JUST HAD THE BEST PARTY EVER FOR MY 2YR OLD BOY MARCUS IN THE BACKYARD... DID THE            INVITATION       THRU EMAIL (ADULT & KIDS) I SENT OUT PASSPORTS THAT I CREATED ON BLUE FOAM PAPER, W AN ANIMAL STICKER W WIGGLY EYES (FROM OT) ON THE TOP LEFT CORNER W/ A MESSAGE I STUCK N THEM, ON PRINTED LABELS THAT READ THIS IS YOUR PASSPROT INTO MARCUS JULIAN'S JAMMIN' JUNGLE SAFARI BIRTHDAY PARTY.  A PLACE WHERE HE LIVES THE PLACE WHERE HE ROAMS YOU ARE WELCOMED TO HIS JUNGLE; YOU ARE WELCOMED TO HIS HOME. THE SAFARI ADVENTURE BEGINS AT 2PM SHARP!! YOU MUST BRING THIS WITH YOU TO ENTER THE EXPEDITION. PLEASE BE ON TIME TO HELP CELEBRATE THE KING OF THE JUNGLE'S BIRTHDAY BEYOND THE AFRICAN GATES."  KIDS PRESENTED THEIR PASSPORTS TO THE CUSTOMS TABLE AT THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE WHERE THEY THEN RECEIVED THEIR MADAGASCAR MONEY (PRINTED FROM BANKNOTES.COM) MALARIA PILL (RED MIKE & IKE IN A SMALL PLASTIC MEDICINE CUP LABELED MALARIA PILL) AND GOT THEIR HAND STAMPED TO ENTER THE PARTY (WHICH SAID "IT'S A PARTY" THEY THEN WALKED UNDER A HUGE BANNER THAT I CREATED THAT SAID WELCOME TO THE AFRICAN JUNGLE" THRU TWO HUGE FAUX TREES THAT I BORROWED.. TO THE NEXT TABLE WHERE THEY PAID (W THEIR MADAGASCAR MONEY) TO CAMOUFLAGE THEMSELVES W A PAINTED ON BLACK NOSE & WHISKERS & BOUGHT THEIR SURVIVAL KITS (PITH HAT CANTEEN & BINOCULORS FROM OT FOR THE BABIES I BOUGHT THE FOAM ANIMAL HATS FORM A DISCOUNT STORE)... THEN THEY WALKED INTO THE BACKYARD THAT WAS COVERED IN NATURAL RAFFIA SKIRTS (FROM OT) W GREEN PALM LEAVES STAPLED TO THE TRIM (FROM OT) VINES MADE FROM BROWN STREAMERS & THE SAME PALM LEAVES ALSO USED NATURAL GREEN RAFFIA SKIRTS (FROM OT) I DOWNLOADED ANIMAL SOUNDS TRIBAL MUSIC MADAGASCAR MUSIC ANYTHING THAT SOUNDED APPROPRIATE & HAD IT PLAYING ALL THROUGH OUT THE BACKYARD I ALSO USED JUNGLE PLAY TENTS THAT MY SON ALREADY HAD AND MADE EXHIBITIONS FOR EACH ANIMAL (INFLATABLES FROM OT) FOR LIONS I MADE A SIGN "LIONS DEN" FOR TIGERS "TIGER TRAP" & USED A BEIGE NET & THREW IT OVER ZEBRA-"ZEBRA STAMPEDE" ETC INSIDE THE TENT I THREW SHREDDED CRAFT PAPER AROUND THEM SO IT COULD LOOK A LITTLE WILD IN THERE... EACH TENT & SET OF ANIMALS HAD THEIR OWN SIGN ALONG W FUN FACTS FOR EACH (WHICH THE PARENTS & CHILDREN LOVED!)... MONKEY INFLATABLES HUNG FROM A FAUX BANANA TREE MADE A SNAKE PIT USING SPANISH MOSS & SNAKES THAT GROW IN WATER FOR THE DOLLAR STORE & SLIMY SNAKES &  MINI REALISTIC SNAKES FROM OT PUT THEM INTO AN INFLATABLE JUNGLE POOL W CANOPY THAT MY SON USED THIS SUMMER... WILD CROCS & GATORS EXHIBITION AGAIN USING THE ALLIGATORS THAT GROW IN WATER... SAND PIT W QUICK SAND FUN FACT USING A TOY FIGURE OF A MAN WHO LOOKED LIKE HE WAS DRESSED FOR A SAFARI UP TO HIS NECK IN QUICK SAND W A MINI REALISTIC SNAKE (FROM OT) TARANTULAS ON A WEB... EVERYTHING HAD IT'S OWN SIGN & FUN FACT.. PARENTS RAVED ABOUT THE LEARNING PART OF THAT. IT WAS GREAT ENTERTAINMENT FOR ALL AGES (36 CHILDREN SHOWED AGES 1-10) THE TODDLERS HAD A BLAST W THE INFLATABLE ANIMALS HAD HUGE POSTERS MADE OF ANIMALS PICTURES I FOUND ON-LINE BY DOING A SEARCH ON WILDLIFE. ALSO MADE A JUNGLE GRUB        SNACK BAR.      PRINTED THEIR LABELS FOR THEIR SNACK IDEAS & COVERED A BOX W CRAFT PAPER & ADDED THE LABELS FROM THERE ALSO READING "EXPEDITION SUPPLIES" FOR THE PINATA.  ALSO USED THEIR IDEA FOR A                                SNAKE CAKE.      ADDED FRUIT BY THE FOOT FOR STRIPES ON THE SNAKE EASY AS PIE!  