PRESCHOOLERS LOVE ANIMAL FUN PARTIES Recently, I panicked when Austin, my 4 yr old son requested a Zoo Animal party for his 1st real children's party this Sunday.  (Honestly, a party at the Zoo would have been wonderful but it'd be horribly expensive too.) So I had to improvise and think of simple games and ways to make an animal party fun for preschoolers. These are 5 easy ways: PARTY BASICS 1. COLOR-IT-YOURSELF ANIMAL DECOR e.g.. download animal pictures to keep early guests entertained.  Reward great work with animal tattoos.  2.  ANIMAL-SHAPED FOODS e.g. chicken nuggets, cookies etc. Or use cookie cutters to cut sandwiches into cute shapes. To save on party paperware costs, I'll buy just animal-themed party cups and napkins since food would hide most of the plates' design.  3. ANIMAL-THEMED PRIZES...Instead of sugary treats, I'll be doling out small inexpensive animal toys as game prizes and treats. I found animal squirters for less than a dollar but you can probably find them cheaper at sales. Cheap stationery sets with animal themes are also a great alternative to sugary treats. PARTY GAMES  4. ANIMAL TOSS eg. have the kids toss stuffed animals and toys into clean trashcans or baskets. It doesn't favor the older kids since the younger they are, the closer they can stand to it. 5. PASS THE PARCEL PLEASE ...wrap a box of treats several times but at each layer, paste a dare or a picture of an animal.  The kids will pass the parcel while music is playing and when the music stops, the last kid holding it tears off one layer and does the "trick".  Since this is a party for preschoolers, I'll ask them to roar like a lion, sing Baa Baa Black Sheep etc.  Hope these ideas will fire up your imagination and help fill your birthday party with lots of animal fun!