What better way to celebrate science and our oceans than with a cephalo-party? Kick Cephalopod week in squid-tastic style with a fun event featuring great decorations, music, food, costumes and amazing activities! It’s the perfect way to introduce your learners to the wonderful and often weird world of cephalopods. Check out our Pinterest Board Full of ideas!
Set the scene for an Under the Seas adventure
Create a banner. Decorate the walls Colorful posters Octopuses, squid, cuttlefish and other sea creatures. Hang colorful paper streamers on doors and windows to simulate seaweed, or use beach toys to create a beach scene. Then tap those tentacles with some music by playing the soundtrack of The Little Mermaid or Mona. Be sure to leave some room for your squid squad to dance, or kick it up a notch by breaking out your karaoke machine.
Beyond fish food: Make delicious snacks
If you can, prepare some fun snacks for your partygoers! (Be sure to label all allergens.) Keep it simple with goldfish crackers, Swedish fish and gummy sharks in a fish bowl, and blue „ocean” gelatin cups. Mix a batch Angel Punch Using blue raspberry juice, lemon-lime soda, and pineapple juice or a (non-alcoholic) pina-colada mix. To make octopus candies, you can cover lollipops with colorful tissue paper and add pipe cleaners for legs and googly eyes.
Plan games, trivia and activities
Create a simple scavenger hunt for participants by hiding pictures of octopus, squid, cuttlefish and nautilus around the room and asking them to find them all. Test your guests by planning an easy trivia game. Or design a bean bag toss or cornhole-style game out of cardboard and toss simple rice-stuffed octopuses from colorful socks into the holes.
Get crafty with cephalopod-inspired activities. Challenge partygoers to imagine what they would look like as an octopus or cuttlefish. You can also use Scientific Silver’s cellophoid resources to make simple face masks. Lots of pictures to be taken! Or keep it simple by providing young artists with coloring sheets and pencils, markers, or crayons.