Shiver me timbers! Ahoy ye hearties and avast thy chase for a booty of pirate party ideas are right here on this blog which marks the X. For all sea dog pirates who are searching for party idea treasures for their young swashbuckler, look no further.
Are you ready to transform your home into a Caribbean port and your backyard into a pirate ship? Pirate parties only come once in a lifetime and you want to make it one that your little pirate will remember forever.
INVITATIONS: The invitation are a drawing of an island with various features labeled (eg., Deadman's Swamp, Pirate's Cove, etc.) The font is similar to Old English in keeping with the pirate theme. The party blurb is "Aaarrr! Come if you dare to (boys names) pirate party. They are turning 7 and need shipmates to swab the deck, walk the plank and look for pirate treasure. We set sail on, Pier located at.., RSVP First Mate." They are asked to wear striped t-shirts if they have one. The paper is aged by dabbing it with a wet tea bag and once dry the edges are burnt to give it that old "treasure map" look. The invite is rolled up and put into a bottle with some sand, small shells and skull confetti. Each bottle has a black label with a white skull and crossbones and the child's name on it, and are hand delivered. 
Are you ready to transform your home into a Caribbean port and your backyard into a pirate ship? Pirate parties only come once in a lifetime and you want to make it one that your little pirate will remember forever.
INVITATIONS: The invitation are a drawing of an island with various features labeled (eg., Deadman's Swamp, Pirate's Cove, etc.) The font is similar to Old English in keeping with the pirate theme. The party blurb is "Aaarrr! Come if you dare to (boys names) pirate party. They are turning 7 and need shipmates to swab the deck, walk the plank and look for pirate treasure. We set sail on, Pier located at.., RSVP First Mate." They are asked to wear striped t-shirts if they have one. The paper is aged by dabbing it with a wet tea bag and once dry the edges are burnt to give it that old "treasure map" look. The invite is rolled up and put into a bottle with some sand, small shells and skull confetti. Each bottle has a black label with a white skull and crossbones and the child's name on it, and are hand delivered. 
DECORATIONS:
Make a poster that says "Beware of pirates" and trace a skull and crossbone symbol next to it. Use the same lettering that is used on the invite. Chalk it brown and burned the edges. Hang that on the gate or door that the kids come through, next to the sign have a skeleton hanging. Find some pirate heads cutout at a party store and hang them around. The center piece for the tablecan be a ship. Have a four foot piece of wood that is about 5 inches wide and about 4 inches deep. Drill 3 holes for dowels and take 3 full size white poster boards and make sails. The middle sail attach a plastic jolly roger flag to the top. On the two other sails put a 8 1/2 by 11 piece of cardstock for some small sails. Place ship on a blue plastic table cloth. It looks fantastic. Cake can go next to ship. Nets hung with seashells from the ceiling.
Eating tables have plastic red table cloths and red and black balloons everywhere. I had black plastic utensils and blue paper plates. Paper cups and napkins with a jolly roger symbol at a party store. Throughout the party have music from Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean ride playing. The cd is called Haunted Disney. It has a few versions of "Yo Ho A pirates life for me" the music is a little more light hearted than the actual movie soundtrack.
Give each child a red sash to tie around their waist when they arrive then they can go to make the craft. Mom and helpers dress in black capris and white top with a red sash tied around the waist.
GOODIE BAGS: Plenty of chocolate engraved coins at http://www.corporatecandywraps.com/
A pirate theme with a picture of the "Birthday Boy" on a Personalized candy bar wrapper at
http://www.candybarwrap.com/ . Plastic beads, coins, play money all fron dollar store or party store.
ACTIVITIES: "Ocean in a Bottle".
INGREDIENTS: clean, empty individual soda or water bottle for each child - label removed, and child's name pre-written on cap with Sharpie marker; vinegar (enough to fill 1/2 each bottle; for example, for sixteen ounce bottle you would need 8 ounces of vinegar for each child); vegetable oil (enough to fill 1/2 of each bottle); funnels (at least one for every three kids. The ideal would be one for each child.); glue or hot glue gun; optional are blue food coloring (a few drops can color the whole batch of vinegar), glitter, plastic sea life beads that are small enough to fit through the bottle opening, and/or small shells that will fit in opening. Party stores or Dollar Stores carry alot of these items.
DIRECTIONS: Have a bottle at each place with the oil already measured out and poured in. Have the vinegar (already tinted blue, if you're doing that) pre-measured into paper cup at each place. The kids get to pour the vinegar in (and watch the oil rise through it to the top). They then can add any embellishments you might have -- beads, glitter, shells etc. Then have them take the bottles over to a glue station where an adult glues the caps on (so when the children play with their ocean there are no leaks).
GAMES: Treasure Hunt. Each child was given a plastic compass--Dollar General $1 for 4 to help them "find" the clues. Make two treasure hunt boxes filled with Mardi Gras beads from any party store and fake money. Place 5 clues around the house that each team had to find and read the clues: Time is Passing….tick, tock The next clue is…..by the rock A Famous Pirate saying is "Swab the deck" This is where you'll find The next clue! Hope these clues aren't a bore, Because the next clue is Hidden by the door The AC holds the final clue So go get it, Your team needs you! Look in the vacant lot for a BLACK "X" Look in the vacant lot for a RED "X" The last clue place had 2 plastic shovels, one for each team--the teams had to physically dig up the treasure and my husband buried it kind of deep, so it took about 10 minutes to dig up.
FOOD: We had a snack table. I used a pirate themed table cloth on this table. I had a red plate and napkin caddy that I used to hold pirate themed plates and napkins, along with red and black forks. I used a black bowl to hold chips and dip, another black bowl to hold goldfish snacks, and a red bowl to hold Pirates of the Carribbean fruit snacks (individually wrapped). I cut out the picture on the box of fruit snacks and used double tape to tape it to the back of the red bowl. It made a cute display for the snacks. I then made a center piece for the table. I used a cardboard pirate treasure chest (matched the table cloth, plates, and napkins), a large skull (halloween decoration), a map(came with party supplies). I set up these three pieces, added a pirate eye patch to the skull and then added gold, pearl, and colored beaded necklaces (left over from Mardi Gras) around the area. I also added lots of gold coins, and all different color gems (bought at craft stores near the floral department). I hung a pirate themed banner above the table and then anchored two bunches of helium balloons the each side of the table with smaller versions of the big cardboard treasure chest. I put a balloon wieght in each treasure chest and then tied the ballons to the lid of the chest and closed it. On the side of the snack table I had the drinks in an ice chest. We had canned drinks and bottled water for the adults and ocean water (blue juice) and sharks blood (red juice) for the kids. The kids loved the named of their drinks.
