Finding Nemo is a family favorite and then when Finding Dory came out, the kids were equally as smitten. We were so excited when we received our Disney Kids Preschool Playdate Package and found a giant stuffed Dory Pillow Pet inside! Playdates and parties do not have to be an elaborate and expensive production. Here’s our Finding Dory party ideas on a budget.
Finding Dory Party Decorations
The Dollar Store and the Dollar Spot at Target are your friends. Pretty much everything for this party was purchased there. Streamers and balloons can jazz up a place especially if you turn them into octopus balloons!
Another easy idea is to grab a blue plastic tablecloth, find some netting (or purchase it), and print Finding Dory pictures or pictures of fish and sea creatures.
Finding Dory Party Food
Once again, I’m all about finding easy foods. These are children; they’re easy to please. I purchased cupcakes with blue frosting and placed turtle, octopus, and fish gummy candy on top.
Luckily, there is also a lot of Finding Dory food in stores now. I found Goldfish crackers that were Finding Dory and Finding Nemo colors and also Finding Dory graham cracker cookies.
If you want to get a little more into the theme, you can make Octopus Hot Dogs by cutting the hotdog halfway down into slices and then microwaving them for 10 seconds or until the tentacles start to shrivel a bit. Make sure you keep an eye on them. they can be sensitive. You can also make Seaweed Grapes. Grab a long skewer stick, add grapes, and put them in a vase with blue paper in the bottom. The kids loved them!
Finding Dory Party Games
My motto is always simple is best. With preschoolers, they just want to play. We set up a few different stations around the house and outside and let them choose what they wanted to do. If they didn’t want to participate, then they could jump on the trampoline, blow bubbles, or play in the toy room.
Paint a Dory
One station was to paint a Dory. It was a cute little fish statue that could also serve as an ornament. They had a kit at Target for a couple of dollars or they had one at The Dollar Store, too.
Pin the Fin on Nemo
Who doesn’t love putting on a blindfold and getting spun around to stick the fin on Nemo? I don’t know either. It’s a classic game and was also a cheap purchase at the Dollar Store.
Tattoo Station
The kids love tattoos! An inexpensive way to entertain them. I’ve also found that they like to apply their own tattoos. Water and a sponge is all you need!
Bubbles
I don’t know what it is about bubbles, but they’re a crowd pleaser. These Finding Dory Bubbles were 2 for $1 at Target.
Finding Dory Party Favors
We let the kids take bubbles, their Finding Dory art project, and some candy home. You do not need goody bags with $50 worth of stuff. In fact you don’t even need goody bags at all. We sent them home with these Finding Dory candy bags. They were on Clearance at Target for $.25. You can also make your own by getting cellophane paper, folding it into a “carrot shape,” taping the side, filling it with whatever you want, and tying some ribbon. The possibilities are endless.
Thanks for joining our Disney Kids Preschool Playdate! Disney is one of our happy places, and when we can’t make it to Disney Parks, we love adding special Disney touches to our lives to make it more fun.