How to Decorate for a Children’s Pirate Party

If you have a little pirate that is having a birthday, here are some great ideas for hosting a Pirate Birthday Party. This is a great theme for both boys and girls.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Chocolate coins
• Chocolate gold bars (foil wrapped chocolate bars)
• M&M and Skittles candy, or similar candies (loot)
• Plastic beads and bead necklaces
• Cheap costume jewelry
• Bandanas
• Paper or cellophane bags
• Black toy eye patches with elastic or ribbon to hold in place
• Curly ribbon in colors like purple, blue, red, black, gold and silver (any color combination will work great)
• Pirate pictures (see below, use a Polaroid or a digital camera and print out the kids pictures in costume)
• Bottles, clear plastic bottles with lids (recycled from soda are great)
• 3 x 5 inch plain index cards
• Shells
• Sand
• Pieces of timber from a ship wreck (can be any wood scraps or wood from the fireplace)

1. Pirates need loot for their ‘booty’ and easy treat bags include filling small paper bags with chocolate coins, M&Ms, Skittles, gold bars (gold foil-wrapped chocolate bars), and beads and jems. Inexpensive plastic costume jewelry works great here, as do large marbles. Just be sure all the candy and toys are age appropriate. The smaller ones would probably not have any marbles for example.

2. Pirate Pictures: Bring out a Polaroid instant camera or use your digital camera and print out the pictures for instant pirate photos. Dress the pirates up in bandanas, eye patches, cosmetic jewels (like clip on gold hoops) for a real authentic look. Write each kid’s name on the picture for them to take home as a memento.

3. Decorate the table with all kinds of curly ribbon in colors like purple, black, blue, red, silver and gold. Anything goes here, and it is a great way to use up all the ribbon that is sitting at the bottom of a craft box.

4. Sand on the table will help bring the ‘ocean’ to the pirates, and sand with shells and large pieces of ‘timber from a sunken ship’ will lend authenticity. Use any large twigs, sticks or even firewood from the fireplace.

5. For a great activity that all the kids can do together to take home with them is to make ‘Message in a Bottle’. Recycle clear plastic bottles and keep the tops. Clean, dry and remove all labels. 1 litre works well for this craft, and if you can find wide mouth containers it will make it easier. Using parchment craft paper, or any colored construction paper, have the children make secret messages and roll them up and stick them into the bottles with sand, pebbles, marbles or glass beads. Seal up and have them take it home.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember that pirates can be boys or girls, so include everyone in the party.
• Always use toys and do activities where everything is age appropriate.

[soanyway]

on 3/5/2009 How fun! Love the message in a bottle and the pictures! I have recomn'd you