Fishing Party Ideas

By Christine Gauvreau

If your child is an outdoorsman who loves the sport of fishing, this fishing birthday party is sure to reel in the smiles on his special day.
Invitations
Join us for a reel good time at Hunter’s fishing party!
You’re “o-fish-ally “invited to Riley’s fishing birthday!
Having you at the party would be a real catch!
These are just a few samples of fun ways to use fishing lingo in your party invitation text. As for the invitations themselves, you can make your own using a photo of your child fishing, cardstock creations of fishing vests or plain invitations that have been decorates with scrapbooking embellishments like fish, fishing rods and tackle boxes.
If you’re hosting the fishing party at a lake or waterway where the guests will actually be fishing, make sure to note whether they need to bring their own gear, along with details about how the kids who are novices will be guided and how all guests will be kept safe around the water.
Decorations
If the fishing party is at a place where actual fishing will happen, the outdoor scenery provided by nature is all you really need. You may still want to add a few fun embellishments to the area, such as bait pails filled with snack foods or cardstock fish hanging from a clothesline run between two trees.
An indoor party with a fishing theme can be just as much fun as an outdoor event. Some suggestions for decorating include:

• Tackle boxes used as serving ware for snacks and utensils.
• Fishing lines hung from the ceiling, dangling toy fish, worms and lures just overhead.
• Rustic signs that say things like “gone fishin’” or “bait and tackle shop.”
• A fishing centerpiece: Make mock fishing rod out of small tree branches and string. Tie fake fish or worm to the ends of the strings. Stick the fishing rods in a block of craft store foam. Place the foam in a planter box, cover with dirt and let the fishing lines dangle out over the table.
• Fish-shaped balloons.

Food
Of course, the perfect fishing party fare would be cooked fish, but not all kids show as much enthusiasm for eating the fish as they do for catching them. These fish recipes for kids may offer just enough kid-friendliness to entice them. These fish recipes for kids offer more ideas for serving fish at your event.
More suggestions for fishing party food:

• Fish sticks.
• Fish tacos.
• Fish-shaped pasta salads, casserole or mac and cheese.
• Fish crackers.
• Swedish fish and gummy worms.
• Fish-shaped sandwiches, cookies or marshmallow cereal treats (made with a fish cookie cutter).
• Fish bowls (place Swedish fish in clear bowls of blue gelatin).
• Licorice rope hung from pretzel logs and labeled “fishing rods.”
• Fish-themed birthday cake.

Games and Activities
Whether you’re doing an actual fishing event or hosting the party at home, these ideas for games, crafts and activities include additional ways to entertain guests.

• Magnet fishing game.
• A fish-shaped pinata (filled with gummy worms and fish crackers).
• Pin the fin on the fish (or pin the bait on the fishing line).
• Try some of these shark-themed party games.
• Fish coloring pages.
• Make egg carton fish crafts. 

Favors:
Send kids home from your party with the “catch of the day” in the form of a fun party favor. Some ideas include:

• Fishing rods.
• Fishing hats.
• Tackle boxes.
• Buckets of bait (filled with fish crackers, gummy worms and candy).
• Inflatable fish.
• Punch balloons (labeled as puffer fish).

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