Animal Themed Birthday Party

by Edna
(CA, USA)

My daughter recently attended a wonderful animal-themed birthday party for a classmate at a local nature center. The birthday boy, who was turning five, was wearing a dinosaur-print shirt and a safari hat for the occasion, and he eagerly passed out hats to all the other children.

It was a beautiful day in early fall, which was perfect for their first activity of a short, easy nature hike around the nearby pond. The kids got to see different kinds of fish, birds, ducks, geese, turtles, and frogs, and it was also educational as we were accompanied by knowledgeable tour guides who taught the kids about the animals' habitat and behavior.

Back indoors, they were able to see and touch rabbits, snakes, and other small, gentle animals, which was absolutely fascinating for the group of four- and five-year-olds. A staff member took each animal out of its cage or tank, showed it to the children, and gave a brief talk about its life cycle and eating habits.

They then took turns hunting for animal "bones" in a large container filled with sand, and had lots of fun pretending they were explorers or archaeologists as they showed off their treasures.

Their next activity was making an impression of their animal bones in clay, which quickly dried and became souvenirs for them to take home.

The staff then passed out dinosaur toys, paper cups, baking soda, vinegar, and food coloring for them to make a "volcano". They helped the children fill one cup partway with baking soda, then tape the open ends of the cups together.

They were able to color and decorate their creations, then they punched holes in one end and added a bit of red food coloring. After arranging the toy dinosaurs around their "volcanos" they poured in the vinegar and were thrilled to watch them actually erupt!

The afternoon concluded with singing "Happy Birthday" and enjoying a colorfully decorated, dinosaur-themed cake