Hobbies And Interests
Jungle Collage
Children can create jungle collages to set the mood for a safari theme, as suggested by the Crayola website. Give children paper in a variety of textures. Children can rip the paper into strips or tear them into basic shapes. Let children glue the shapes onto a large, blank piece of paper to create a jungle scene. Glue green triangles to a brown rectangle to make a tree, or layer strips of blue paper to make a river. Arrange shapes in similar colors to make tigers, monkeys, crocodiles or other animals. Display the jungle collages around the room.
Pet Snakes
Let each child create a pet snake with an idea adapted from CoolestKidBirthdayParties.com. Younger children can simply stuff a long sock with cotton balls or cotton batting, available in the quilting section of most craft stores. An adult can hot glue the end of the sock closed. Older children can carefully cut open the wide end of a necktie, creating a long, hollow tube. They can push cotton balls down the tube using chopsticks, and then an adult can hot glue the end closed. Children of any age can select buttons, felt, yarn or wiggly eyes for an adult to hot glue onto one end to create the snake's eyes, mouth and tongue. Younger children may want to carry the snakes around and make hissing noises to play with them, while older children may want to wrap the snakes around their arms or drape them over their necks.
Miniature Golf
Disney's Family Fun website recommends a safari-themed version of miniature golf. Cut apart pictures of animals and trace all of the pieces onto a thin piece of cardboard. Cut out the animal shapes, and then cut a half-circle from the bottom. Children will hit the ball through the hole to make it pass under the animal. To make the animal free-standing, cut out a cardboard rectangle. Cut a notch in the middle of the rectangle, and then slide the front of the animal into the notch in the rectangle so that the animal stands upright. Make sure that the rectangle does not interfere with the opening through which the ball will pass. Paint the animal with acrylic or tempera paints. Make golf clubs by cutting a slot on one end of a wrapping paper roll and sliding a flattened toilet paper roll into the slot, then securing with tape. Paint the golf clubs or wrap them with construction paper. Crumple balls of aluminum foil to make balls, or purchase inexpensive plastic golf balls. Lay plastic cups on the ground for the holes, and set a safari animal beside each one to decorate the course. Glue construction paper flags to several straws, and then tape the straws to the bottom of each cup to mark the holes.