The easiest way to thrown an animal themed party?  Outsource it.  Many Fairfield County organizations offer birthday party packages, including the New Canaan Nature Center, the Darien Nature Center, the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, the Beardsley Zoo and the Stamford Museum and Nature Center.  Depending on the facility, you may only need to bring the cake…you can’t beat that for convenience!

If a home-based birthday party is more to your liking, call Pied Piper Pony Rides.  This small outfit will bring a variety of their cuddly animals to your yard for kids to enjoy – including a pony, if you like!  You need minimal yard space, and the company brings a pop-up fence to pen the animals in.  The animals Pied Piper can bring include goats, bunnies, chickens and lambs.  This party can get pricey - I recommend co-hosting it with another family to cut the cost down.

The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk also offers an at home party option; their "Crabs and Critters" party are a great way to bring sea animals to your house.

If you have a child who prefers animals of the toy variety, try an Animal Hospital party.  My eldest attended one when she was 6; each guest brought their favorite stuffed animal to the “Animal Hospital”, where eager 6 year olds provided extensive veterinary care (our monkey came home wrapped head to toe in band aids and ace bandages).  The party was a huge hit, and easy to orchestrate.

Other animal party ideas include decorating sugar cookies that have been cut in animal shapes, giving each child a goldfish to take home and care for, using bales of hay to decorate your yard, and frog-catching in a nearby stream or pond.

Whether you throw the party at home or at someone else's place, animal parties are a huge hit for parents and kids alike!