A zoo-themed birthday party for kids is a wild and exciting way to celebrate all the animal lovers! Bringing the animal kingdom to life through decorations, food and games gives the kids a chance to explore their favorite creatures in a fun and imaginative setting. From safari scavenger hunts to creative snacks like Giraffe Cheesy Twists, a zoo-themed party offers endless entertainment.
Decorations
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Animal Print Balloons and Banners: Decorate with balloons and banners featuring popular zoo animal prints, like zebra stripes, tiger spots, or giraffe patterns.
Zoo Entrance Sign: Create a grand entrance by making a "Welcome to the Zoo" sign or archway at the entrance of the party space.
Stuffed Animal Displays: Scatter stuffed zoo animals around the party area to create little "exhibits." Place signs next to each group, labeling them with cute names like "Savanna Safari" or "Rainforest Retreat."
Jungle Vines: Twist green crepe paper or streamers to create jungle vines. Hang them around the party area to give a wild, jungle-like feel. You can also add paper leaves and flowers for extra detail.
Activities & Games
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Animal Safari Scavenger Hunt: Create a "safari guide" (a checklist of animals to find) to give to the party guests and get them to find toy animals or animal figurines you’ve hidden around the party area. You can even make binoculars from toilet paper rolls for the kids to use on their safari!
Pin the Tail on the Zebra: A zoo-themed twist on the classic "Pin the Tail on the Donkey" game, where kids take turns trying to pin a tail on a large poster of a zebra while blindfolded.
Animal Mask Craft Station: Set up a craft station ready with feathers, textures and colouring pens where kids can create their own zoo animal masks (imaginary or real!).
Feed the Lion Toss Game: Create a large cardboard lion face with a hole in the space of the open mouth where kids can toss bean bags or soft balls (pretending they're food) into the lion's mouth to "feed" him.
The Birthday Cake: Zoo Themed Cake
Equipment needed
40 cm square cake board
Plastic zoo figures
Plastic arctic oceanic figures
Plastic safari figures
Ingredients
3 x 600 g store-bought mud cakes
2 x 400 g ready-to-use vanilla frosting
1 x 85 g Aeroplane Original Berry Blue Flavoured Jelly
1 ⅓ cup (100 g) shredded coconut, divided
1 x 350 g tin of white chocolate cream wafer sticks
½ x 350 g tin of milk chocolate cream wafer sticks
2 x 85 g Aeroplane Original Lime Flavoured Jelly
2 x 250 g blocks of cream cheese softened at room temperature
5 drops of dark green food colouring
150 g digestive biscuits crushed to resemble fine breadcrumbs
150 g choc ripple biscuits crushed to resemble fine breadcrumbs
2 x pkt of chocolate coated finger biscuits
½ x 125 g pkt chocolate cream wafer biscuits
100 g white chocolate
How to make:
Slice and arrange the cakes:
1. Remove paper linings from all mud cakes. Carefully remove the top icing layer from two of the mud cakes.
2. Add one of those icing layers to the remaining third mud cake, creating a taller cake. Discard the second.
3. Using a small, serrated knife cut a 3cm deep semi-circle from the lower half on either side of the taller cake.
4. Position this cake at the centre towards the top of the cake board. Place the remaining two whole cakes into the semi-circle cut outs. Allow a 2 cm gap between the two whole cakes, which will be the entrance to your zoo.
For the arctic ocean enclosure- to the left:
1. Using a small, serrated knife and leaving a 2 cm border from the edge of the cake, carve out a 2 cm deep x 4 cm wide curved pool. This will be the artic ocean.
2. Spread a thin layer of vanilla frosting over the entire cake, including the pool. Place cake in the fridge to allow the frosting to harden, approximately 10 minutes. (Loose crumbs at this stage are ok)
3. Repeat process ensuring the cake is evenly covered with no gaps and place back in the fridge.
4. Prepare the Aeroplane Berry Blue Flavoured Jelly as per back of pack directions, using 100 ml less cold water. Refrigerate until jelly is soft set (approximately 1 hour).
