There is no better time for an under the sea birthday party than in the middle of the summer! Among all the seashells and exotic fish, no under the sea party is complete without our favorite red hair mermaid, Princess Ariel. Here are some ideas to beat the heat and throw a Princess Ariel themed birthday party that you and your favorite mermaid or merman will love!
It doesnât matter if itâs your little mermaidâs birthday or just to throw a party, these idea are versatile and easy to create for any occasion. Summer is a great time to pretend to live in the ocean alongside Princess Ariel, Flounder and Sebastian. Throw your party near a pool full of seashells. Turn the sprinklers on in the backyard and let your party guests go wild or if your summer is just not as warm as you would like, these ideas can be easily applied to an indoor setting.
Decorations
These decoration ideas will help bring the feeling of being in the ocean straight to your party. These decorations are easy to create and will add to the atmosphere of your Princess Ariel party, making it a party that you and your guests will always remember.Â
Start off with these Fabulously Simple Paper Lantern Jelly Fish. All you need are colored lanterns, streamers and googly eyes. In about 10 minutes you have the perfect jelly fish to float around Princess Ariel and all of the other mermaids. Hang these lanterns from the ceiling, for extra lighting or for extra fun.
Check out this painless, no sew tutorial to create fabric seaweed. Hang these on party tables, walls or intermix with the jelly fish at your Princess Ariel birthday party. Throw coordinating tule fabric for an even more magical look. Start with colored fabric such as different shades green, blue, purple or any color of your choosing. Then grab your scissors and cut as much seaweed as you need.Â
 
Creative Props
Channel your inner Princess Ariel by spray painting a candelabra to match your color scheme and fill with different utensils. Donât forget to add a dinglehopper! Add some seashells and colored tule around the bottom to make a stand out center piece.
Throw up a fishing net like this one and fill with colorful seashells, starfish and balloons to make a cute backdrop for all of your mermaid guests. This backdrop would look swimmingly behind a refreshment table or it would make a perfect Photo Booth backdrop. Grab a few mermaid props such as seashells, plastic fish or you can purchase a Little Mermaid prop set here. Set up a camera and let your mermaid guests create lasting memories from your Princess Ariel Birthday Party. The printed photos would make great Thank You cards to send to your guests after the party.
What To Wear
Now that you have the perfect party decorations, you have to find the perfect party outfit. It can be for the birthday child or the party guests. Pulling off the perfect mermaid costume is easy! Itâs completely up to you on how realistic of a costume you want to create.
Make your Princess Ariel party even more special with this no sew Twirly Mermaid Tutu dress.
Create the illusion of a mermaid tail with different colored tulle braided and tied to an elastic waistband. Complete the look with a matching shirt and Ariel like accessories.
If your mermaid Princess would rather have a tail, this step by step tutorial is a great way to make her dreams come true. This Mermaid Tail tutorial simple, it is also very easy to duplicate so all of the party guests are able to become a mermaid.
Maybe all this crafting, hot gluing and fabric cutting isnât really your thing or you just donât have time to make the costumes, but you still want to dress up for the mermaid birthday party. Here is a great solution. They have an adorable mermaid party dress for you to purchase.
Snacks and Treats
With all of the fun that your little mermaids will be having on their under the sea adventures, they will surely work up and appetite. There are plenty of tasty and healthy snacks that even Princess Ariel would approve of.
Diary of a Crafty Lady has some fun and decorative snack ideas on her blog. Using twine and a white lifesaver, she created a beach look to the food containers. She added adorable under the sea names to everyday snacks to complete her look. This mom even made a Seawater Punch for her thirsty little mermaids. Get the complete recipe here.
Another cute sea themed idea is to stick green grapes on a wooden skewer to make seaweed. Princess Ariel had to meet the evil sea witch Ursula, and with these chocolate pretzel treats your mermaid guests will too.
They take about 10 minutes to create and about 20 minutes to fully harden. Start by covering pretzel sticks in purple candy melt. Add chocolate chips to create a tentacle look and finish the treat off with colored sprinkles.
Not only do these tentacles look cute but they taste great too! For step by step instructions and full ingredients, click here.
