How to Have a Fishing Themed Kids Party

Having a kids fishing theme party just requires a little imagination and creativity. Simply follow these steps:

Location is the most important thing. This could be at a park, lake, creek, river or even a friend or family member's pond. Keep in mind the location has to be kid-friendly. A steep riverbank, extremely muddy lakeside or snake pond would obviously be a bad idea. Also keep in mind laws and rules that may govern the area. For instance a local park may have very specific laws about hours of use or a state park may have rules about types of bait that has to be used. If you know an avid fisherman that could advise you on a good location it wouldn't be a bad idea to take advantage of him/her.

Recruit other adults. Dads of the children that you plan on inviting would be a great resource. Find adults that can swim and are willing to get their hands dirty. With the presents of water having several adults on hand is a good idea. Also, recruiting adults who already have the needed equipment is convenient and cost effective.

Consider food options. With the help of so many adults and the time it takes to fish grilling hamburgers and/or hotdogs is a terrific option. It is fairly inexpensive to grill out and the only side you really need is chips. If you want to go all out with potato salad and some watermelon or various other cookout favorites that is always an option.

What about party favors, games, and invitations? Cut out or have your kids cut out fish shapes and hand write invitations on the shapes. Go for the classics get a piñata. You can find piñatas at party stores, online, local chain stores like Walmart, or even some hobby stores like Hobby Lobby. Get plain colored plates and napkins and add fish stickers to carry the theme. You can also do this with plain plastic or paper tablecloths. Instead of traditional party games, have fishing competitions. The first child to catch a fish, the child to catch the most fish, or the child to catch the biggest fish wins a prize. Keep the theme with prizes like a go fish card game, go fishing electronic game, or a small fishing pole or tackle box. Party favor bags, if you choose to have them, can include fish stickers, small plastic fish toys, gummy fish, or cheap tackle.

The main event...cake and ice cream. For the cake take a boxed chocolate cake mix. Prepare per instructions. Smear whatever flavor of pre-made icing on a piece of wax paper the approximate size and shape of the cake. Then dump baked and cooled cake out onto the icing. Take a fork and crumble some of the top of the cake. This should make the cake look like loose dirt. Get gummy worms and push them into the cake one by one so that they look as if they are coming up out of the "dirt". Instead of ice cream, buy a new fish bowl, prepare blue Jello per package directions, put it in the fish bowl, and add gummy fish using the instructions for adding fruit to Jello.

Don't forget the odds and ends. Make sure to bring baby wipes and a hand sanitizer. This is very important when handling fish and worms. Decide ahead of time if someone is keeping the catch or if you plan on throwing everything back and prepare accordingly. Make sure to bring bug spray and sunblock. Parents in a rush to get to your party might forget these things. Bring a few towels for wet hands. Don't forget to bring a first aid kit for possible hook injuries.I hope you and your child, not to mention, your guests enjoy this budget friendly party idea.