Most kids are completely fascinated by the sea. You've seen them get all excited for a trip to the beach, right? Or watch 'The Little Mermaid' with such rapt attention, or not be able to sleep because they can't wait to get into the water and build those sandcastles the next day; or how about the fact that they want their room painted blue... the list is endless. So yes, their fascination with the sea needs to be celebrated, and what better way to do it than to host a magnificent under the sea party? Think about it, think about the squealing screams of excitement when they see what you've done with the theme―complete with a fitting décor, a fitting food fest, games, activities, and more and more of this fun. So it's decided then? You're hosting that party with this theme at the helm. What goes into planning a successful party, and what are the kind of things that you should include for the same will be discussed in detail in the following sections of this Buzzle article. Read and take notes. When it comes to the invitations, there are several ideas that work. One of the most popular ones in this category is to use a mermaid theme (if it's a girl, of course). You draw a mermaid and then replace the birthday girl's face over the mermaid's―always a hit. Other than a specific theme, you can have a general card as well with elements of the sea like shells and fish on it. Another great way to make a grand statement is to roll the invitation card and place it into a glass bottle―very reminiscent of the message in a bottle deal. The decorations are what will hold this party together, and the right decorations can transform the party into the most amazing party ever. There are a whole lot of simple and easily manageable decoration ideas that you can take up and work out on your own. Here are a few ideas that you can look into and pick up from. Blue and Green Crepe Paper Crepe paper is your best friend― it will help you transform a place almost reminiscent of the sea. There is a whole lot you can do with this paper. Twist the paper and use it to make long streamers. Then go right ahead and stick them to the ceiling such that they hang down and create a beautiful blue ambiance that resembles waves. You can even make a curtain with this paper and hang it up in the entrance or the main door of the room where the party is being held. Make sure to use different shades and lengths of blue for this. As for the green paper, you can use this to create the feel of seaweed. Stick different lengths and clumps of this onto the varied walls. Blue Wave Cutout Use thick construction paper to draw patterns of waves on it, and color them blue. Cut these out and stick them onto a thick cardboard so that they stay on. You can then stick the cardboard with the waves on them on different surfaces, like the wall or on top of the door―anywhere where you want the effect of the waves to show. Sea Elements Think of some of the sea elements that you'd want to use at the party―different types of fish, shells, popular characters from movies, submarines. Take a print of these and stick them onto the walls to give the sea feel. Bubbles of the Sea How about creating some bubbles for your party? Buy some craft paper of different shades of blue and some cardboard paper. Next, cut out circles and discs on the craft paper―make these of different sizes. Stick these on the cardboard and then cut them out. Stick the discs in a line onto a string and then hang the string from the ceiling or stick it on the wall. Balloons, Balloons Again with the different shades of blue and green. Blow these balloons up and randomly let them sit on the floor. Alternately, you could fill them with helium and let them settle onto the ceiling―it creates the most breathtaking ambiance. Sand for Your Beach If you have a yard, and you can manage to bring in some sand, use it to create a small sand pit and adorn it with a glass bottle that has a message in it. Use shells and fish nets to give a nice beach feel to the whole deal. Eating Area When it comes to the eating area, there are quite a few things that can be done to give it a feel of the sea. Use two different shades of blue table cloth to lay over the table. Other than that you can place a fish net on the wall near the table. Random shells placed on the table will lead to enhancing the look further. Use colorful paper plates in bright colors like red, then to give them an appearance like that of a sea creature, cut up a few plates in the shape of tentacles and attach them onto the sides of the plate―this seemingly simple design goes a long way in creating a great effect. To further enhance the theme of the sea, there needs to be food that is befitting the theme. How does one go about this? The simplest and most obvious choice in that direction is to serve sea food; but that might be more apt for a meal, so the choices for the cake and other light snacks still stand. Some of the most popular choices in this section are shaping cakes and cupcakes to look like sea creatures. So there are cakes which can be given the shape of mermaids or octopuses with tentacles, or there could be a double-layered cake which could be decorated into a seashell shape. The kids love the bursts of sea creatures made out of icing and cream. As far as the drinks are concerned, you could make a whole batch of any flavored drink that is blue in color and place it in a transparent jug. The blue effect gives a much-loved sea effect. In the spirit of carrying through this theme, you can roll the sandwiches and use a filling to make it look like sushi. The kids love it. One can serve the food and snacks in dishes that are shaped like fish or other shapes of the sea. This theme demands that we carry through the sentiment of the sea and relate the games to the same. There are several types and forms of activities that can be carried forth in this direction. Face Painting Set up a face painting corner and draw the sea, fish, waves, seaweed and similar elements on to the kids' faces. Treasure Hunt Set up a blue tent in the corner of a room and inside it hide a lot of candies and small toys, then cover it with a golden, shiny wrapping paper. You can ask the kids to look for the hidden treasure inside the tent―the kids will have a great time doing this. For one, there is the tent, then the shiny paper, and the main incentive of it all―they get to keep whatever they find. Fishing in a pool Inflate a plastic pool and fill it with water. Place several plastic fish in the pool, as well as other odd objects―the pool has to look full. As far as the fish are concerned, attach a piece of iron on them. Have a bamboo or any other stick and attach a sturdy string or rope on it―to this rope attach a magnet. The trick is for the kids to fish out the maximum fish in a stipulated time. The kid who manages to fish out the maximum number, wins. There is another way in which you can play this activity―place different colored fish in the pool and at the end of the activity, the kids get a small toy or candy that has been tagged for the color. For example, one red fish means one candy and the like. This way, all the kids have fun. Throw Ball Stand Take a cardboard and cut out a huge rectangle from the same. Then punch some holes into it (the holes have to be large enough for a tennis ball to pass through.) Decorate the cut out with images of mermaids and fish. Draw a line about 5 feet away and place the board there. The aim of the game is to throw the ball through the holes―the kid that gets the maximum hits, wins. If you don't want them to use a ball, you can roll up 2-3 socks and use these instead. Shark Attack Blow a balloon and draw a basic shark face on it with jutting teeth and the eyes. Make the kids stand in a circle, at the start of the music, the balloon will be given to them and they have to pass the balloon till the music stops, whoever has the balloon at that point is disqualified. The person who has the balloon in the end, wins. When the kids leave the party, give them a paper bag that has an image like the one shown up here―don't you think it truly brings out the essence of the party? And in the bag you can include things like a coloring book that features sea animals, a pencil that has a topping of something from the sea, like the starfish here, or colorful stickers of the sea and its inhabitants. There you go, that's all it takes to put together a really, really great under the sea party. Get ready for some excited squeals of laughter and a whole lot of activity―'cause those kids are going to be running all around that magnificent party of yours.