I am having a Nemo birthday party for my son. I am looking for creative ideas on decorating(beyond store bought items), activities and food. I want to serve something besides the typical hot dogs and hamburgers. Of course, goldfish crackers come to mind. We love entertaining and over the top is an understatement for me.
I assume this party will take place while it is sweltering outside, if so I would suggesat you freeze some fish sicles (popsicles). you can use kool-aid, orange juice, or any other favorite children's drink. Just a little something to cool the kids off, and it can be fun.
How about letting the kids "fish" for their goodie bags? You can buy paper bags that look like fish and attach a pop can tab to the mouth area. You know, like at a fishing booth at a carnival.
You could buy beta fish and have them as decor, and let the kids take them home if their parents allow. they are very easy to take care of b/c they are used to being in shallow muggy water.
On familyfun.com they made a blue jello with gummy fish in it that was really cool. The cake was a fish shape and the scales were flat circle shaped candys. You could change the candy color to make the fish look like nemo. It was really cute. I do not know how much work you want to do and how old your son is, but... You can sew up some simple fish shapes any size you want and then glue velcro to the last part where the tummy is. Let the kids stuff them themselves then they can just velco them shut. You may even want to buy some felt or fun foam hearts to put in them, before they close them up. I will try to think some more.
C. Fullerton
Little Women Tea Parties
www.myteaparty.net
Check out www.birthdaypartyideas.com
I find all my party ideas here. Lots of great ideas.
I had a fishing party for my son years back. I purchased colorful fishing hats (they were thin and inexpensive and would be great for the beach too)and a fish box for the goodie bags from Oriental trading. The box had to be put together so be prepared if you go that route. I had to tape the boxes together to get them to hold when stuffed. I made a fishing pond and decorated a big box (painted blue, foam fish stickers (I found at Target at the time))and had them "fish" for the goodie bags. I had someone hold the string and make them "set the hook", etc. which made it even more fun. Very animated.
Some ideas that come to my head now after reading your note: fish sticks, Nemo fruit snacks, blue jello with swedish fish (or Nemo snacks) inside or on top. You can make octopus hot dogs and mac and cheese for sea weed.(Dye green if you want) For the octopus, cut a hot dog lengthwise with a thin knife (filet knife works well) to make 8 strips. Keep about one to 2 inches at the top whole for the head. Make 2 holes for the eyes. Then boil in a big pot. The "legs" will curl. I would experiment first since I have found some brands/types of hot dogs would curl better. It has been a while so I do not remember which one I used. Keep some weiners whole because some kids will not eat them like the octopus, which really surprised me since I thought they were fun. I guess every kid has their quirks. HAHAHA
For a sea life party I did a few years back, I went to Houston Balloon and Novelty and found inexpensive blow up sea creatures (whale, fish, shark, etc.) Dolphin key chains. Sea animal water guns. I think it was Oriental Trading (mail order) that I found a whale pinata. I think I have seen a Nemo pinata through Birthday Express (another mail order co.)
Hope this helps. Good luck and have fun! Happy Birthday to your little one!
Hi B.
I found this great link for you so your imagination and creativity can run wild! Enjoy the day!
FINDING NEMO PARTY DECORATIONS The color theme for this party will be blue, light blue and orange. Create an under-the-sea effect, by hanging strips of ...
http://www.amazingmoms.com/htm/party_finding_nemo.htm
You could buy photo foam frames (Dollar store has 12 in a pack) so they can decorate with water and sea foam stickers. They can play catch the fish in a big round bucket. Rod and fishes come together toys r rus. Cut out fishes and glue them to the party cups.
That sounds like a fun party. You could do blue jello with gummy fish in it. Fishing with the prizes behind the wall that you see at school carnivals. You can cut out sandwiches with a fish cookie cutter or have fish shaped cookies.
I just saw a receipe for cupcakes and thought of your request. It was for vanilla cupcakes. They then put blue frosting on tom and made the middle shallow compared to the edege. The middle was then filled with blue jello to look like water and put gummy fish in it.
I was just watching the foodnetwork last weekend and "simply delicioso" lady was doing things for a pool side party. She did some really neat things: carved a watermelon into a wale (actually looked kind of easy) and filled it with fruit,she also made quesadillas and with very simple arrangement made them look like fish. then my own personal idea is doing a worms and dirt dessert (since fish eat worms :)
If you go to foodnetwork.com pick the tv tab and then you should be able to choose a tv show, and then episode/subject and pull up the website and then it should show video and/or give instruction. It all looked pretty easy and cute!
I know that a fishing game would be fun and easy to set up.
Best wishes!
