Table of contents

• Introduction
• Safari Party Invitations
• Safari Design
• Safari Hat
• Toy Binoculars
• Safari Party Dress Code
• Safari Party Decorations
• Safari Party Guest Arrival & Announcement
• Safari Party Favors
• Safari Party Activities
• What am I?
• Animal Trivia
• Bounding Springbok
• Follow the Leader
• Food & Drink

Introduction

Fancy yourself a keen explorer, a traveler and passionate about big game? If so, then the safari party is exactly what you have been looking for. Below you will find some important information and tips that will help you organize that perfect African journey, so be sure to take notes as we move along. But first, a little more background info on the topic of a safari.

The word "safari" originally comes from Swahili where it means "journey" and refers to any expedition especially on the African continent for the purposes of traveling over land to observe big game. In some cases safaris are also undertaken for the purposes of hunting, however with more and more animals being added to endangered lists this activity is somewhat frowned upon.

Now, just in case you've never been on a safari, here's a little taste of how it works: Usually spread over a a couple of days, those who wish to attend usually book into their hotels or game lodges. Once settled in, they wait until a couple of hours before sunset or sunrise before setting off as most animals will come out of hiding in the evening and move to a waterhole.

And that being said, it's time to organize our party!

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Safari Party Invitations

Below you will find some useful ideas for Safari Party invitations. Should you require any of the materials or items necessary, just ask your parents to help by purchasing them from a retail store in your area or from the internet. And remember, including the following information in your invitation will ensure that your guests will have all the information they need.

• Party Name: Be sure to give your party a fitting name. Think along the lines of “Alan's Wild Lion Safari Party”

• Salutation:

• Date & Time

• Venue/Location

• Dress Code

• Contact Details

• Additional information…
  

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Safari Design

To make your safari design you will need a computer loaded with the appropriate software and a printer. If you don't have a printer, drop by your local printing company or ask a friend if they can help you out.

First off you will need a suitable design that represents the theme of your party. Think in terms of a zebra pattern or some leopard spots or even a collage of various wild animals. Place this image on the front of your invitation along with your party name in a suitable font. When that's done, all you need to do is add the details of your party to the inside of the invitation as well as some suitable decorations. If you are having problems with the layout of your design, just use a suitable template (from your word processing program or from the internet).

All that's left to do is to print the invitations and to deliver them.

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Safari Hat

Get a safari hat for each of your friends. These can be obtained from most toy stores or from the internet. You will also need to design a suitable paper invitation with all the details as listed under the Safari Design.

Once you have everything, just attach the invitation to the hat and get ready to deliver them.

Toy Binoculars

From your nearest toy store or the internet, get a pair of binoculars for each of your friends. These needn't be expensive, but should resemble those that people use to go on safaris. In addition you will need to make a paper-based invitation (as described under the Safari Design) for each of your friends to go along with the binoculars.

When done, attach the invitations to your binoculars and get ready to deliver them.

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Safari Party Dress Code

For the ultimate safari party you need only state “Safari” under dress code. This will usually include a safari hat, some khaki clothes (consisting of a shirt and trousers) and some leather boots (that reach up to the calves as one has to keep the feet protected against snake bites and scorpion stings).

Safari Party Decorations

Having a safari party? Well then you will need a couple of appropriate decorations. If you aren’t planning on making them yourself, then just ask your parents to help you purchase them from the appropriate retailer in your are or from the internet.

• Plants (These can either be bushy plants or lush green plants, depending on where your safari will be taking place).

• Wildlife posters (Ideas include lions, impalas, crocodiles, kudu, snakes, wildebeest, buffalo, hyenas, etc.)

• Zebra plates and cups (or, if you really want to do it properly, use tin plates and cups)

• Lanterns (no electricity in the bush)

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Safari Party Guest Arrival & Announcement

As there are no typical announcements or procedures involved with safaris, why not greet your guests with a “Top of the day to you” and then introduce them to each other.

Safari Party Favors

Be sure to help your friends remember your party by supplying them with something they can either use or that will look good in their homes. Here are a couple of ideas which you can either purchase from the nearest appropriate retailer or directly from the internet.

• Safari Posters (of wild animals, sunsets, etc.)

• Wild Animal statuettes

• Binoculars

• Safari hats (if they don't have them already)

• Hiking sticks

• Compass
  

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Safari Party Activities

Stuck for some ideas that will ensure you and your friends have a great time?. Below are a couple of ideas which you and your friends can enjoy.

What am I?

This game is bound to be fun and will surely get those brain cells working!

Get a piece of paper and cut it into small squares – as many as there are guests – and write the names of wild animals on them. When you're done, place the squares of paper into a hat or a box from which each guest can draw one.

Now, the aim of the game is for each guest to look at his or her paper and keep the animal in mind. The other players should then ask question to try and find out which wild animal that person is. The one who guesses correctly gets to go next.

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Animal Trivia

Do a little research on the internet and compose your own questions or pop down to your local toy store (or have a look on the internet) for a safari trivia set.

Once you have the questions, divide your friends into groups, ensuring that those you know to have a sufficient knowledge of safari are paired with those who have a lesser knowledge.

And as you may have guessed, the aim of the game is for the various teams to compete against each other by answering as many questions as possible correctly. To make things a bit more competitive, ask your parents to buy a special prize for the team that wins.

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Bounding Springbok

Ready for some ultimate fun? Well, here it is!

Get a couple of towels or anything that can be used as markers and lay them on the grass about a foot away from each other. Whichever way you lay them, be sure that they are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the participants. To make the game interesting, lay some of the markers or towels more than a foot away from the others and some less than a foot away from its neighbors.

The game works on the principle that you have to run between the towels, taking care to only place one foot between any two towels at all times. Once everyone has had their chance, the towels should be spaced further apart after which everyone has another go.

If someone touches a towel or a marker, they are out. The last person to make the whole run is the winner.

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Follow the Leader

How quick are you? Well, now's the time to find out in a cool game of follow the leader. The game works on the following principle:

One person should be elected to be the watcher while someone else should be elected to be the leader. The leader needn't be the fastest one around so as to ensure that everyone has a go at being the leader.

Now, everyone except the watcher has to follow the leader and do exactly what he or she does. Whether running, tumbling, falling, walking like a duck... everyone must follow the leader! It is the purpose of the watcher to look for anyone not doing what the leader does and to eliminate them from the current round.

The first person to be eliminated will be the next watcher while the last person to be eliminated gets to be the new leader.

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Food & Drink

Now, typically you will probably have to have some African food to be on real safari. This can be things like putu pap, mielie pap, boere wors, etc. But of course those or often things only found in Africa. So for the purposes of your party you can have normal foods but give them animal names. Here are a couple of examples:

• Sandwiches: Hare's Stomach

• Steaks: Lion rump

• Sausages: Crocodile tail

• Burgers: Buffalo bottoms

As for drinks you will be pleased to know that they have pretty much most of the drinks in Africa that you have where you are (soft drinks and milkshakes, etc.)

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