How To Throw A Safari-Themed Baby Shower

There’s a lot of hard work that goes into planning the perfect baby shower. Not only do you have to find a great venue and work on a guest list that everyone will be happy with, but you also have to come up with the right theme, and then stick to it... with everything. A safari-themed baby shower is a really fun idea for the mama-to-be who loves nature or animals (or both), and is even more perfect if the parents are going to be doing a safari theme for their little one’s nursery.

To throw a safari-themed baby shower that feels Pinterest-worthy, you’ll need to put a lot of thought into every little detail. I recently threw my daughter a safari-themed birthday party (2 Wild!), so I consider myself something of an expert here, OK? The good news is that the safari theme is a popular one, so there are tons of cute options out there to choose from, whether you’re looking for the best invitations, the most creative food selections, or the most fun decorations. Check out the ideas below to get started.

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Safari Baby Shower Invitations

Invitations are the first step in your party planning. Picking an on-theme invitation is important because it shows everyone exactly what to expect and sets the mood. You have some options on how to go about this:

• Opt for a calligrapher. If you have the budget for it, hire a calligrapher or similar professional to make your invitations for you. This gives you the ability to help them create a totally customized invitation, and they will typically also write out the envelopes as well, so all you have to do is put them together and send them out. Keep in mind that this is the most expensive option.
• Order invitations online. Not into the custom idea? There are tons of sites online you can order invites from, and they range from very inexpensive to more premium, depending on what you’re looking for. I personally love Minted because the prices are reasonable, and they will also address your envelopes for no extra charge.
• Go the Etsy route. For an even cheaper option and something that feels more unique, look for invites on Etsy. Lots of artists make the most adorable invitations, and many of them offer the ability to download them as a PDF for a flat rate (this is usually less than $10). From there, you can get them printed at a store like Staples and send them out yourself, or print them at home.
• Do e-vites! Evites are super easy, inexpensive (or even free), convenient, and the most sustainable option. A lot of my friends use Evite.com and it works out really well. This is also the easiest way to keep track of RSVPs.

If you do want to order your invitations online, here are some of the cutest safari options.

Safari Baby Shower Centerpieces

Get creative and DIY your own centerpieces or buy them already made. Here are some ideas to take inspiration from:

A Sand-Filled Glass Jar

Buy some glass jars, sand, fake palm leaves, and gold jungle animals (like these from Etsy). Fill the bottoms of the tall jars with sand, throw some animals in there, and add some leaves. It looks both cute and sophisticated.

Mini Diaper Cakes

These mini diaper cakes work double duty as a fun centerpiece idea and as a gift for the mama-to-be — they can unravel them and use the diapers when baby gets here. Buy them from Etsy or craft them yourself.

Palm Trees

Palm trees are perfect for a jungle-themed party. These don’t require much else at all and they’re super easy since they don’t require any DIY.

Palm Leaves Bouquet

For something slightly more chic, get some artificial monstera leaves and put them in a slim white vase. This is simple and feels more elegant and less cutesy.

Safari Baby Shower Balloons

Balloons are an easy and relatively inexpensive way to make any room or backyard look more festive and on theme. You can either buy balloons online and blow them up yourself (just be sure to look into helium machines), or you can order them from a party store near you. I love the animal print balloons that I used at my daughter’s party (linked below), and it’s also a cute idea to get some animal-shaped ones as well. A balloon arch is always fun, and while they can take a while, they’re worth it for the photos. Or you can hire someone to make them for you!

Safari Baby Shower Signs

Signs are a cute decoration for the entrance into whatever room or venue you’re using, and they’re also fun to scatter along the various food and gift tables. Banners are also a great idea to add below a balloon arch or draped from a table.

Safari Baby Shower Decorations

You can also scatter some other decorations around the room. Think baby blocks with a safari theme (bonus points if they can be used as nursery room decor later on), small items like hand-held fans to place at the tables, or diaper cakes that are on-theme.

Safari Baby Shower Photo Backdrops

You obviously need to have a great spot for photos for social media! This is so fun for making memories and capturing images of your guests that you’ll want later on. You can do a sign with your name and date, or something a bit more general, like leafy greens that can easily be reused for photos or an event later on.

Safari Baby Shower Games

This is a baby shower, so of course you have to have games, no matter how corny it might seem. You can keep games on theme with cute decorations that go along with them. Some cute ideas: put animal crackers in a jar and get people to guess how many, match the Disney animals to their parents, and do a jungle Price is Right. You can also rely on classics like advice cards, diaper raffles, and bingo.

Safari Baby Shower Paper Goods

If the baby shower is being held at someone’s home or in an outdoor venue that requires you to provide utensils and plates and all of that, then you’ll need to have paper goods on hand. And sure, you could opt for a solid color for everything, and that’s totally fine. But it’s a little more fun to stay on theme. Opt for fun animal print napkins and plates, and Meri Meri offers this amazing line of creative plates and napkins as well.

Safari Baby Shower Party Favors

A small favor is expected at something like a baby shower, and they can be fun to pick out. You can go for something traditional and classic, like a candle or hand sanitizer (which is really popular right now), or something that feels more appropriate for the theme: think animal crackers in a bag or leopard print scrunchies.

Safari Baby Shower Dessert Ideas

Maybe the most fun part of the whole baby shower is coming up with a safari themed dessert table. If you’re planning on supplying desserts for the shower, there are tons of ideas out there for the cutest jungle animal treats.

Safari Animal Pretzel Sticks

Inspired by an image on Pinterest, I *painstakingly* made these pretzel sticks for my daughter’s safari party, and they were a hit. I chose to do tiger stripes, cheetah/leopard print, and zebra print. It’s simple, but time-consuming: dip pretzels in melted chocolate (I found orange, salted caramel, and white chocolate at the craft store near me), then add the design using melted dark or milk chocolate. I used a toothpick to create these designs, and yes, it took about as long as it sounds like it would. But I think they came out so fun! And, bonus: these also work as a good edible favor.

Monkey, Lion, & Tiger Cupcakes

Inspired by the recipes for jungle cupcakes on Chelsea’s Messy Apron, I made these lion, tiger, and monkey cupcakes. These were not as hard as they seem — I’m not a professional by any means and had no trouble doing these with my mom and aunt. They’re a little time-consuming, but completely worth it, because they were adorable — and delicious. I chose cupcakes instead of cake, but you can do both.

Chic Safari Cake Pops

You can buy these chic gold safari theme cake pops from Etsy, or you can make them yourself. These definitely look like a professional is necessary, so I recommend buying them if you’re not a pro at this kind of thing.

Jungle Theme Rice Krispie Treats

Another item you can buy from Etsy or make yourself is these jungle-themed Rice Krispie treats. You would decorate them with melted chocolate, which seems relatively simple, if not a little time-consuming. These are another item that look so cute on the dessert table, or can easily be wrapped up and sent off as edible party favors.

Jungle Cookies

Custom decorated cookies like these are always a popular option. They taste good and look so amazing. You can buy these from Etsy, or you can try creating them yourself. This palm leaf and animal set is adorable, but the options here are really endless.