Mermaid Party Games

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our full disclosure policy.

If you are having a mermaid party, here is a list of easy mermaid party games and ideas for you!

Mermaid Party Games using a Target

Note: If you have a large number of guests, play these at the same time as one of several “stations”. Don’t worry about keeping score – it is just fun to try!

Feed the Fish– Draw a large fish on a piece of art board. Cut out the mouth area and try to throw bean bags into it. Give each child three bean bags to throw.

Treasure Toss– Toss gold pirate coins or plastic jewels into a treasure chest. Give each child three coins to throw. You can also use bean bags if you wish. Variation: Toss gold pirate coins into a fish bowl.

Fish Drop– You’ll need three clothes pins and a target, such as a coffee can. Pretend that the clothespins are fish (you can even draw a fish on them beforehand). If playing with older children, leave the plastic lid on the coffee can and cut a hole in it to make it harder.

Pinata – Look for a pinata that is a mermaid, fish or treasure chest!

Pin the Flower on the Mermaid– Draw a picture of mermaid on a large sheet of poster board and hang it up. Cut flowers out of construction paper to be “pinned” in her hair, and use double-stick tape on the back. Blindfold each kid when it is their turn, spin them around three times, and then point them in the right direction. Another variation: Pin the treasure coins in the chest.

Fishing Game - For this mermaid party game, you’ll need a child’s fishing pole with a clothes pin on the line instead of a fishing hook. “Fish” behind a sheet, where a helper can put a prize on the line.

Pin the Tail on the Mermaid - Sometimes it is nice to not have to create anything! There are adorable "Pin the Tail on the Mermaid" games already available for you!

Catching Type Mermaid Party Games

Ariel Ariel Over – Turn the classic game of "Annie Annie Over" into a mermaid party game. You’ll need a sheet, rope, and a ball that has pictures of Ariel, the Little Mermaid. Divide the players into two teams. Set up a sheet hung over a rope, and place one team on each side of the sheet. Neither team should be able to see the other one. Team A will yell “Ariel Ariel Over” and throw the ball over the sheet to the kids on the other side. If Team B catches the ball, Team B runs to the other side and try to tag a member of Team A. (Members of Team A runs around the sheet to the other side to be safe). If someone on Team A is tagged, they are now on Team B. If Team B doesn’t catch the ball, they pick it up, yell “Ariel Ariel Over” and toss the ball back over the sheet.

Balloon Game – You’ll need balloons in the colors of the theme of your party. Blow up some extra in case any pop before the game starts. On “Go” kids throw their balloon up into the air and try to keep it from hitting the ground and popping. If someone’s pops right away I have extra balloons so I can give one to them. Rather than declaring a winner, this is a fun game to just do for fun! This is great to pull out again at the end of the party when you are waiting on the kids to get picked up.

Musical Mermaid Party Games

Hot Treasure – Place some gold coins (from a sunken treasure chest of pirate booty) or plastic jewels in a mesh drawstring bag. Gather the kids in a circle. While music is playing, pass the coins/jewel bag around. Whoever is caught with it when the music stops does a silly stunt, makes a silly face, etc.

Freeze Dance – Everyone dances! When the music stops, everyone freezes.

Limbo - You’ll need a long stick or other object that can be held out for the kids to go under. (Using a boa, with helpers holding each end works great!) Have the kids line up and go under the object one at a time. After everyone has had a turn, lower it. Keep going lower and lower until the kids are crawling under. At any point, let them “high jump” over it. Don’t worry about anyone being “out” if they hit the bar. Let everyone have as many turns as they like for fun!

Musical Islands – You’ll need a dice for this game. Designate six spaces in your party area as space #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 and place hula hoops at those three locations. The hoops are the islands. While music is playing, have the kids run around the party area. When the music stops, the kids should move to one of the six islands. Roll the dice, and the kids at the corresponding dice must do some action, such as 10 jumping jacks, running in place for 10 seconds, etc.

Pass the Treasure - You’ll need a small gift wrapped in layers of tissue. Inside each layer, include another small gift. Gather the players in a circle and pass the parcel around the circle while music plays. When the music stops, the child who is holding the parcel gets to unwrap one layer and keep the prize. Make sure you have extra layers so that everyone gets to open one, and time the music just right so that everyone only gets one item.

Mermaid Statues - All the players dance and run around while the music plays. When the music stops, all players must freeze in a mermaid pose as if they are a statue. If anyone laughs or moves, they are a broken statue. Play until only one person has never been caught moving.

Turning Classic Games into Mermaid Party Games

This section proves that you can turn any game into a mermaid party game!!