5. Once jelly has soft set, stir to create a muddled effect. Pour into your frosted 2 cm deep “ocean” hole.
6. With the remaining jelly in the bowl add half of the coconut and stir. Break up the Berry Blue Jelly coconut and position clumps of “snow” around the arctic jelly ocean.
7. Position plastic tree and boulder figurines around the edge of the cake. Decorate with plastic seals or other arctic animals.
8. For the outer walls, trim the white chocolate wafer sticks to the height needed and use vanilla frosting to stick around the cake, press to ensure they stick. Creating a wall. See tip for more decorating ideas.
For the Jungle enclosure – middle higher cake
1. Pour 2 x Aeroplane Original Lime Jelly Crystals into a microwave safe bowl and whisk in ⅔ cup of boiling water. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds to ensure crystals are fully dissolved. Set aside for jelly to cool to room temperature.
2. Place cream cheese into a bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment. Whisk on LOW speed, gradually increasing to HIGH until smooth and creamy.
3. Reduce speed to LOW and carefully pour in the cooled Lime Jelly mixture. Whisk until fully incorporated and smooth. Refrigerate for 10 minutes to set firm.
4. Remove ⅔ of lime cream cheese frosting and place in a piping bag with a small star nozzle. Set aside remaining icing for later use.
5. Pipe small blobs of “grass” to cover the entire layer of the taller cake, decorate with trees, giraffes, and zebras.
6. Decorate the other outer border of the cake with chocolate wafer sticks, trimming them at random lengths for effect. Secure in place with vanilla frosting and press firmly into the cake as before. See tip.
For the Safari enclosure - to the right
1. Add 5 drops of dark green food colouring to the remaining ⅓ lime cream cheese frosting. Stir until streak free and “safari grass colour” is achieved.
2. Place icing into a separate piping bag with a small star nozzle and sporadically pipe “grass” on the cake. We want the appearance of grass tuffs.
3. In a medium size bowl combine the digestive and chocolate biscuit crumbs to create a darker sand colour.
4. Sprinkle crushed biscuits “sand” in between the “grass tuffs” set aside remaining sand for later use.
5. Position Safari trees at the back of the cake and decorate with an elephant and an ape devouring a banana lolly. For the safari enclosure border, spread frosting over flat edge of milk chocolate finger biscuits and press firmly around the edge of the cake.
6. Create a path towards the zoo entrance by breaking in half the choc cream wafers to create stepping stones. Secure them in place by adding a small amount of vanilla frosting to the back of each biscuit.
7. Place white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and melt until smooth. Pipe the word ZOO onto a choc cream wafer and secure in place with frosting above the “stepping stone” path.
8. Using a palette knife, spread remaining frosting over the blank spaces on the cake board. Pour the remaining “sand” biscuits over the frosting.
9. Using the remaining cream cheese icings to pipe more “grass” and “tufts of safari grass” around the cakes.
More Food Ideas:
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Animal Face Cupcakes: Turn your classic vanilla cupcake into different zoo animals, such as lions, monkeys and tigers with various coloured icings, lollies and sprinkles to create their faces.
"Safari Snack Mix": Mix together animal crackers, pretzel sticks, gummy worms, chocolate chips, and dried fruit to create a zoo-inspired trial mix.
Fruit Animal Platters: Arrange fruit platters in the shapes of zoo animals. For example, make a lion’s face using a round slice of pineapple for the head, with a mane of sliced oranges and grapes for eyes.
Giraffe Cheesy Twists: Cut puff pastry into strips and sprinkle with cheese before twisting and bending the top slightly to be the head of a giraffe and baking to cook through. You can add small pieces of olives or mushrooms to create eyes and ears as well.
Remember to adjust to any dietary requirements for those at the party when planning the menu. These themed food ideas will help create a whimsical and memorable atmosphere at your Zoo-themed birthday party for all the animal lovers out there!