Aquamermaid Performer Guideline

 

Children’s Party Outline

Aquamermaid provides jobs for professional mermaids in many locations. Maybe you’ve just been hired to be a mermaid entertainer for Aquamermaid or you are about to book your own mermaid gig. If you are new to the profession or to Aquamermaid, you may not be entirely sure of what is expected of you for a kid’s birthday party. Here is a step by step guide for mermaid performers on how to deliver an amazing event that is up to Aquamermaid standards. 

Before the party:

• Make sure that you have the customer information: the client name, phone number, and exact address of the event. Find out who the organizer is and where you should meet them. *Confirm the venue details like the size of the pool or set up for a dry gig.    

• Set expectations by describing what you will be doing. For all Aquamermaid parties, we inform the customer that the mermaid will be swimming, posing for photos, and leading games in the pool with the kids. We make sure to clarify that the parents must supervise the activities; the mermaid is not a lifeguard. Young children must wear arm floaties.

• Confirm the age range and number of kids participating. *For 10 kids and under the mermaid alone is booked for the event. For bigger groups we recommend having an assistant or an extra mermaid.     

• Prepare your equipment. Make sure you have your costume together. This includes your mermaid tail, mermaid top, jewelry, and wig if you wear one. Fun pool toys or floaters and hula hoops can be bought at the dollar store for the kids to enjoy. *We do not require performers to buy new equipment for parties. You can use things you already have. For example, pennies are a great option to throw in the pool for a treasure hunt. 

• You can download a mermaid music playlist on your phone that you can connect to the customer’s sound system if they have one or bring a small portable speaker if you have one. Here is a playlist of songs you may use.

Day of the party:

• Make yourself pretty, only using waterproof makeup. Use accessories that won’t break or fall in the water. *You need to look like the photos you have provided for customer approval.
• Arrive 30 minutes in advance to give yourself time to find the place and parking (if the location is downtown ask ahead for parking instructions and if any parking voucher could be supplied).
• If you are running late, call the customer to let them know your status. *I also like to text the customer when I leave my house to let them know that I am on my way.
• Check the pool location and take out any toys or floaters you’ll need.
• Ask where you should change and confirm how you will get to the pool (someone may carry you or you can get in your tail on the pool deck before kids arrive). *For most of the parties you will be going alone. to offer a flawless and magical experience, before showing yourself in person, call the customer and ask them to keep the kids inside the house while you get dressed up on the pool deck. That way you will be a big surprise when the kids walk outside and you won’t break the illusion of a real-life mermaid walking to the pool with your costume.  

Party time:

• Start by sitting on the pool deck and greet everyone with a loud, enthusiastic voice, saying something like, “Welcome everyone to Maya’s mermaid birthday party!’’ Make an introduction, such as, “My name is Marielle the mermaid and we’re going to have so much fun together for the next hour!’’
• While sitting on the pool deck, invite guests to take individual and group photos with you while you have nice dry hair. Make sure the birthday child has the best spot and receives special attention. You can also take individual photos with the birthday child. 
• Photo tips: Get the pool in the background and lay on your side. Guide the parents on where to take the photos from.
• You can do a few splashes with your tail from the deck.
• Kids may want to touch your tail and you should allow it. They are often very curious.

Showtime:

• Enter the pool and swim one or two laps to show off your nice tail and swimming.
• You can do some spins and tail splashes. Flip your tail in the air to “make rain” (just be sure not to splash the food or anyone outside of the pool).
• Show them some bubble rings if you know-how.
• Show them any special talents or tricks you can do. If you can sing, or have a unique skill, such as juggling, the kids would probably enjoy it.
•  Engage and converse with the kids. Ask them their names and fun questions like their favorite color or animal, if they’ve ever met a mermaid before, have they ever seen a unicorn, etc. You can also tell them fun facts about yourself, the ocean, mermaid mythology, share exciting stories you may have or funny, child-appropriate jokes (ocean-related jokes are best).
• Lead the kids through games and activities. Make sure to have a long list of games you are planning to lead, kids get bored quickly and not all the games are as popular. You want to always keep kids engaged and active. 