Mermaid Mermaid Fish - Have children sit on the ground in a circle. One child is “It”. "It" goes around the outside of the circle, patting each child on the head and saying “Mermaid”, until suddenly saying “Fish!” when giving a pat. The “Fish” must then hop up, running around the circle trying to catch “It”. If "It" makes his way back to the seat before being tagged, he is safe and the "fish" becomes “It”.

Mermaid, Mermaid, Who’s Got the Mermaid? - You’ll need a small object that can be hidden in the hands (either in your lap or behind your back), such as a Mermaid Button of small figurine. Select one player to be “it”. “It” hides his eyes as the button is given to a child to hide in his hands behind his back. All other players put their hands behind their back as well. “It” uncovers his eyes and then has three chances to guess which child has the object. If you can’t find a something small enough that is mermaid related, use a fish and make the game “Fish, Fish, Who’s Got the Fish?”

Parachute – Bounce balls or stuffed animal fish on top of a parachute by making it go up and down. Pretend the parachute is the sea and take turns running under it. If you don’t have access to a parachute, it is even better to use a big blue bed sheet!

Dive Under the Sea - Gather everyone around a blue sheet and have plenty of bean bag fishes, stuffed animal sea creatures, etc. under the sheet. Have everyone stand to hold and shake the sheet (like a parachute) while adult says “Under the Sea, Under the Sea, Jack and Lucy, dive under the sea”. Jack and Lucy go under the sheet, grab a sea creature, and then toss it onto the top of the sheet. It is fun to watch the fish get tossed around!

Ring Around the Mermaid - Play Ring Around the Rosie. Go round and around while saying “Ring Around the Mermaid, a Pretty Pretty Mermaid, Mermaids, Mermaids, we all fall down!”, falling down at the end. After doing it once the normal way, try doing it really fast, in slow motion, really loud and on tiptoe.

Race and Relay Type Mermaid Party Games

Pop the Sea Bubble Race – You’ll need a balloon for each player and two chairs. Use balloons the color of your party theme. Divide the kids into lines of two teams and give each kid a balloon. Have a few extra balloons on hand in case any pop before the game begins. On “Go”, one member of each team will race to the chair, try to pop their balloon by sitting on it, and when successful run back to the team. This is a relay and so the next person on the team would then be able to go.

Mermaid Race– Have children lie on the ground and tie their legs together with ribbon or rope. On “Go”, mermaids must race to the finish line, while only using their hands to move (because a mermaid doesn’t have legs, right?!) This mermaid party game lets the children see how it might really feel to be a mermaid on land!

Obstacle Course - Divide the players into two teams and set up an obstacle course. The first team to have all their players complete the course wins the game.

Sea Horse Race – Turn a stick horse race into a mermaid party game by calling them sea horses! Don’t have access to a lot of stick horses? You can also make this into a relay race between two teams.

Water Relay - You’ll need two buckets and a shallow bowl for each team, and water! Divide the kids into two teams. For each team, place a bucket full of water at the starting line, and an empty bucket a distance away. On “Go”, have a person from each team fill their bowl with water, run to their other bucket to pour in the water, and then run back to their team for the next person to have their turn. Have the relay continue until the bucket is full (or until the water level reaches a certain pre-determined height.)

Tag Type Mermaid Party Games

Sea Monster Game - Our favorite mermaid party game of all time! An adult is the sea monster, and stands at one end of the yard. The kids are at the other end of the yard. The kids yell together, “Sea Monster, Sea Monster, are you hungry?” to which the sea monster will say “No, not really, come closer”. The kids will all come a little closer and ask the question again. This happens over and over, until the sea monster finally answers “Yes”! At this point he tries to tag as many children as possible and they become sea monsters too. The game starts over, with the new sea monsters on one side of the yard and the other kids at the other side of the yard.

Wacky Tag– Play tag, but have an adult call out crazy actions, like “swim like a fish”. Everyone (including the player who is “It”) plays tag while pretending to swim like a fish. Make a list of crazy actions (hop on one foot, run backwards, etc.) before the party so you’ll have lots of funny ideas.

Treasure Hunt Type Mermaid Party Games

Treasure Hunt - You HAVE to have a treasure hunt as one of your mermaid party games! There are two ways you can do this:
Basic Hunt: While the children are distracted, have a helper hide the objects they’ll need to find around your party site. If you hide them before the party they can sometimes be found and moved or played with, making them impossible to find when the time comes. Show the kids what the object that they will be looking for looks like and then have them go collecting! You might specify “one per kid”, or “three per kid”. That way one child won’t take a bunch, leaving none for another child to find. Always hide a few extra for those that are hard to find.
Hunt with Clues- Prepare clues for teams to follow such as writing the clue on a jigsaw puzzle that they must put together, a riddle, invisible ink, etc.

