Invite Ariel, Flounder, and Sebastian to your child's party with these Little Mermaid birthday ideas. These magical and whimsical party ideas – including Little Mermaid birthday invitations, mermaid party supplies, mermaid games, costumes, and more – will have all your guests feeling like they’ve finally reached never-never-land!

Best for

Girls aged three through ten love the mystery of a mermaid party.

Mermaid Party Planning

For peace of mind, begin planning your mermaid birthday bash six to eight weeks in advance. This will allow you time to gather all the supplies that you need, including decorations, gifts, and menu items. Planning ahead also gives your guests time to RSVP and make travel plans, if needed. Don't panic if you find yourself short on time; you can still plan a great party! Planning ahead simply reduces the risk of conflicts with guests' plans and may increase your party’s attendance.

Your first decision will be where to host your Mermaid Party. You can host a great party at your own home, complete with mermaid party decorations, activities, and food that fit your theme. If you would rather choose a different location, however, an aquarium or water park might be a good choice. You could also host the party outdoors and rent a projector to watch a mermaid-themed movie on the side of a house or building.

To simplify the rest of the party planning process, check out our Party Planning Timeline, and read the paragraphs below for information on selecting mermaid party decorations, mermaid party supplies, games, activities, and more for your mermaid birthday party.

Mermaid Party Invitations

Want to make your own mermaid party invites? Here are a few ideas:

• Use white card stock or construction paper folded in half, and decorate it with mermaid pictures and shiny stickers. For a more sophisticated look, grab some princess or mermaid scrapbook stickers to decorate your invitations. 
  
• Purchase seashells at a craft store, or collect them on the beach and wash and dry them thoroughly. Write your party details on the shells and send them in highly padded envelopes, or hand deliver them to your guests.
  
• Cut the shape of a fish out of colored construction paper. Run a glue stick around the edge of the cutout and sprinkle with glitter. Write your party details in the center.
  
• Punch a hole in the corner of a card-style invitation and attach it to a sheet of mermaid stickers or a small mermaid figurine.
  
• Send your invitation as a message in a bottle! Write your party details on a sheet of construction paper. Clean out old pop bottles, roll the invitation into a tube and slip it inside. Hand deliver these to your guests, or to add to the mystery, leave them on each guest’s front porch! 
  
• Include creative wording for your party details, such as:
  You’re invited to an adventure under the sea!
  We hope that you can come.
  [birthday child’s name] is turning [age], you see,
  And it’s going to be so much fun!

Or, if you’re short on time, purchase personalized or pre-printed little mermaid birthday invitations online. We recommend mailing your invitations three to four weeks prior to the party—any sooner and your guests may forget, any later and your guests may already have plans.

Mermaid Party Supplies and Favors

If you plan to use paper tableware and mermaid party supplies, our Suggested Party Supply List may be quite helpful. Please note that you may not need everything on the list; it is intended only as a guide.

You can stick with the basics, or add other items to fit your theme. For example, for a Mermaid Party, you may also want to consider renting or purchasing the following:

• Movies: The Little Mermaid (Rated G), Barbie Fairytopia: Mermaidia (Not Rated), or The Secret of Roan Inish (Rated PG)
• Mylar Balloons
• The Little Mermaid Soundtrack
• Seashells
• Fish-Shaped Cake Pan

Put a smile on your guests’ faces by sending them home with party favors that fit your theme. You could give one large favor, such as a mermaid-themed DVD, a mermaid costume, or movie tickets; or combine smaller mermaid party favors such as a tiara, candies, stickers, and costume jewelry in a nice favor bag. If you have enough Mylar balloons decorating your party space, consider allowing each guest to take one home as well.