively, you can take the party to the zoo or a wildlife learning center where you can get up close and personal with incredible creatures.

Get Dressed Up in Costume

If you’re hosting an animal party, consider asking guests to don their wildest attire. Whether you’re going all-out with costumes or simply suggesting wild prints, dressing up is always a fun idea. You can also offer animal party hats to make dressing up easy.

You can find animal costumes in adult and kid sizes, including fleece options, which are great for those cold-climate celebrations. If you’re looking for something more elegant, ask guests to sport their best animal prints. From zebra high heeled shoes to leopard print shirts, there are great options for safari theme parties that are more upscale in nature. 

For the more laid-back Safari Steves and Sallys out there, khakis, linen pants, and bush jackets — basically the staple items for safari attire — are a surefire way to get in the spirit of the theme. 

Fun and Filling Food Ideas

The food you choose should match your jungle party theme. If you’re hosting a whimsical safari baby shower, delicate cupcakes with mint green frosting are a great choice. Don’t forget to add animal-themed cupcake toppers such as sweet blue elephants or pink lionesses for a festive look.

If you’re hosting a child’s birthday party, you can serve a larger meal to keep the ravenous wild animals content while playing with their friends. Get creative with a cheese and salami platter in the shape of a lion’s mane or cut up a sub sandwich and lay it out on the table like a snake. If you want to create a more substantial meal, grab a bag of zoo pasta with animal noodles. 

For easy snacking, set out bowls of pretzels — label them as jungle logs — and peanuts that you can call elephant snacks. A bowl of bananas can be presented as monkey treats and gummy snakes fit right in with the jungle theme.

Don’t forget to set up a spot where guests can quench their thirst. For an adult party, serve up jungle cocktails or jungle juice using ingredients like rum, lime juice, and pineapples. For kid parties, offer lemonade or other alcohol-free drinks in jungle-themed cups.

If you’re hosting a birthday party, put some thought into a safari birthday cake. You can order a sheet cake featuring various jungle animals or find a simple cupcake recipe and decorate it with animal crackers as cupcake cake toppers. If you want a more elegant cake topper, paint miniature animal figurines in non-toxic gold and place them on the top of the cupcakes.

4 Jungle-inspired Invitations for a Wildly Fun Event

The best part of any event is spending time with people you care about. If you’re hosting a jungle party, not just any old invite will do. With Greenvelope, you can send stunning online invitations that you can fully customize. Here are some of our favorite digital invites for a jungle theme party. You’ll find options that are sweet and wild for kids’ birthday events as well as fancier options for older teens and adults.

1. Jungle Wild Invitation

Design: Frau Brandt (photo courtesy of Angela and Evan photography)

This wild invitation puts the special star at the center of the show. Upload your favorite picture of the birthday boy or girl or the event honoree to make them feel like the king or queen of the jungle. The illustrated monkeys, tropical birds, and green palm fronds are the perfect addition for a jungle theme party.

2. Jungle Party Invitation

Design: Signature Greenvelope

This vintage-inspired invitation features delicate sketching of a jungle scene, complete with monkeys, palm trees, and canyons. The subtle colors make it perfectly suited for a more modest or upscale jungle theme party.

3. Sweet Lion Invitation

Design: Noonday Design

This sweet little lion invitation features a golden lion adorned by a plush mane and mandala designs. It’s perfect for inviting guests to say happy birthday to a young child or celebrating the mom-to-be at a jungle theme baby shower.

4. Palm Leaves Invitation

Design: Claudia Owen

This palm frond invite features ferns against a vibrant and exotic background. The scrawling text adds a touch of elegance, making this invite is perfectly suited for more upscale jungle theme events such as graduation parties.

Go Wild With a Jungle Theme Party

Whether you decide to throw a jungle safari birthday party, a safari baby shower party, or another wild event, it’s sure to be a success with these decor and food ideas. Pair your animal print centerpieces and safari birthday party decorations with stunning online invitations.

You can easily customize your invites — or add your own design — making each event unique and special. Hosting a party with a jungle safari theme has never been easier. For more tips on throwing a successful event, continue browsing our blog to plan your next epic shindig.