Games/Activities/Entertainment/Crafts
There are so many great games and crafts that can be included in a Princess Ariel themed birthday party. These crafts, games and different forms of entertainment can be tailored to make your Princess Ariel birthday a memorable day for everyone. All of these games and activities can be modified to fit mermaids of any age. Make your party one to remember with simple crafts that your guests will love.
This DIY mermaid crown is as regal as it is simple to create. It is the perfect addition to any mermaid party. The best part is that it can be made from items that can be found at the Dollar Store. Adding different seashells and gemstones can add a diverse look so that your guests can make a crown as unique as themselves. This craft includes hot glue and craft glue making it an activity for an older age group. To allow for the glue to dry fully, this craft would best be done near the beginning of the party.
To go with your mermaid crown are matching shell hair pins. Itâs a simple way to allow your guests to be a mermaid even after the party is over. These hair pins are great for mermaids of all ages and are easy to create. Take small seashells, the directions suggest shells no bigger than a quarter. Then glue to hair pins. To create a more colorful look, paint the shells with nail polish, water colors or washable paint. Glitter nail polish would add a subtle sparkle to each hair pin.
Spice up the Seashells
For a craft that is more little mermaid friendly, try painting seashells. Give plain seashells an updated look by allowing your guests to paint them with water colors and washable paint. 
Add a little or a lot of sparkle to the craft by sprinkling glitter on top of the wet paint. When the now colorful shells dry fully, place in clear jars and let your guests take their creations home so now they can fully admire their beauty. These colorful seashells would make a lovely addition to a coffee table or bathroom counter.
Another great activity to play at your party is called Make a Necklace for Ariel shared on the blog, Celebrate Everyday With Me. This activity combines necklace making with a scavenger hunt. Set pearls that can be strung on a string underneath seashells around the party area. Give one person the task of stringing together the pearls and let the other guests find the hidden pearls then have them brought together. Once all the pearls are found, Princess Ariel will have a beautiful pearl necklace. This is a great activity that lets your guests be active and allows them to let their imaginations run wild.
Princess Ariel Themed Birthday Sand Art
Sand art is another great craft that can be done at a Princess Ariel themed birthday. It is an activity that is great for any age and is really simple to do. To get started all you need are glass jars or clear plastic bottles. 
Anything that can be secured with a top and can be seen through will work for this activity. The Dollar Store is a great place to find these types of jars or even something as simple as a mason jar will work. Next, layer different colored sand in the jars until the jar is full. Then secure the lid and let your guests take their creations home. This is a fun craft that adds color and creativity to your party.
Lots of Colors!
RJâs Amazing Entertainment provides professional face painting  that will throw glam and excitement into your party. With a variety of colors and patterns, your guests will have the best mermaid (or any kind) of creation painted on them. RJâs Amazing Entertainment does balloon animals as well. The types of animals and colors are endless. Who doesnât love a good balloon animal? Watch as a balloon artist twists and ties a balloon animal in front of your eyes. Not only does RJâs Amazing Entertainment have balloon animals and face painting, they also provide water proof glitter tattoos. Let your little mermaids have a splash of colored glitter on their arms or legs with this fun party addition.
Let your mermaid guests dig for treasure in the sand! This activity is great for any age and really adds texture to your party. Use a sand box or if you donât have a sand box, fill a small plastic pool with sand. âburyâ seashells, plastic beads, small toys and anything else that might be fun to dig up. Sand tends to get everywhere so this activity is best done outside. 
Keep hand wipes near by so your guests can clean their hands before moving to the next activity. Providing plastic sand buckets would be a fun way to hold your guests treasure throughout the party.
Party Favors
No party is complete without a swag bag or party favors and something that your guests will love. In addition to all of the projects and crafts that your guests can create at your party, it is fun to have something a little extra. Party favors are not needed to have a wonderful party but can be a fun add on. Sand pails are inexpensive and will fit the Princess Ariel theme perfectly and can be used over and over again. This is a great way to collect crafts and other party take aways that you have.
Any mermaid guest would be delighted to find pool toys and other underwater games as a party favor. Colored blowing bubbles would make for another fun party favor. Small packages of Gold Fish crackers or Swedish Fish would be a perfect fit for a Princess Ariel birthday party.
A Princess Ariel themed birthday party is fun to throw and will be remembered for many years. There is no wrong way to throw a Princess Ariel themed party and there are many more ideas that can be included. Embrace your creativity and let your inner mermaid shine!