For the past couple of years, my lil' lady bean has been focused on one Disney princess... A certain little mermaid named Ariel. Sure, she obsessed over Frozen like every other little girl, but if you ask her who her favorite princess is, it's always Ariel. So, when it came time to plan her third birthday party, we obviously had to go the mermaid route! Thanks to Party City and some goodies that I picked up from Etsy, we were able to put together the under the sea themed party of her dreams!
This party was put together a few years ago, we're updating this idea because Ariel is back in the new Disney live action movie. We're so excited that this princess is getting back into the spotlight.
Related: Throw a Water Color Art Birthday Party.
What to serve at your Mermaid Birthday Party
Let's start with the cake... It's always about the cake in our house. Haha! My baby girl definitely inherited my sweet tooth, so I wanted to give her a beautiful one. I decided to go for an ombre look reminiscent of the sea. Ariel was right at home perched atop her oceanic ruffle cake.
And we didn't stop there with the sweets. Every mermaid party needs oysters right? I took store bought macarons, frosting and some gumballs and used them to create DIY oyster treats. They were quite popular with the grown ups.
I'm all about serving goodies that please both our kiddo and adult party guests. And the fruit wands were a hit with everyone! I simply skewered cut up pieces of fruit. Easy peasy!
Drinks for a Mermaid Party
We've got ideas from super-simple to a bit more complicated. If you want to get fancy, there are drink ideas from Pinterest.
- Sea Water: Keep it simple and offer juice or lemonade in a big container labeled "sea water." I like this antique-looking container I found on Amazon.
- Mermaid Party Punch: Mermaid Punch is so easy to make with just 3 Simple Ingredients. This recipe is non-alcoholic, but you could easily add rum or vodka to make it Tipsy Mermaid Punch for adults! Get the recipe here from werethejoneses.com
- Mermaid Punch: Yummy mermaid punch recipe w/ this raspberry juice, Kool Aid recipe - great drinks, snacks, desserts party food, perfect kids party drinks or treat. Get the recipe here from createyum.com
Mermaid Birthday Party Activities
- Mermaid Tails: Make our awesome mermaid tails with this easy DIY. It's a fun craft to make and doesn't require a ton of supplies. Get the instructions here.
- Mermaid Necklaces: This is another fun craft we've dreamed up. Get the instructions here.
- Shell painting: gather them up from the beach or buy them here. Then you'll just need some acrylic craft paints in mermaid-y colors. Get inspired here www.fantasticfunandlearning.com/seashell-painting-art-for-kids.html
- Mermaid Slime: I adore this idea--it's a little messy and a lot of fun. Get the instructions on YouTube here. Or check out this post from www.thebestideasforkids.com
- Mermaid Bingo: These cute cards are digital downloads. All you need is a color printer and some card stock. ($2.25) We found this on Etsy.
- Mermaid Tattoos: Set up a station to add some sparkle to each girl. $9 for a total of 56 colored + iridescent foil tattoos. Get them on Etsy here.
A Mermaid Birthday Party Decorations
The table settings were very simple: party blowers, Swedish Fish filled vellum bags and tiny Goldfish filled cups fit the bill! And I was thrilled to be able to use my mom's antique lace tablecloth. I always love adding personal elements to my parties. It makes things so much more interesting than using brand new everything. Am I right?
As far as decorations go, the highlight of our mermaid decor was mermaid backdrop. I added a treasure chest filled with photo props and the little ones had a blast posing away, tiaras and all!
Oh, we also love this banner from Etsy (featured above). When we can't make it, it's great to shop from small vendors.
Mermaid Birthday Party Goody Bags
As our guests departed, they picked up a thank you bucket to put the crafts in and a Seedlings make your own mermaid doll kit from our mermaid confetti bedecked table. Mermaid tattoos make lovely little gifties to take home or put on at the party. $9 for a total of 56 colored + iridescent foil tattoos. Get them on Etsy here.
Paint Chip Mermaid Banner Craft
Before I go, I have to tell you about my Pinterest moment: I made a paint chip garland using some paint chips from the hardware store, twine and a hole punch! I can't even begin to tell you how easy it was to put together. I just might have to make a paint chip garland for all my parties now. Just sayin'.
And finally, when you're having a small gathering like we did, you don't necessarily need to send out snail mail invitations. It's perfectly acceptable to go the electronic invite route and with Echoage, you can not only create an invitation, but you can also make it possible for your guests to donate to the charity of your choice. How fabulous is that? We're always stressing that giving is better than receiving with our kids, so I'm loving this service!
MORE BIRTHDAY PARTIES FROM MOMTRENDS
- Throw a Dinosaur-themed birthday party
- LEGO birthday party
- Camping Themed Birthday Party
- Cinderella Birthday Party
PIN IT!
Be sure to follow our Kids Birthday Party board on Pinterest for more party inspiration.
Disclosure: We were not compensated for this post. We did receive samples.