For my daughters 7th birthday SHE decided to have a jungle themed party. We sent out homemade invites with children and their parents BOTH  being invited to our party (I am not a fan of drop off parties). We used animal print papers like the ones found in the scrapbook section of the craft store (or schoolteacher supply stores), Placed it all on card stock, Added some animal stickers and used a cool font off the computer to print our  invitations and clip and paste them all together in a large flat postcard formation <layered> We decorated with a huge, old camouflage net from a surplus store and hung it over the back patio. We used lodge poles to support it from underneath to have the canopy effect on which I placed homemade signs of "Zimbabwe,3000 miles-->" and "Ngorogoro Crater------> 899 miles" + more signs &  strung it up with thick rope on to which we wound big rubber snakes, rubber, lizards, geckos, frogs and used ivy clippings stuck through the holes to create our "Jungle". I spray painted a large refrigerator box in a tiger stripe pattern, cut fort style doors in it and a pull up awning worked form the inside from a pulley and a rope. My daughter decoe'd it with an old grass skirt as a valance and made a "Safari Mart" sign like a "store" for it. She would later hand out the goodie bags and hats, binoculars and canteens to her arriving guests.  I made some cardboard zulu warrior type signs on added raffia nd bird feathers to make them look real. I also made matching  spears from bamboo rods and cardboard spearheads tied on with raffia and more feathers. They looked awesome! We used two picnic tables shoved together and covered it with a zebra patterned sheet from the thrift store. I hung up strings of patio lights  ( this was a late afternoon evening party in Sept.) We have our water misters set up for our personal use along the outside rim of the house and decided they would be great at creating the humid, damp moist aura that the real rain forest would have. Our guests were greeted with a fine spray as they entered the backyard. We dined upon freshly made chicken nuggets with sweet and sour sauce, french fries and fresh tropical fruits served in a watermelon cut to resemble a basket. They were served upon the jungle themed plates, cups, placemats stc... from BDay Xpress. We also had teriyaki meatballs nicely kept warm in a sterno dish, with toothpicks to spare and lasagna < because my brother the chef insisted>. We served punch in an ice bowl made in my freezer and had other drinkies in a large plastic tub with ice filling it  so our guests could help themselves.  Ok the big topper was, I had animals brought in from a local wildlife facility that I work at and the kids (and the adults too) got to see a lizards, frogs, fennec fox, turtles, an african  serval and hold  an 11 ft python.  All of this was set to a new age music CD that was strictly jungle sounds of frogs, monkeys and assorted other jungly critters. ( you can get it at wal mart)  We will see if my Luau tops it this year!!!  PS we are crazy people so we have put up this Cammo net again this year and it doubles a sun shade for the patio!