I MADE A HUGE CAKE BOARD OUT OF GREEN STYROFOAM LEAPORD TRIM & ALL KINDS OF GREEN ([PLASTIC) TREES & BUSHES (ALL FROM MICHAELS) SO THAT IT LOOKED AS THOUGH THE SNAKE WAS SLITHERING THRU BUSHES.. SURROUNDED IN GREEN COCONUT FLAKES... AWESOME!!!! ALSO I MADE CUPCACKES USING THE JUNGLE ANIMAL FINGER PUPPETS (OT) AS TOPPERS.. KIDS LOVED THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO USE THEM AFTER THEY ATE THEIR CUPCAKE. FOR TIGERS I USED MADE CARROT CAKE COLORED FROSTING OJ & MADE BLACK STRIPES W A LITTLE BIT OF COCONUT FLAKES ON TOP ZEBRAS-ALL WHITE CAKE WHITE FROSTING BLACK STRIPES MONKEYS-BANANA CAKE CHOCOLATE FROSTING BANANA CANDIES AS SPRINKLES (BANANA CANDY FROM OT) LIONS-YELLOW CAKE COLORED YELLOW FROSTING W A SPRINKLE OF BROWN SUGAR ON TOP FOR THE GIRAFFES & ELEPHANTS I USED YELLOW CAKE COLORED GREEN FROSTING TOPPED W GREEN COCONUT MOUND & A MINI PLASTIC PALM TREE... THE GREEN ONES WERE ADDED TO THE CAKE BOARD SURROUNDING THE SNAKE...  LOOKED OUT OF THIS WORLD!  FOR THE CAKE TABLE I USED THE TIKI HUT TABLE TOPPER (FROM OT) AND COVERED THE FLOWERS W THE SAME GREEN PALM LEAVES FROM OT BEHIND IT I POSTED UP THE HUGE BIRTHDAY BANNER I MADE.. (BOTH BANNERS WERE MADE OF BROWN CRAFT PAPER TRIM WAS MADE OF GREEN CRAFT PAPER CUT W SCISSORS TO CREATE FRINGE LOOK ANIMAL PRINT LETTERS FROM OT EACH LETTER WAS BACKED ON EITHER BRIGHT OJ GREEN OR YELLOW FOAM PAPER CUT A LITTLE BIGGER THAN THE ANIMAL PRINT LETTER SO IT COULD STAND OUT ON THE CRAFT PAPER)  BORROWED GREENERY FROM EVERYONE I COULD! IT ADDED TO THE LOOK & FEEL OF THE "JUNGLE" TABLE CLOTHS WERE BRIGHT GREEN OJ OR YELLOW. FAVOR BAGS WERE ANIMAL PRINT (FROM OT) MADE DIFFERENT ONES FOR BABIES (UNDER 2) TODDLERS (2-3) BIG BOYS (4&UP) BIG GIRLS (4&UP) I PUT THEM OUT ON A TABLE AS PART OF THE DECOR.. TIED W TWINE.. ADDED THAT SHREDDED PAPER FROM THE CRAFT STORE TO ALL THE TABLE TOPS FOR AN ADDED JUNGLE FEEL.. FOR ENTERTAINMENT I HAD A FRIEND WHO IS ALSO A DANCER COME OUT & DO AN AFRICAN TRIBAL DANCE TO GET THE KIDS STARTED.. THAT WAS SOOOO AWESOME! ALSO PLAYED A GAME "IF U WERE STRANDED IN THE JUNGLE & HAD TO SURVIVE WOULD YOU EAT A BUG?"  KIDS WERE RAISING THEIR HANDS HIGH TO BE CHOSEN FOR THE GAME!  I CHOSE TWO BOYS FOR THE FIRST ROUND THEN TWO GIRLS FOR THE 2ND ROUND.. BLINDFOLDED THEM STARTED THE MUSIC (MIGHTY JUNGLE) THEY HAD TO PICK OUT & EAT THE 3 GIANT BUGS THAT WERE COVERED IN THE SHREDDED CRAFT PAPER(EDIBLE CANDY BUGSCRUNCHY ON THE OUTSIDE MARSHMALLOW IN THE MIDDLE FROM OT)... I GAVE PRIZES TO EACH CONTESTANT (PRIZES WERE BUGS ETC. FROM THE DOLLAR STORE I BOUGHT BROWN PAPER BAGS W THE HANDLES FILLED IT W GREEN SHREDDED CRAFT PAPER PRIZES TIED IT W TWINE & LABELED EACH BAG W THE LEFT OVER LABELS FROM FAMILYFUNGO.COM).. PEOPLE WERE RECORDING IT LAUGHING & THE KIDS ACTUALLY LOVED THE TASTE OF THE BUG CANDIES! LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST I HIRED A COMPANY THAT BROUGHT 8 LIVE ANIMALS (THAT I CHOSE) FOR AN HOUR OF SHOW & TELL!  IT WAS AMAZING!!!!! THE PARTY WAS OUT OF THIS WORLD!  & I HAD SOO MUCH FUN.. AFTER THE PINATA SINGING HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAVING ICE CREAM (I HAD TWO PEOPLE SERVING ICE CREAM ON GREEN OR BROWN WAFER CONES WHILE THE CAKE WAS BEING SERVED) HANDING OUT FAVOR BAGS I PUT OUT A LION PHOTO BOARD I MADE THAT HAD THE MOUTH CUT-OUT SO THE KIDS COULD TAKE A PICTURE BEHIND IT W THEIR HEAD PEEKING THRU AS THOUGH THEY WERE IN THE LIONS MOUTH!.. I THINK I MENTIONED EVERYTHING????  HOPE THIS INSPIRES SOMEONE TO DO THE SAME... A LOT OF PREPARATION BUT TOTALLY WORTH IT!!!!"