Scavenger Hunt – Divide children into teams and prepare a list of items they must find.

Sand Box Treasure hunt – A "must" mermaid party game. If you have a sand box available, hide pirate coins and plastic jewels and let the kids hunt for them. For example, at a Princess party, you could hide plastic jewels. If you have a large number of children let them take turns, just a few at a time, or set up this game as a “station” to be done when other “stations” are being played.

Mermaid Party Games with a "Lead Mermaid"

Follow the Mermaid – Select one child to be the Mermaid and either form a line behind this child or have her stand up in front of the group. The Mermaid will move around and all the children have to copy the actions. Take turns being the Mermaid.

Don’t follow the Mermaid- A challenging mermaid party game! Select one child to be the Mermaid and either form a line behind this child or have her stand up in front of the group. The Mermaid will move around and all the children have to do the opposite of her actions. Take turns being the Mermaid.

Mermaid Spies– Select one child to be the Mermaid and have them stand up in front of the group. She’ll gaze around the room and then say “I spy something…(and name the color of the object)”. Then the other children can take turns guessing what the object is. For example, if the Mermaid spies a tree, she could say “I spy something green” and the children can take turns guessing until one of them guesses “green”. With large groups, have the kids raise their hands and be called on to make a guess.

Mermaid Says – One person is the Mermaid. The Mermaid gives instructions, and as long as the instructions start with “Mermaid Says”, the kids should follow the instructions. For example, if the Mermaid says “Mermaid Says pat your head”, all kids should then pat their heads. When the Mermaid gives a command without saying “Mermaid Says” first, the kids should not follow the command. As soon as one of the kids misses a command, switch to let someone else be the Mermaid. Let everyone keep playing, but keep track and congratulate the player that can go the longest without missing a command!

Favorite Mermaid Party Games for the Littlest Mermaids

Some of these mermaid party games are included in the list above. For your convenience, these favorite preschool party games were picked especially for the littlest mermaids, two and three years old (although older kids like playing these mermaid party games too!)

Feed the Fish– Draw a large fish on a piece of art board. Cut out the mouth area and try to throw bean bags into it. Give each child three bean bags to throw. Make the hole large enough so it will be possible for them to make it!

Hokey Pokey

Jump thru a hoop

London Bridge

If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands!Pin the Flower on the Mermaid– Draw a picture of mermaid on a large sheet of poster board and hang it up. Cut flowers out of construction paper to be “pinned” in her hair, and use double-stick tape on the back. Skip the blindfold; let each kid shut their eyes instead. Spin them around three times, and then point them in the right direction. Another variation: Pin the treasure coins in the chest.

Fishing Game - You’ll need a child’s fishing pole with a clothes pin on the line instead of a fishing hook. “Fish” behind a sheet, where a helper can put a prize on the line. If you have a large number of guests, play this at the same time as several “stations”.

Treasure Hunt – This works basically like an Easter egg hunt. While the children are distracted, have a helper hide the objects, such as pirate coins or plastic jewels, around your party site. If you hide them before the party they can sometimes be found and moved or played with, making them impossible to find when the time comes. Show the kids what the object that they will be looking for looks like and then have them go collecting! You might specify “one per kid”, or “three per kid”. That way one child won’t take a bunch, leaving none for another child to find. Always hide a few extra for those that are hard to find, and have moms and dads help!

Here We Go Round the Mermaid - Like “Here we Go Round, the Mulberry Bush”, but substitute the word Mermaid for Mulberry Bush. Everyone stands in a circle holding hands, with one person in the middle. "Here we go round the Mermaid, the Mermaid, the Mermaid, here we go round the Mermaid, on a cold and frosty morning". Let another child stand in the middle and repeat.

Playing with Water

Since it is a Mermaid Party, you may want to use some water games or have your party at a pool and play some pool games.

One of the great things about this theme...the endless possibilities!

Have a great Mermaid Party Game? Please tell us about it!

Kid Party Ideas

Do you have a great kid party idea or game?

Share your ideas and photos here, and they will be added to this site to help other moms & dads everywhere!

You can leave comments and questions here too!

Enter Your Title

Click here to see the rest of the form.

This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Let's Connect!

Follow @lisaplanaparty

Share this page:

What’s this?

Facebook X

More Mermaid Fun

Mermaid Party Ideas

Mermaid Cake Ideas

Make your own under the sea decorations

Your Name	(first or full name)
Your Location	(e.g., City, State, Country)