Elephant Party -2yr- Elephant Parade with Ears

When my son was two he loved elephants so we had a Tusks, Trunks and Tails Party. 

INVITATION: I cut an elephant head with a long, straight trunk and big ears out of paper.  I folded the trunk up accordian-style, then folded the ears over it.  I wrote "You are invited..." (on 1st ear, open it)"To Camden's..." (on 2nd ear, open it) "Tusks, Trunks and Tails 2nd Birthday." (on insides of ears).  I drew the elephant's face and wrote the party details on the trunk. 

DECORATIONS: An elephant to "ride" on: LARGE grey Rubbermade container turned upside down on 4 large coffee cans covered with grey duct tape=body, cut head out of cardboard and painted grey, attached it to body with a small coffee can covered in duct tape, wrapped a short length of rope with duct tape, leaving the last 2 inches exposed and frayed = tail. 

Made a tepee out of bamboo poles (pvc pipe works)and a sheet (dropcloth works)and rope. Attached a sign:"Safari Headquarter: Free Elephant Rides" and placed it next to the elephant "ride." The kids loved climbing on this and it made great photo ops. Also, elephant pictures and toys, elephant "footprints" (made by strapping large cardboard circles to my older son's feet, dipping the circles in paint and having him walk on a long strip of butcher paper going through our kitchen.

FOODS: Peanut butter cookies and crackers, circus peanut candy, peanuts, peanut butter rice cakes, fruit, "hay and straw" (pretzel sticks), "Pink Elephant Punch" (pink lemonade).

GAMES: "Pin-the-nose-on-the-elephant", "Peanut Toss"-had peanuts (in shells) in a couple of sand pails and an empty large metal tub (like you picture circus elephants standing on) that the kids tossed the peanuts in. This simple game was a huge hit with all the kids - ages 20 mo. Thru 11 yr.! 

CRAFT: wooden elephant shapes from a craft store that they painted.

BONUS ACTIVITY: Elephant Parade-I made "ears" by cutting the shapes out of grey felt and attaching them to thin plastic headbands and "feet" by threading yarn in a criss-cross pattern through the middle of cardboard circles (the ones that frozen pizzas come on).  Each child got each of these and rubber elephant nose purchased from a party store.  Once everyone was decked out we marched around and into the house for a group photo and presents.

CAKE: Used the Wilton teddy bear pan for the head and body, then added ears and trunk on top that I cut out of flattened sugar cookie dough. I iced the inside of the ears, tongue and bottoms of feet pink, Eyes white and black (pupils) and the rest grey.

THANK YOU NOTES:I painted my son's hand grey and pressed it onto a piece of cardstock, turned the cardstock over (so that his hand was "upside down") so that the four fingers=legs and the thumb=trunk.  I drew a tail, toenails, eye and mouth to complete the picture, then wrote the note next to it.

GOODIES: Snuggleupagus (Sesame Street) blowers from party store, small elephant toys and stickers, elephant-shaped p.b. cookie (used cookie cutter) and their "costumes."