Perks of Being a Mermaid

My two-year-old woke up one morning, found her first and third Halloween costumes, and wanted to take mermaid sister pictures. As a mom who loves taking adorable pictures of my girls, she didn’t have to ask twice! “Mermaid sisters” can have a lot of fun together! They always have a buddy to play with, never have to swim alone, and make the perfect pair for going on adventures. We came up with a whole days’ worth of fun mermaid activities to do!

Mermaid Water Beads

Water Beads are super fun to play with and will keep kids entertained for hours! These fun sensory water beads start off as tiny balls and expand to blueberry-sized globes when saturated with water. My little one loves organizing them by color, squishing them into jelly, and scooping them into cups. Water beads are a fun activity for any little mermaid!

Related Post: Playing with Water Beads »

Secret Mermaid Castle

Every little mermaid needs a secret hideout. We turned our standard castle playhouse into a mermaid lair with a few materials we had lying around the house. The roof is made from discarded packing material, the “seaweed” is sparkly tulle, and we cut out the mermaid crests from construction paper. My daughter was thrilled to have her castle turned into a custom mermaid playhouse in under 30 minutes!

We added some clear lights for an sparkly touch and a flag cut from construction paper. Wooden dowels that I’ve had lying around forever came in handy too! I love finding a special use for random things.

You could make a mermaid castle too using an existing play structure or even a card table with a blanket thrown over the top! We used the card table to make a hidden mermaid cave. The door can even be concealed from passing pirates! Our treasure box (a discarded wooden box we pulled from the trash, cleaned up and added a lid) holds the jewels of the sea, and colorful stepping stones guide the way to the castle door.

This little mermaid loves her new home! Mermaid lairs are also perfect places for sister sleepovers.

Snacks from the Sea

Time for snacks! Mermaids like to eat with their sea-loving friends. Mr Turtle was happy to join the party.

Our little mermaid enjoyed some sea straws, “shrimp fruit”, seaweed cakes, seaberries, and coral knots. Mermaids need lots of snacks after swimming around exploring the ocean!

DIY Glitter Paint

Mermaids love glitter! Next we played with homemade glitter paint! It’s perfect for painting beautiful seascapes, making squishy waves, and splashing around on paper. DIY glitter paint is very easy to make with just cornstarch, water, food coloring and glitter! Mix cornstarch and water (4 to 1), boil on the stove until thickened, add the food coloring and glitter, let cool and enjoy! This glitter paint is fun to play with but thick globs of it has a hard time drying. I recommend enjoying it and not worrying about saving the artwork.

Strawberry Sugar Sand

If your little mermaid longs for the beach, mix up this fun sensory Sugar Sand! Combine 1 cup sugar, 1 cup cornstarch, and 2 tbsp water in a food processor and blend until sandy. (add extra water if needed) Add a few drops of food coloring and fragrance (optional). Our Sugar Sand is technically edible, although not super appetizing (tastes like fondant). I used a strawberry fragrance oil to make strawberry-scented Sugar Sand, reducing its edibility. Leave out the fragrance oil if you are worried about your child eating it. Also, if you mix Sugar Sand with water, it becomes super sticky. Make a sculpted sand castle and then wash little hands thoroughly! A vinyl tablecloth is the perfect drop cloth for playing indoors.

Mermaid Aventuring

Mermaids love flipping, twirling, and splashing through the sea. Little mermaids love exploring the ocean! Set up an obstacle course around your house for your little mermaid to explore. At the end of the day, playing mermaid makes memories and brings sisters together.

Making Memories

Mermaids love being clever, creative, and crafty. The day we played mermaid, my two-year-old told me “Mommy, I had so much fun with you!” The best part is, my stash of Sugar Sand, Glitter Finger Paint, and Water Beads (only $11 on Amazon) are easy go-to sensory activities I can pull out and give to my toddler when she’s looking for something to do. All involve minimal clean up — Sugar Sand and the Water Beads specifically vacuum up easily.

What will you do with your little mermaids? I’d love to hear your ideas and feedback in the comments below! Most of all, mermaids love to have fun with mommy!