Invitations
Take a piece of paper and a large banana. Trace around the banana on the paper to create a template. Use the template to trace bananas on yellow card stock to use as your invitations.
Decorations
Decorate your party with multi-hued green streamers. Palm tree cutouts can be found at party supply stores or online. Hang plush monkeys and plush or real bananas around the palm trees. Tie brown raffia table skirts around your tables.
Games and Crafts
Warm up the party as guests are arriving with a simple craft activity.
- Younger party goers will enjoy coloring fun monkey pictures.
- Give girls an assortment of jungle color beads such as greens, browns and yellow to create jungle charm bracelets. Include monkey and banana charms.
- Let the children create magnetic monkeys using pipe cleaners and donut shape magnets.
Organize a Barrel of Monkeys contest. Have each contestant race to connect as many monkeys as possible within one minute. The child who makes the longest monkey chain wins.
Play Monkey See, Monkey Do - Have the children sit in a large circle. Select one child to leave the group momentarily, then appoint another child as the head monkey. The head monkey will lead the group in funny monkey moves such as patting their heads, or rubbing tummies, etc. However, the head monkey needs to do this as secretly as possible. The game begins when the child who left the room returns to the group. She or he has to guess who the head monkey is while the monkeys in the circle try not to look too obviously at the head monkey as they follow his lead. Once the guesser discovers who the head monkey is, she can return to the circle and the head monkey becomes the next guesser.
Treats for Special Little Monkeys
You can serve these food items to the children already prepared, or allow the children to create these treats themselves as a party activity.
- What monkey wouldn't love a Banana Split?
- Monkey face cupcakes are easy to make and fun to eat.
- Banana Smoothies are tasty and the kids won't even mind that they're a healthy treat!
- The kids won't be able to keep their hands away from yummy Monkey Bread.
Goody Bags
There are many choices for banana flavored candy including taffy, lollipops, jelly beans, etc. Fruit shaped candy would also fit the theme, especially Wonka Runts. Other monkey items could include socks with monkey pictures; monkey notepads; monkey topped pens; monkey stuffed animals.
