Little Mermaid Party Plan

Little Mermaid Party!
By Anne Cavicchi
Written Exclusively for The PartyWorks.com

Under the sea.... whether your party is at home or at your local swimming pool, your little mermaids are sure to get in the swim of things! Have your guests dress in their swimsuits, flip flops, and other beach wear!

Invitations
You can purchase Little Mermaid party invitations or make your own! How about cutting out a starfish shape from construction paper? Or a red crab? You can also use plain blue paper (for the water) and stickers or clip art. You can use your own words, or something like this: Princess (insert your child's name) and her friends would like to request the honor of your presence at the Under Sea Adventure at the princess's castle. You will want to be sure to include the address, date, and time etc.

Decorations
You can find a full range of decorations at thePartyWorks.com
If you are feeling creative, use solid color party ware in blue, green, and pink. You can draw on the outsides of the cups with crayons -- or use seashell or little mermaid stickers. These dangling decorations are sure to be a hit as well. If you use plain paper for the tablecloth, you can have the kids draw ocean scenes on it as they arrive and are waiting for the rest of the guests.
Balloons -- if you're using helium filled balloons, try using large seashells as the balloon weight!

Food and Snacks
Octopus and seaweed hot dogs
PB & J rolled sandwiches cut to look like rolls of sushi (unless you think the kids will love real sushi!)
"Sea Snacks" including goldfish crackers, sweediss fish, Jello with candy fish -- served in little sand buckets with shovels.
Shell shaped macaroni -- either with a salad dressing (cold) or mac and cheese (hot).

Cake
There are so many great cake ideas! Everything from round cakes with scalloped cut edges to look like seashells, to a slab or round cake using a topper or cake art. You can also use a Little Mermaid cake pan! Or, if you prefer to use cupcakes, how about topping them with some cute sea sugars or toppers! Little Mermaid cupcake liners are cute too!

Games and Activities
Using a beanie (Sebastian if you have him!), play a version of Hot Potato to the tune of "Hot Hot Hot" from the Little Mermaid soundtrack. As each girl is eliminated, have them pick a prize from a treasure chest.
Play "Pin the flower on Ariel" using a picture of Ariel and stickers or tape on the back of paper flowers.
Have a "Fish Toss". Each guest takes turns trying to toss a beanbag "fish" into a barrel or bucket from about 6 feet away (vary the distance depending on the guest's ages).
Have a treasure hunt - hide small items and give clues as to where to find them!


Goody Bags
You can purchase Little Mermaid goodie bags or treat boxes. You can also use a plain paper bag with stickers or drawings on them. Fill the bag with things like goldfish crackers, Little Mermaid stickers, seashells, mini book, beach ball etc. Also check out the party favour kits.

Don't forget to send out thank you cards to all your guests too.

About the Author:
Anne Cavicchi is a Canadian mom and owner of Annie's Boutique and www.maternitycorner.com. When she's not working, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, golfing, photograpy and traveling.