There’s something mesmerizing about the ocean and all the wonderful creatures that live there. Bring that beautiful world into your next celebration and plan a magical under the sea party! From under the sea birthday parties to whimsical baby showers, we have fun and unique ideas that will make it an event to remember.
Under the Sea Party Decor
The ocean has all kinds of shapes, sizes, and colors to pull from when creating your under the sea party decorations. Get crafty using various items to create an underwater world. Use a palette of greens and blues with pops of pink and orange for a colorful and cohesive deep-sea setting.
Dive underwater
It wouldn’t be an under the sea theme party if you didn’t make your guests feel as though they’re actually underwater. One easy way to do this is with simple crafts like streamers draped across the ceiling. Hang fish or a scuba diver silhouette in the middle as fun additions.
For a more immersive option, drape blue or teal tablecloths in waves under your ceiling lights. Cut out sea turtle, fish, or shark shapes to place inside to create shadows that make you feel like you’re deep-sea diving!
Craft some seaweed
Seaweed is a sea staple, so this is a must-have decoration! Start with green or teal streamers and some tape. Cut a long strip of streamer and tape one end to the base of your wall. Then twist it a few times, tape it at the top, and voila — instant ocean-themed decor!
You can also split green plastic tablecloths into strips and cut V-shapes into them to create a textured seaweed look. Hang them from the ceiling or behind your gift or food tables for a perfect backdrop.
Sculpt a coral reef
Stretch those DIY skills further by creating a whimsical ocean floor filled with coral. Pool noodles are a cheap and easy crafting tool. Just grab a box cutter and some wire hangers and get to work.
For something a bit more authentic looking, use spray insulation to sculpt unique coral shapes. Then, paint them to match your ocean party colors.
Hang with ocean friends
It wouldn’t be a true under the sea experience without a few deep-sea animal friends. Add fish and other sea creatures to your wall decor, centerpieces, and tablescapes.
Hang nets filled with balloons and attach crabs and starfish. Craft garlands, balloon arches, or jellyfish paper lanterns to decorate entryways and make unique backdrops.
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Under the Sea Party Food
Getting creative with your menu is one of the most fun parts of party planning! Suddenly, a pretzel stick becomes a pirate’s peg leg, or a sugar cookie turns into a sand dollar. We have a bunch of fun food ideas for your under the sea theme party!
Seaweed sweets
Seaweed may not sound the most appetizing, but these snacks are much sweeter than the real thing. Green sour straws or licorice are the perfect seaweed substitute. Serve them in a tall vase, or use toothpicks to stick them in a “sandy” styrofoam mound. Add some gummy fish for an extra touch.
If you want a healthier alternative, you can also make a seaweed treat out of green grapes on bamboo skewers! You can even mix in a few sticks of purple grapes to add dimension and variety.
Creature confections
No party spread would be complete without cookies and cakes. If this is an under the sea birthday party, there are plenty of cool cake ideas. But you can also offer fun cupcakes as well. Get creative with icing and marshmallows to make octopuses or other sea-themed designs.
You can also turn cookies into clamshells by filling them with icing, pearl candy, and edible googly eyes. If you want something simple yet sophisticated, use cookie cutters to make starfish or seahorse shapes and ice them with colors and details that match your party theme.
Savory sea snacks
We love sweets as much as the next partygoer, but you may want to have some savory options for your party guests as well. Seafood seems like an obvious choice, but not everyone eats it. Be sure to offer some universally liked foods, as well.
Serve croissant sandwiches with your choice of filling, then stick googly eyes on top to make them look like crabs. An easy sandwich with a simple addition that keeps it perfectly on theme. Mini peanut butter and jelly-fish sandwiches cut into fish shapes are also great for kiddos!
Chilly ocean drinks
An under-the-sea theme is perfect for a summer party, so include some ice-cold drinks in your menu planning. Anything blue will fit your theme, but the colder, the better to capture the essence of the freezing-cold ocean.
Make an ice cream float out of blue soda and softened vanilla ice cream. Add whipped cream to make it look like there’s sea foam from the waves on top. A blue raspberry lemonade with some sherbert can also make a delicious frozen punch.
🌞 Looking for more party planning inspiration? Beat the heat with these summer party ideas!
Under the Sea Party Activities
Make sure your guests are entertained with fun activities. From live performers to photo booths to craft stations, there are many ways to keep people engaged and make your party unforgettable.
Magical mermaids
When you think “under the sea,” you can’t help but think of The Little Mermaid. Bring the fantasy to life with a visit from a real mermaid! If you’re throwing a pool party, live mermaids can swim, lead splash party games, sing songs, and tell tales from the deep.
No pool? No problem! Mermaids are happy to perch on land at your mermaid party, too. They can sit on a nearby rock at an outdoor party or inside an inflatable clam shell.
Plundering pirates
Move your under the sea party to the surface for a little bit to climb aboard a pirate ship for the ultimate seafaring adventure. Professional pirate performers are a great way to entertain guests of all ages, but they’re especially fitting for a children’s birthday party or family-friendly gathering.
Pirates have all kinds of activities they can offer. They can give sword fighting lessons, take the little ones on a treasure hunt, or lead a swashbuckling singalong! If you’re throwing a pool party, they could even have people walk the blank — aka, the diving board.
Picture perfect
Set up a designated photo area to capture all the fun memories. You can buy or build character cutout boards for people to pose with their faces in. Or set up a themed backdrop and provide silly underwater-themed props for selfies!
If your budget allows, hire a local photo booth company to handle the shoot for you. They can often print photos on the spot so your guests have a keepsake to take home with them.
Creative crafts
One of the best ways to engage your guests without spending a lot of money is with a craft station. Purchase unpainted treasure chests and set up a painting station to let guests create their own party favors. You can even give them plastic jewels to fill it with!
For little ones, making ocean slime would be a great sensory activity. Or, if you’re throwing a girl’s birthday party who loves mermaids, a mermaid tail craft would be perfect!
📌 Check out our Pinterest board for more great under the sea party ideas!
An under the sea theme is perfect for celebrations of all types — mermaid birthday parties, pirate parties, baby showers, and more. All it takes is some creative decorations, tasty foods, and fun entertainment, and you’re all set. So, let’s start planning! 🧜♀️
Megan is the Director of Customer Experience at GigSalad and has gained 9+ years of insight on what makes a great event on both sides of the booking process. Her favorite things include books, true crime podcasts, coffee, hiking, puns, and making people laugh.
This is absolutely fantastic – so inspiring!