Goldfish Party Decorations

Imagine walking into a birthday party where each guest gets to go home with their own goldfish in a small round goldfish bowl. The whole party can revolve around the goldfish theme and the goldfish decorations can do double-duty as the cake, the props for the games and the favors that the guests take home.

Birthday party decorations serve to build the expectations of the guests and preview the party theme. Decorating starts with the invitations. It is easy to make goldfish invitations using a computer or by hand. Start by downloading a clip art goldfish. Either print enough copies to cut out and glue one to each handmade invitation or copy and paste the goldfish image onto a computer-generated invitation. If you have the skills, paste the face of the birthday boy (or girl) on the head of the goldfish. Make a gigantic poster size version of the invitation to decorate the front door on the day of the party. This way, guests will know that they are at the right place.

Setting the party table is an important part of decorating. Each guest needs a placemat, a place card and a party hat, as well as a plate, napkin, fork and cup. Buy goldfish stickers at a teacher supply store to decorate the outside of the white plastic cups. Use the stickers to decorate plain orange birthday party hats. Buy plain orange plates and napkins. Make a place card for each guest that resembles the invitations, by putting a picture of each guest on the head of the goldfish image. These can be made ahead of time, or each guest can make their own as one of the party activities. Decorate the table with individual bowls in which a live goldfish swims next to each place. Feeder goldfish cost as little as 10 cents each at pet stores where you can also buy the bowls as well as colorful gravel that connects to the other colors you are using for the party. Because goldfish should not live in bowls, send guests home with care sheets for goldfish.

Make a birthday cake in the shape of a goldfish which you can use as a centerpiece on the birthday party table. Bake several different shaped layers of any flavor of cake that you want. Lay out the layers on a large foil-covered piece of cardboard so they make the approximate form of the goldfish---a round layer for the head, a body, the fins and the tail carved from a sheet cake. Then use frosting to unify the cake. Add candy to cover any gaps. Pre-position the candles and your cake becomes a central feature of your goldfish decoration scheme.

Create a pin the eye on the goldfish game. Start with a large piece of poster board, in the landscape position, and draw the outline of the goldfish. Use poster paints or markers to color the picture. Then, cut out the same number goldfish eyes from construction paper as there are guests. Label these pieces with the name of each guest. Hang the poster in a prominent place surrounded by balloons. During the party, blindfold the guests turn them around and see which guest places the eye closest to the correct place on the poster. Use double-sided cellophane tape to attach the goldfish eyes.

The most effective way to decorate a goldfish party is to consider how to make every feature of the party serve as part of the decorations. Other suggestions include buying or making a goldfish pinata, making goldfish masks and including whale sound-tracks to create the right ambiance. Of course, you should not forget to hang crepe paper streamers and balloons all around the room where the party will happen. And, no goldfish party would be complete without a lot of bubbles.