Sharing is caring!

Shimmer-and-Shine-Birthday-Party-Ideas-with-free-printables-and-games #shimmerandshine #birthdays #partyideas

My two little daughters are super into Shimmer and Shine, a show about twin genies-in-training. Imagine a Lisa Frank-ish world, and then add glitter. And more glitter.

The girls often pretend to be the main characters from the show. It’s the cutest thing to watch them play together, sporting high ponytails and necklaces on their heads. Claire has become a master at fashioning genie headbands this last year!

I made Shimmer and Shine the theme for my daughter’s second birthday because I knew both my girls would be ecstatic. And let’s be real- how could I resist a birthday party theme that has an abundance of bright colors and sparkle?

That’s right. I couldn’t.

Let me walk you through what I did for this easy party!

**Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. We may get a small commission based on your purchases at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting This Blue Dress!

Shimmer and Shine Birthday Party Ideas

A Morning Gift

I like to let my kids open something on their birthday morning that they can use or do during the day.

For this special day, I decided to surprise my girls with these Shimmer and Shine costumes so they could really feel like the genie sisters! If I had another girl, she would have definitely worn this cute Leah costume!

Dress-up clothes are #1 on Maegan‘s list of toys that survive every purge, and they are high on my list, too. I LOVE the creativity and confidence I see in my kids when they are in costume. And the truth is, I really don’t mind spending money on costumes because they get so much use!

Both kids were so excited when they opened the costumes, and they have worn those costumes nearly every day since.

Shine

The costumes were GORGEOUS, well-made, and of course, super sparkly! The 2-4T and 4-6x sizes fit my 2 and 4 year-olds pretty well, with a little room to grow. My only disappointment was that the Shimmer costume had the pink ponytail attachment but not the full headpiece like the Shine costume did. Overall, I am extremely pleased with both costumes.

Shimmer

My girls will wear these costumes for Halloween this year too, and I can’t wait!

Decorations

I had a blast making decorations for this party!

One of my best purchases for this occasion was a huge container of jumbo gemstones. We used these on just about everything for the party! I got mine from Hobby Lobby, but here are some similar gems that you can get, too.

My kids wanted to be involved in the party preparation, so I let them help as much as possible.

Their favorite craft was gluing jumbo gems to paper 2s. The jeweled 2s turned out super cute!

One of my walls is perfect for a birthday backdrop, because it’s right behind our table! Here’s how I dressed up the wall:

I started with two balloon bunches for the main wall. I tied pink, purple, and gold ribbons in the centers to add a little more frill.

I chose an Arabian-looking font and cut the letters for Kate’s name out of glittery teal paper.

My family always puts a giant birthday number on the wall, and I decided to make Kate’s birthday number the focal point of the backdrop. I hand-drew a giant 2 on gold-glittered poster board and cut it out.

Then I embellished the 2 with jumbo gems and craft feathers.

For the final touch on the wall, I added a couple of pictures of the twin genies! 

To add pizzazz over the food table, I made an easy star garland using my Cricut, gold paper, and white thread.

I wanted something to dress up the cabinets in my kitchen for the party, so I designed five genie bottles to print and hang.

Click below for your FREE genie bottle printable!

geniebottleprintable3 (PDF file)

The bottles can also be used as banners, cupcake toppers, place setting cards, hanging decorations- it’s up to you! Customize sizes, colors, and more using Cricut Design Space. Click here to view this project in Design Space.

I wanted the food table to sparkle a little, so I used two long pieces of decorative string and hot glued gemstones to them every couple of inches. I used them as table runners.

After setting out the food, I sprinkled craft feathers like these around the center of the island.

I found these Shimmer and Shine hanging decorations online, and I couldn’t pass them up! They made our space look so effortlessly festive. I simply hung some string across our back doors and clipped the hanging spirals on the string.

LOVED them!

