Ocean Party with Dolphin Birthday Cake

Ocean Party with Jumping Dolphins Cake for Kayden's 8th. July 2007. This was a fun-filled slumber party with many ocean themed activities.

Dolphin Cake

Created a dolphin cake with two raised dolphins jumping over the waves. For cake making directions and pattern pieces, click on Dolphin Cake Instructions.

Make Your Own Fish-Shaped Pizzas

Using bread dough such as Bridgeford, let dough rise according to directions. Punch down. Shape bread dough into fish shaped blanks and pre-cook for 10 minutes.
Have each child decorate their fish with pizza sauce, pesto, cheese, pepperoni and any other favorite ingredients. Bake an additional 10 minutes and serve.

Kelp Bed

Tape multi-colored blue, green and yellow crepe paper streamers to the ceiling of the room the kids will be sleeping in (for slumber parties) or in a play room.
Open the window or turn on a ceiling fan so the kelp can sway in the "currents". Let the kids know they will be sleeping in the kelp bed!

Water Balloon Races and Sand Castle Pit

Mark a course with chalk or orange cones before the fun begins.
Have kids race by running a course with water balloons alternately tucked under their chins, under their arms and between their legs.
Kids can't touch the balloons with their hands. If the balloon falls and breaks, you're out. If it survives, pick it up and keep going. Big Hit!
Sand Castle Pit: Fill a 4' round hard plastic kids swimming pool with sand. Add water and supply buckets, spoons and cups for building tools. Keeps children who are not participating in other events entertained.

Treasure Hunt

Created "clues" from clip art and photos of ocean animals. I use clip art from the Microsoft Clip Art Gallery at http://office.microsoft.com/clipart/default.aspx?lc=en-us&cag=1.
Place clip art pictures around the house and yard that hold clues on the back. Clues indicate location of next clue. We had about 30 clues for this age group. Be sure to put out decoy pictures as well to mix things up or add text clues such as Octopus when you have more than one octopus picture up on the walls. Wear out the kids by alternating clues inside and outside, upstairs and downstairs. I even taped one clue to my back and my husband caught a photo of Kayden just at the moment she found of it.
Hide prizes for all the kids in the final location - we used a bread drawer this time, but a washing machine is also a good hiding place for prizes. We stashed the party favor bags plus some dolphin squirt guns they could play with as the party wound down.

Mermaid Pinata

Started with a Mermaid pinata from a local Mexican grocery store that has a great selection of unusual shapes.
Dressed her up a bit using sparkling metallic wrapping paper and clip art facial features.

Played Pin The Tail on the Dolphin

Used Dolphin clip art but mixed things up by using tails from all sorts of animals - mermaid, tiger, horse, whale, peacock, dragon, etc., for the kids to try to place in the correct spot. Very funny results!!

Decorations

Strung blue and green colored streamers from the ceiling.
Covered table with turquoise tablecloth. Added ocean themed party supplies such as cups, napkins and plates, plus flatware in blues and greens.
Covered chairs with blue and green felt. Inexpensive felt yardage is available at fabric stores.
Decorated the kitchen walls with an ocean scene imprinted plastic table cover and a turquoise plastic table cover above it. Drew paper fish and used clip art for the finishing touches.
Hung up a real fish net and "caught" the mermaid in it.

If you'd like to see our pet and wildlife themed gifts and decor, go to Creative Animal Gifts and Furnishings where we have unique ideas for more than 40 creatures. Categories include Dolphins, Mermaids, Tropical Fish, Sea Turtles and Whales.