Little Mermaid Birthday Party

Edible aquariums....blue jello in clear plastic cups with gummy fish. Or Sand/beach cups....pudding with crushed cookies on top (sand colored) and then use the drink party umbrellas and I have seen where they decorate teddy grahams to look like they're wearing bathing suits, sunglasses, etc. on top.

Target has some really cute Little Mermaid stuff in the dollar spot. I saw water bottles, snack containers, fake nails, stickers, crayons etc, all for a dollar each. And if you're inviting boys, they actually had Finding Nemo stuff, too.

I saw a cute Idea for octopuss hotdogs. You just cut the bottom half a couple of times long ways, and when you boil them they curl up. Its really cute. Also you can make sandwhiches and you any cookie cutter and make theme related shapes. I hope this helps.

You can have the girls make there own leis its really easy. You need yarn, tissue paper, any large pasta that can be threaded.
cut the tissue paper into circles wrinkle them up, Die the pasta with food coloring and alcohol (rubbing) the longer you let it sit the brighter it will be. all you have to do is thread a tissue paper flower and pasta noodle all the way around. Party favors i would check craft stores for some kind of foam project that has to do with your theme make it during the party and send it home. My daughter had a P.J party (she wanted a slumber party but 5 is too young for that)I found foam photo albums with a slumber party theme i took pictures of the girls during the party printed them put a few pictures in each book the girls decorated them and sent them home. Have a great time at the party. remember no matter what you do your daughter will love it.
A.

I really love the Oriental Trading Company . . . http://www.orientaltrading.com/ they have everything you could need in party planning: invitations, decorations, favors, games, crafts, ect. They do have classic cartoon/disney themed sets by it is cheaper to surf the site and find the cutest and cheapest stuff possible. For example: $4 for 40 piece fish themed plate, invitation, napkins, ect set (8 people), $15 for a tropical fish bean bag throw game, $5 for 12 real sea shell whistles, $4 for 12 finger puppet clown fish, $10 for a 50 piece tropical novelty assortment w/ sunglasses, stickers, ect, $4 for 12 fish magnet craft kits, $4 and up for 12 or more leis, $7 for 12 real sea shell leis, $7 for 24 tropical fish bubbles, $6 for 12 tropical fish shaped paddle ball games, $13 for 12 large sea creature shaped beach balls. $6 for 25 mini beach balls, $18 for 100 piece treasure chest filled with novelty toys perfect for an little mermaid undersea treasure map hunt, $19 for little mermaid basic party pack for 8 (plates, cups, streamers, balloons), there is so much you really just have to look for yourself. Hopes this helps and GOOD LUCK!!

I have 3 and 4 year old girls and this site has been a life saver! I just have to remember that I am trying to do cute and cheap and keep myself reined in, it is easy to get out of hand!

There are packages of miniature bubble bottles with little wands in the cards aisle at Wal Mart - those were a huge hit at my daughter's birthday party. I think they would work well with your mermaid theme. I also went a couple aisles over to the toy section and got a set of miniature Play-Doh's in an assortment of colors. Lastly, I put in healthy crackers instead of candy. The kids liked it.

Looks like you have gotten some great ideas. I also thought of adding sunglasses to your goody bags. And Goldfish crackers would make a good snack to go with your fruit or cheese cubes, etc.

Plastic leis (Hawaiaan flower wreaths you wear around your neck) are fun, and I've seen them at Wal^Mart recently. There are also a lot of cheap tub/pool toys out there that might meet your needs.
A fruit tray with pineapple chunks as one option would probably go over well.

I did a "tiki" party for my 7 yo last year. This year, my 8 yo requested the same party because they liked it so much. I just picked up decorations from Party Galaxy and some lais for the girls to hand out to all the guests. The birthday girl got a grass skirt and a lai crown. We cooked shish-k-bobs on the grill, and our guests brought stuff like chips and potato salad (potluck birthday is the way to go I say). Party G. is also a great place for goodie bag stuff, but I did away with them long ago due to the cost. The kids dont seem to mind, they just want to play and swim. Speaking of, "pin the tail on Ariel" would be a good one. Also, Hobby Lobby carries alot of "foamy" crafts, one year I let them make fridge magnets with butterflies and dragonflies, and decorate with glitter glue. Everyone enjoyed. Have fun!

the multiple colored drink umbrellas are relatively cheap and come in packs.pixie sticks are cheap and come in packages and are usually bright colors.go to the dollar store you can find alot of cheap neat things there for parties.do fruit kabobs- kids like those and you wont need utensils! good luck!

you can look online at a party store and they will have lots of ideas for goody bags. I would give them a flower lei. You can also look at oriental trading company (online) They have lots of things for cheep that you can buy in bulk! Sounds like fun! GOOD LUCK!

Hi A.. Put everything on skewers! Makes for a more festive appearance. You can have fruit skewers (heavy on the tropical fruits given the Luau theme) with a great dip (1 jar marshmallow cream and 1 - 8 oz. package of strawberry cream cheese whipped together...messy to make but wonderful to eat with any fruit, esp. apples, grapes and banannas.) Don't forgeet to dip the sliced apples in lemon water so that they don't brown. Do some Teriaki beef or teriaki burgers.

We went to a party with foam door hangers (hobby Lobby) and there were foam stickers and such to decorate them and put the kids names on. It was a fun, non messy craft project. Oriental trading Co has fun Hawiian themed stuff too. Also Hobby Lobby. You can buy playdoug and put a little box in each bag. Sidewalk chalk (dollar General) is good too.

Have fun!

There is a really cute mermaid cake on the FamilyFun website. We made it for my daughters birthday last year and she loved it. Just search 'mermaid cake' and it will come up. I think there's some other great ideas on there too. Good luck.

Instead of a goodie bag, think of an item that you can use during the party and the kids can take home. We have a pool, so we have done many pool birthday parties with different themes. One year I found small air mattresses with a clear window at the dollar store. The kids had fun floating on and looking through those. I have filled the pool with inflatable fish or just beach balls (dollar store or oreintal trading) and let the kids choose one or two at the end of the party. Pool noodles would work too. Older kids I get a bunch of dive toys. they play all party and take some home. For a preteen dolphin party, each kid got a dolphin necklace. For a hula party, each kid got a grass skirt and a lei to take home. Also swim goggles is a good gift as kids will fight over them during the party.

Snack food - gold fish, fruit kabobs (pineapple, apple, grapes)

Goody bags...you can get tiny sand buckets at the dollar store (in the wedding stuff..8or10 for $1)and write the childs name on it with a paint pen...fill it with those gummy red fish, m&ms or gummy worms.

Food...ham and pineapple pizza and fruit kabobs with pinapple cream cheese dip.
You might also try "Kid sushi" useing tortillas,banana,peanut butter,jelly and rice krispys...spread both sides of a tortilla with pb, cover one side with rice kripys and the other with Jelly. Slice the banana length wise and place on the jelly side of the tort. Then roll the whole tortilla (you may need to add more rice krispys to the out side) and slice like a cali roll....YUMMY.

Hi A.,

You may want to try the little chicken shaped stars (to represent star fish) that you can find in the frozen isle at the supermarket for one of your appetizers.

Good Luck and Have Fun,
T. S.
Collinsville, OK

Go to oriental trading on line and get a book. A lot of stuff cheap!!!!