Fishy Fun Birthday Party

Allison Bozeman, of Lyons, Colorado -- owner of BirdDog Press -- threw this creekside shindig for her son Cullin's 4th birthday.
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Invite Friends

Julia Vandenoever

One fish, two fish, three fish, FOUR. Bozeman designed these letterpress invitations especially for Cullin's big day.

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Set the Scene

Julia Vandenoever

A creekside location was the perfect backdrop for this stripes and scales-inspired party. A banner made from striped fabric and feed sacks hung from the trees.

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School-of-Fish Snack

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Party Central

Julia Vandenoever

A simple tablescape, complete with red-striped table runner and kid-friendly finger foods, provided a home base next to the stream.

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Go Fish

Julia Vandenoever

Kids took turns casting magnetic poles into a hula-hoop pond to catch foam fish by their paper-clip mouths.

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Make it: Cardboard Fish Toy

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Fish Prints

Julia Vandenoever

Inspired by gyotaku, the Japanese art of fish printing, kids created their own fish art by pressing white paper onto paint-covered rubber fish.

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Knock Off

Julia Vandenoever

Bozeman pushed golf tees into a block of floral foam and rested ping-pong balls on top, then let kids squirt water guns to knock the balls off.

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Sip on This

Julia Vandenoever

Kids sipped on lemonade with old-fashioned striped paper straws. $5 for 25; fortandfield.com

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Serve Something Sweet

Julia Vandenoever

A school of Swedish fish and a fishing pole made from a skewer and baker's twine decorated the dessert.

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Fish Cake

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Yummy Gummies

Julia Vandenoever

Guests took home a sweet treat packaged in a small cellophane bag that read "yummy4gummy worms."

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Sail Away

Julia Vandenoever

Before the party ended, kids watched tiny wooden sailboats race down the creek.

Originally published in the April 2011 issue of Parents magazine.

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