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Hi B. - I had an under the sea theme for my daughter who wanted ariel but i figured boys would not be into ariel. I had a tent/canopy and wrapped the sides with blue plastic (party city had one that looked like an ocean, I hung streamers, fish cutouts, and air filled balloons from the top and then had a bubble machine going and let them "swim" - they loved it. I also used fish cookie cutters to make sandwiched for them...they rsvp's with type of sandwich and they each had a bag that said "catch of the day" with that, goldfish and nemo gummies. I got a magnetic fishing set and let them fish for prizes. It was fun. One of my friends amde a cd with all kinds of music from nemo and little mermaid and beach boys that we played. birthdaypartydideas.com is great!
you could play pin the worm on Nemo.
Use a gumy worm and get a pic of nemo blown up.
My cousin made blue Jell-O cups (clear, plastic, disposable cups) and put a couple of Swedish fish in to look like an aquarium. (They will begin to dissolve; so, be sure to put them in last-minute.) The kids LOVED them! They looked so cute, too!
A activity to make a Nemo or a Dori during the party to put in an ocean backdrop is always a nice activity and entertaining. Playing a game of friendship "How do you do" I am _______, Who are you?" Sit in a circle and introduce each other singing this song. Pass the fish like hot potato, a blue blanket like the parachute game keeping the fish in the sea(fish and turtle on top of the blanket)as they ride the waves like in the movie as the kids make the waves and get under the blanket at the end.
Sounds like a fun party theme I'm sure it will be great whatever you do as its celebrating your child's birthday afterall.
Teacher K-2nd
hi B. , well there asre lots of things you can find a fish shaped cookie cutter ,do cheese ,,watermellon ,,ect with it also can be used for name tags ,,,look for a fish shaped stamp and make home made bags for treats with the stamp in bright colors ,,,get some floatig fish so they get them with a prize for there bags ,,long ballons blown and tied to look like Nemo and painted ,well ihope this gives you some ideas to work with
good luck L. HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIL GUY
I had a nemo birthday party for my son's 3rd birthday party (He is almost 9 now). We used feeder fish or gold fish in fish bowls as table decorations. The kids loved it, and I sent some home with each kid as a party favor. We also used a small blow up pool to put the presents in, and when he opened them, he sat in the dry pool. It made some cute pictures. My mom made the pinata which was so cute. Another thing I did was used blue food coloring to make ice cubes, and put juice boxes in the blue ice in a large pail to look like water. However, the blue food coloring gets a little messy. I just thought I would share some of the things we did for my son's nemo party. Good luck to you!
C.
jello in a clear cup - make the blue jello and put gummy fish in it. If you make the jello in the clear plastic cups it looks like a small fish tank.
Blue Jello in cups with some of those candies shaped like fish put in just before the jello is firm. Would be good for a simple desert. Cup cakes with natural sugar (unbleashed) for sand and a simple paper umbrella on top. Or more of the candies shaped like starfish. Use a cookie cutter shaped like a fish etc. for the sandwiches. Games like the ones from the beach or pool can be played. A sing along with some of the music from the movie. Make your own Pin the Tail using Nemo along with some of the other fish as the theme. These are just ideas. Hope that you have fun.
Put blue Jell-o in clear cups with Cool Whip on top to look like waves, "float" the Goldfish crackers.
Check out www.familyfun.com, I'm sure they have ideas there. If not under "Nemo", check other searches like sealife, water, ocean, fish, etc. Good Luck!
FYI, green streamers could make great seaweed.
Hi B., I would suggest swedish fish in a goody bag, maybe throw in some gummy sharks, possibly on top of cupcakes with blue icing! I have also gotten a childs fishing pole, and set up a fishing game....you can put a small basket tied to the end, and when they 'cast' it over the homemade pier ( just put a sheet or inexpensive nautical fabric over two stools or chairs to hide the person filling the basket) and put inexpensive toys....you could probably even find some fish, etc....at the party store!
Have you ever ordered from oriental trading? It is a great place to order reasonable party decorations and favors, as well as goody bags and candy. It is nice because they generally have a huge variety of themes!
Hope that helped a little!
Check out the cakes on these 3 sites. SO COOL! If I think of other ideas I'll repost, I just know I've seen these and loved them.
http://www.womansday.com/recipe/fish_bowl_cake-997.html
http://blog.pinkcakebox.com/fish-bowl-first-birthday-cake...
I love kids parties that are creative. I makes it fun for the parents too!
How about real goldfish, the cheapie ones, in goldfish bowls they can also be a party favor for those that come.
Have a mini pool with fake toy fish with numbers. Whatever number they pull they get a prize for that number. Have them fish for the fish with toy rod and reels.
Hope that helps and that you get some great ideas to use.
Hi B.
You could play that carnival game with goldfish(you cant use nemos they will die)ya know they are in little fish bowls and the kids throw ping pong balls to try and get them in.Would be a great party favor but be careful with other moms might not be so thankful for a live favor.Dollar tree sells a fishing pole with a magnet on the end and fish that come with it.I dont know where you live but what about a trip to the aquarium?
Have fun
S.
