Pirate parties
should incorporate costumes and spooky decorations.
Pirate parties are a popular birthday theme for girls and boys alike. A successful party allows kids to get creative with dress-up games and imaginative play. Consider whether your child would enjoy the spooky element of pirates and pirate-lore, including skulls and cross bones, or whether a Peter Pan theme, including Tinker Bell, would be more appropriate. Does this Spark an idea?
Decor
Skulls are absolutely imperative at a pirate themed party. Grab anything with crossbones and swords to decorate your venue. Red, white, gold and black streamers and balloons go along with the pirate theme. For a tablecloth, pick a tan tablecloth and shred the ends so it looks worn. You can also stain a white tablecloth with tea or coffee for effect. Nets make great tablecloths as well. Create wooden signs with the birthday boy before the party and place them around the venue. Hang a banner at the front door that reads, "Enter at yer own risk." Cut out and scatter small paper fish around the floor to give the venue a sea-faring feel.
Munchies
In addition to any meal that will be served, snacks are a necessity. For goodies, put out bowls of Pirate's Booty (an organic popcorn that comes in a variety of flavors). Fill medium sized barrels with small candy and mini bags of chips and pretzels. Instead of a cake, try making pirate cupcakes using red frosting to draw a bandanna, black and white frosting to make eyes and eye patches, and finish with either zigzag frowns or smiles for the mouths. Stack the pirates on a cupcake holder and place a flag on top with the birthday girl's name. If you feel confident about creating a DIY cake for the celebration, try making your own miniature pirate ship. Use small toy pirate figures or cake toppers as a crew. A Kit-Kat bar makes the perfect plank.
Goody Bags
Rather than traditional goody bags, buy a treasure chest and fill it with pirate goodies. Include gold coins, Mardi Gras beads, candy and eye patches. Let the kids grab a handful of items from the treasure chest and give them felt sacks to load their booty in. To make this more fun, create a treasure hunt for the kids. Hide clues around the venue that will guide them to the next hint. At the end of the treasure hunt the kids can discover the chest full of pirate's booty and dig in.
Activities
Let the kids dress up and play imaginatively in pirate garb. Have hats, eye patches, swords, shredded clothing, striped shirts, and brown streamers handy. Children can wrap the brown streamers around their legs and pretend they have peg legs. Consider creating your very own game of "pin the parrot on the pirate." Blindfold the kids and see who can get the parrot closest to the pirate's shoulder. A parrot pinata adds the perfect pirate touch, and peg-leg races (three legged races) are great for older children. For an arts and crafts activity, have the kids create their own pirate hats with construction paper and stickers. They can also decorate loot bags with gems and glue before breaking into the pinata.
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