Cake

I have a long history of major cake fails, and I honestly wasn’t feeling up to making a cute cake from scratch this time. So I bought an Oreo ice cream cake and dressed it up! I topped the cake with pink and purple sprinkles, piped a little pink icing on there, and put characters from the show around it. The little figurines are from a Shimmer and Shine busy book. I bought the busy book last year, and the book and figurines have been very well-loved!

We ate off gold paper plates and embellished forks!

Cupcakes

My four year-old loves to bake, and she repeatedly asked if she could make cupcakes for the party. We kept it really simple and put pink frosting and different colored gems on top. It was a great activity for my little helpers.

The Genie Gem Game

In Shimmer and Shine’s world, there are gemstones that possess different powers, such as power to transform into mermaids, doubling, or growing plants. Using this concept, I made up this simple game for our party.

You’ll need:
  • 20 jumbo gemstones (I used 4 green, 2 dark pink, 2 light pink, 2 white, 2 blue, 2 yellow, 2 orange, and 2 purple)
  • 1 bowl
  • Gem Powers Color Key- (click on the link below for your FREE printable! There are 2 color keys per page- just cut down the center!)

gempowercolorkeyprintable3 (PDF file)

*Clipart image source on printable: Shimmer and Shine © Viacom International, all rights reserved.

How to play:

The object of the game is to be the last person standing by never drawing a green gem from a bowl.

Put all gemstones inside of the bowl. Everyone stands in a circle. Explain that each gem color represents a power, such as singing or “transforming” into an animal. All gems are good, except for the green gems that belong to the evil sorceress Zeta. Selecting a green gem means the player is “out”, and the player will then sit or stand outside of the circle and will not choose another gem for the rest of the game.

To begin, a player closes her eyes, takes a gem from the bowl, and then opens her eyes to see the color. After returning the gem to the bowl, the player must do the action related to the gem color (Use the color key to see which action to do). Then she will pass the bowl clockwise for the next person to draw a gem and begin an action, and so on around the circle. All players continue the action from their own gem until they receive the bowl again to draw a new gem. Then they will begin the action associated with the new gem.  If a player draws Zeta’s green gem, that player sits out of the circle. Play until there is just one player left.

We had a lot of fun with this game!

Present Ideas

Checking out the new book and blanket from Grandma!

Kate received many fantastic gifts from family members for her birthday, and here are some of the Shimmer and Shine-themed ones that we recommend!

  • First on the list is a surprise that doesn’t cost a dime! When you sign up for the Nick Jr. Birthday Club, you can schedule a time for a special character from a Nick Jr. show to call your child! The phone call consists of a pre-recorded message from the character, so be aware that it’s not a live person on the other end. But the call from Shimmer and Shine truly made both of my daughters’ day. (Be sure to check out the free Shimmer and Shine printables offered on the site, too!)

Listening to the birthday message from our favorite genies

  • Every birthday girl needs a tiara, and this Shimmer and Shine tiara was perfect for this occasion.
  • My girls have been carrying these dolls everywhere this week! The dolls are wearing beach attire, and are so adorable. Here are ShimmerShine, and Leah!
  • There are so many cute outfits out there! I ended up getting this Shimmer and Shine outfit for a present, and these dreamy Shimmer and Shine pajamas made it to my four year-old’s wishlist.
  • My parents couldn’t make it to the party, but they sweetly sent us an Amazon package with this Shimmer and Shine plush throw blanket and the Step into Reading: Happy Birthday to You! Shimmer and Shine book. My kids were happy to discover that there are STICKERS inside of the book!
  • I added links to the beautiful costumes I purchased near the beginning of this post. Costumes are great gifts! But if you’re not a huge fan of glittery costumes, there are more options! I saw another Shine costume that is shiny instead of glittery. It comes with two genie cuffs and a necklace. Here’s the Shimmer version.

Hope these ideas help you have a Zahra-mazing party!

Mariah

Shimmer and Shine Birthday Party Ideas #shimmerandshine #nickjr #party

Like this post? Please pin me!

 

Song of the Week 2018: Part 2
The Ultimate Guide for a Great Family Reunion