This year my daughter had a fish themed birthday party! We had so much fun making our own favors and party games, and the kids had a blast celebrating!
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My daughter finally ventured away from the fairy and princess themed parties and decided her 6th birthday party would be fish themed! And I think this was the first year where Lucy was really able to be involved with all the preparations and planning. It was so much fun getting this birthday party ready together! (This post contains affiliate links. Thank you so much for your support!)
Fish Themed Party Decorations
We had so much fun making our own decorations for the party! We hung streamers in different shades of blue to represent the ocean. We then made this adorable fish craft in different sizes and colors and hung them up in our crepe paper ocean!
Fish Themed Party Favor Bags
Since we knew the birthday party guests would likely need a place to put all their little prizes collected during the party, Lucy and I created some party favor bags for the guests.
We purchased some simple white gift bags and decorated the front of each one with simple ocean scene. First we used bubble wrap and blue tempera paint to create water. (We used the bubble wrap like a stamp- dipping it into a plate of tempera paint and stamping it onto the bag.) Once the paint was dry, we cut out some fish shapes from construction paper and glued one onto each bag. We finished the favor bags by writing each guest’s name on the fish.
Fish Themed Birthday Party Games
Lucy knew for sure she wanted some games for her birthday party! We stuck with the fish theme and created a couple of fishing games!
Fishing for Prizes
As guests arrived they were invited to decorate their own fishing poles with colored markers.
We created the homemade fishing poles using wooden dowels, eye hooks, string, and metal clips. (Prior to the party we screwed some eye hooks into the top of each dowel.) After each child was done decorating their pole, we tied a long string to their eye hook.
On the bottom of the string we attached some metal clips we had from a recent trip to Ikea. (These metal hinge clips, metal badge clips, or colorful metal hooks would probably work too!)
Later during the party, the guests used their decorated fishing poles to go fishing for prizes! A few days before the party I created this ocean scene on a plastic table cloth (similar to this one). I used a toilet paper roll and white acrylic paint to make bubbles on the blue tablecloth. (I simply dipped the end of the toilet paper roll into some white paint and stamped a circle right onto the tablecloth.) I also glued some fish created from thin foam sheets onto the tablecloth.
I placed a tension rod across our entryway and draped the ocean scene over it. My husband and mom hid behind the curtain with buckets of prizes! Each child took turns placing their fishing hook over the curtain. After a prize was attached to the metal clip, they’d feel a little tug on the line and they’d reel in their prize! They placed their prizes into their favor bags to take home!
Fishing for Stuffed Fish
For one of our party favors we purchased some stuffed fish in different colors.
Lucy and I thought it’d be fun to make a game out of giving away the favors to the guests. We placed each fish in a numbered brown paper bag.
Then we placed numbered fish made from foam sheets (from our fishing for numbers game) into our water table. The guests took turns fishing. Whichever number they caught in the water table corresponded to the brown paper bag they got to open. The kids were so excited to see which colored fish they would get! (Be sure to visit our fishing game page for directions on making the fish and magnetic fishing poles!)
After all the fish were caught, the children sat down for a story. I read the book, You Be You by Linda Kranz. The children acted out the story with their new stuffed fish friends!
Fish Party Favors (Free Printable)
After lots of playing and eating, it was time to go home. Each of Lucy’s friends took home a little plastic bag filled with some swedish fish and a message, “Thanks for swimming by my party!” (You can print your own sheet of party favors here.)
Lucy had an absolute blast at her party! And I’m still facing the fact I actually have a six year old now. (Those early years sure do fly by!) I can’t wait to see what she chooses for next year’s birthday theme!