You can really have fun with a zoo-themed baby shower. Many companies make paper products with this theme in pastel or bold colors. So it’s easy to get your party theme started. Head out to a dollar store and find some small animal stuffed toys to add to your table display. Include elephants, lions, tigers, monkeys, zebras and giraffes. Place them around a diaper cake that uses zoo-themed diapers and you’ve got yourself an instant centerpiece.

When thinking about invitations, decide whether you want to make them yourself or if you want to design them online. A third option is to buy the cards in a party store and hand-write the information. Any way you decide to do it, make sure your zoo animals are prominent on the front of the invitation. If you are doing them yourself, you could cut out a giraffe and fold his neck down so he’ll fit in an envelope. When guests open their invitations, they will find the information written on the giraffe’s neck. Very cute.

You may want to write a note in your invitation asking guests to bring a small zoo-themed item. This could be a baby blanket with an elephant on it or a onesie with a monkey on it. When guests arrive, have them put their little gift into a “cage” that you have ready. It can be made of out of cardboard box, or you can use a dog crate. Tie it up with a big bow.

Carry the theme throughout the room. You can hang paper or silk palm leaves from walls and the ceiling to mimic jungle plants. Have monkey sounds playing or play animal tunes from a children’s cd. Anything you can do to add to the ambience will make it fun.

Serve foods you might eat at the zoo including popcorn, whole peanuts and ice cream bars. You can make a cake in the shape of an elephant or lion. Wilton Cake Decorating Company has pans available online or at craft stores that are already formed in the shape of many zoo animals. All you have to do is frost it. Consider placing your cake on a tray that has a layer of toasted coconut on it so it will look like you animal is resting on hay.

Another cute option is to make cupcakes with the features of animals on them. It’s easy to pipe frosting to look like a lion’s mane or add banana shaped candies to a monkey’s face to make him look more authentic.

Zoo themed balloons can be fun to add to the festive atmosphere. You can also make signs pointing to things you might see at a zoo. Put signs on the powder room door that look like the man or woman rest room signs in public places. Hand out a map. The map can double as a fun scavenger hunt starting point. Hide things around the room or outdoors if the weather allows. Then head out to find them all. Great fun!

We also have a great selection of baby shower favors to decorate your tables or send guests home with a treat.    There are photo frames, candles, bookmarks, personalized candy jars or even mint tins with a cute rubber duck announcing the shower date.  Many hosts will send out these mint tins along with their invitations so the guests have a tasty reminder of the upcoming celebration!

Look here for more Duck Baby Shower Theme ideas!

To bring even more authenticity to your shower you can purchase hay bales or corn stalks (depending on the season) from your local nursery, garden center or farmer's market.  Use the bales for seating or as a gift collection center, just be aware of the extra cleanup involved (if these items will be used indoors).  Picnic-themed items work well with this type of baby shower - checkerboard tablecloths and summer foods (corn on the cob, potato salad or a cool ice cream dessert) are a great addition!

Decorate your gift table with the awesome barnyard friends diaper cake shown here.  With 35 diapers and 13 accessory items, this cake is a great display piece and a useful gift for the new mom!  Scatter beanie babies or stuffed farm animals around the remaining guest tables.

Some fun final touches for the shower include a big sign welcoming everyone to "(mommy-to-be)'s Farm".  Surround the sign with animal-themed helium balloons and have country music playing in the background.  Find themed gift wrap and decorate the guest of honor's chair with wrapping paper, ribbon and bows.

For more ideas, try this article on hosting a Farm Animal or Barnyard Baby Shower.