With the release of the Barbie Fairytopia: Mermaidia movie, everything is coming up mermaids this summer. If you know of a little one who wants a magical mermaid birthday party, here is a fun, inexpensive idea.
The challenge of a mermaid birthday party is that mermaids can’t walk! So if you want to make the guests truly feel like mermaids, you’ll need to plan around this handicap.
To make each guest feel like a real mermaid, we will carefully wrap colorful fabric around their legs. The simplest way to do this is to gather various colorful and sparkly fabrics, each at least a yard or so. Blankets and sheets can work too, and the thrift store has a nice selection of fabrics. But you’ll find the best at the fabric store. Check the clearance section first.
Before the guests arrive, choose a nice area or room to decorate lavishly. Since the mermaids will be spending the party here, make it look gorgeous. Is your theme an underwater cave or palace? Drape the furniture with dark-colored blankets or fabric to resemble rocks. Hang varying shades of blue crepe paper all over the ceiling and walls. Put paper fish and seaweed up on the walls and windows (or hanging from the ceiling). Try to make the room look as blue as possible-perhaps hang a blue sheet over a sunny window. Strew real or paper starfish and seashells around. Place an old trunk in the room, and fill it with costume jewelry, gold candy coins, perhaps some sand and seashells, craft jewels, glass pebbles, and anything else one might find in a treasure chest. Your guests will each get to choose several items from the chest before they leave, instead of a favor bag. (You decide how many items they can pick out, or perhaps each child gets a handful.)
Another room theme could be an ocean beach. For this idea, you would want the room as sunny as possible. Cover the floor with sand-colored blankets; pillows could be rocks. Cover the furniture with dark blankets for lava sea boulders. Strew sea shells, green crepe-paper seaweed, drift wood, and star fish around the room. You could even put on an ocean waves sound effect if you own a noise maker! Again, place a treasure chest somewhere in the room as well.
As each guest arrives, let them choose which fabric will be their own mermaid tail. Then escort them to the party room, and carefully wrap the fabric around their legs. You can simply tuck the end in to hold it in place, or use a safety-pin or strap of cloth or ribbon to tie it in place. Leave the feet free at the end and make sure there is plenty of extra fabric hanging off, to cover their feet. I would advise you have each guest go to the bathroom before you put on their tail! And be sure to instruct each guest to ask for help if they need to go somewhere. It’s a good idea to make the tail snug enough to look like a mermaid tail, yet loose enough that a person could carefully waddle to the couch if they need to. Just make sure there is someone always watching and helping anyone who wants to move! Otherwise, it is best if each guest remains in one spot for the party.
If it is warm enough, the guests can arrive wearing their swim tops, and they will really look like mermaids. There should be plenty of comfortable pillows and blankets around, so each mermaid can lounge comfortably.
After all the guests are transformed into mermaids, it’s time for the fun to begin. Watch for Mermaid Birthday Party: Part 2!
Jerilyn Winstead is a daring mother of four who has started a company making and selling mermaid swim tails at http://www.aquatails.com. AquaTails is also expanding into mermaid birthday parties, classes, camps and performances in the Colorado Springs/Denver area. Jerilyn is also a freelance writer and loves to blog about everything mermaid on her website (“Mermania”).
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jerilyn_Winstead
Teddy bears! Just saying those words out loud brings thoughts of warmth, fun, cuddles and joy! Children absolutely love stuffed animals and the teddy bear has been a favorite of children of all ages for almost a hundred years when the idea first took hold in both Germany and in the United States. And then when President Roosevelt used a bear as his mascot for his re-election bid a few years later, the craze took off even more!
Collectors’ purchases of teddy bears in the United States alone reaches almost a half a million dollars per year and that is not even including purchases by children and others just for the fun of it! It’s an amazing thing – and no wonder. Teddy Bears are just plain cute!
So why not consider incorporating a stuffed animal bear or other stuffed animal in your child’s next birthday party celebration. There are so many options and using teddy bears and other fun stuffed critters make for easy decor as well as activities and other fun for the kids.
Here are six great and easy ideas for incorporating teddy bears into your next birthday party:
The Teddy Bear Tea Party – Simply have all the guests bring their favorite stuffed animal and go all out with a fun tea party, complete with scones, dipped strawberries and other fun treats. And of course, don’t forget the tea!
A Teddy Bear Fashion Show – break out the scarves and other scrap material as well as some baby or doll clothes along with jewelry, beads, accessories etc and let the guests dress up their teddy bears. Take a lot of photos and make a “runway” with your dining room table for the guests to show off their dressed bears.
The Teddy Bear slumber party – Jammies, sleeping bags and teddy bears. Serve Pizza, put on a fun movie or play some board games and you’re done. It doesn’t get any easier than that!
Teddy Bear Picnic – This is great for indoors or out so don’t limit yourself to the summer months. If your child’s birthday falls in winter, just crank up the heat in the house, lay out a gingham blanket and enjoy!
Make your own Teddy Bear – visit the local mall store or hire in a make your own stuffed animal entertainer. Each guest will make their own stuffed animal so it can be the entertainment and the take home gift all in one!
6. Give a teddy to a child in need – have the focus of your birthday party be on giving and have the kids make the bear like above but then bring all the made bears to a local shelter or hospital children’s ward to share the love.
The fun thing about teddy bears is that it’s so great for all different ages. From toddlers to teens to seniors, they all love them.
So consider the teddy bear for your child’s next birthday party! You’ll create great memories, have fun and it will also be one of the easiest parties to put together. Enjoy!
About The Author
Annette Yen is the party expert at http://www.noahsarkworkshop.com/annetteyen34 and http://www.FunEvents4Girls.com. Sign up for her free birthday club and get great party tips when you visit her website today.
Mail this post
RSS