List of activities

In the water:

• Teach the dolphin kick move (see if kids can swim with their feet together)     
• Swim through a hula-hoop (horizontal, vertical, slanted)
• Swim with a partner (holding hands, holding the tail)      
• Treasure hunt (have them retrieve sinking toy at the bottom of the pool)
• Friendly competitions (races & variety of movements)
•  Practicing front and back flips 
• Practicing handstands
• Mermaid swim choreography with music
• Teach how to do underwater bubble rings and bubble heart kisses
• Teach the mermaid tail splash, make a splash with you fin when you dive
• Do mermaid high five (clap your fin with kids’ feet)
• Follow the chief/Simon says (copy the movement the instructor is doing)
• The Shark (someone pretends to be a shark while the mermaid/kids must cross the pool without the shark touching them)
• Mermaid water polo (let the kids ride on your back while you swim)
• Tell a secret underwater to the kids and see if they can guess what you said
• Hair flip
• Pull the kids while they hold onto a noodle or sit on a floating mattress. Spin them around, move them back and forth, or pull them around as fast as you can (not fast enough that they would fall off)
• Mermaid limbo, where kids swim under your tail while you float at the surface
• Ask the kids if there is a specific game they would like to play
• Sing-alongs. Sing happy birthday, or interactive songs like “If you’re happy and you know it” or “Baby shark.”

Activities for a dry event

• Reading a book/telling stories
• Singing songs. Be ready with the little mermaid songs and also the happy birthday song
• Taking photos
• Meet and greet
• Face painting
• Making balloon animals
• Ocean trivia questions
• Bubble art
•  Applying temporary tattoos
• Q&A

Pretend to be a real mermaid. Be ready with creative answers for kids’ questions:

• Are you a real mermaid?
• Do you have legs?
• What do you eat?
• Can I touch your fin?
• Where do mermaids live?
• Can you talk to fish?
• Do you have a mermaid family?
• Do mermaids sleep?
• Do mermaids have powers?
• Can mermaids breathe underwater?

WARNING:

*If kids struggle with swimming bring big floaters that everyone can hold onto or put kids in life jackets/arm floaties. Also, you can ask a parent to stay in or by the pool. 

Tips from pro mermaids:

• Have fun and smile a lot! No one wants a sad mermaid at their party. Remember, if you’re having fun, the kids probably are too!
• Do not wear goggles or nose clips. You need to look like a real mermaid. If you want to wear a wig, make sure you have tested it before in the water. It needs to be pinned and glued really well to prevent losing it in the water.   
• Make each game last as long as possible. If you have only a few sinking toys, throw them back in the pool or ask the kids to bring them one at the time or have them only bring back the ring that is the color of their swimsuit.
• If you have a large group of kids it will be hard to have the attention of all the kids at the same time. Just play games with the kids that are interested. There’s no need to have every kid perfectly following all activities.
• Make sure the birthday child feels special.
• Create a mermaid backstory to make yourself seem more believable as a mermaid.
• Take control of the activities and tell parents when and how to take the best photos.
• If a kid is crying, try to change the subject and suggest a new activity or suggest they take a break on the pool deck. See if you can find out why they are crying (maybe they are hungry, thirsty, cold, or need a bathroom break). A parent can then assist the child.
• Having a mertender/merwrangler is always a good idea to help with your tail and they can take great photos and videos of you. *If you can, send Aquamermaid photos of your events. We love seeing parties and also those photos will help you get more gigs in the future, showing your look and experience as a mermaid. 
• Have a mermaid music playlist on your phone and a way to set it up with a speaker.
• You are not a lifeguard. Ask the help of a parent if needed.
•  Ask if you can use any photos or video footage for your portfolio, website, or social media. Find out if there are kids that parents would prefer not to have pictures of online.
• Be ready for hot days, bring sunscreen and water.

It takes time and practice to be a good mermaid performer. If you are just starting out we suggest doing volunteer work as a mermaid for charity to gain experience and confidence. Let us know if you have any questions or suggestions. We hope you found this guide to be helpful!