Things You Will Need for a Pirate-Themed Party

Pirate-themed parties work well for all ages.

Plan a pirate party with props, buried treasure and a feast fit for a ship full of hungry pirates. Kids love the adventure land aspect of a pirate-themed party, but you can also host a pirate costume party for adults using most of the same supplies you would use for a child's event. Make preparations based on the age group of the majority of the people attending the party.

Pirate Treasure Hunt Kit

Put together your own treasure hunt kit. Buy toys for the kids to find, along with fake jewels, necklaces and other pirate toys. Make 10 or more treasure maps, depending on how many children plan on attending. Crumble up sheets of unlined paper, and then flatten the papers out. Stain the pages with coffee to make the papers look old, and let them dry. Use a black marker to draw a treasure map on the worn-looking papers. You can outline your backyard and lead the kids to buried treasure, or you can create a map that leads kids to various clues that will take them to another clue until they reach the treasure. Hide several pieces of treasure inside small treasure boxes throughout your yard, or place all the treasures in one location so the kids can split them up after they find it. Change this process for adults by purchasing more sophisticated items, such as gift cards, household products or leather journals.

Pirate Garments, Hats and Tools

Find pirate party hats, vests and other garments for the kids to the wear at the party. You can even ask some of the parents to dress their children in pirate attire to save some of the costs. Common pirate gear includes skull and cross bones hats, fake leather vests, boots, old-fashioned white shirts and black knickers or black and white striped pants. Other accessories include black eye patches, bandanas and fake mustaches. Some common pirate tools include plastic swords, plastic detachable hooks and plastic shovels for digging up buried treasure. If the party is for an older crowd, look for larger costumes and props at costume supply shops and stores in the mall.

Decorations and Basic Party Supplies

Buy decorations that fit the pirate atmosphere you want to create at the party. Buy balloons with pirate symbols printed on them, or focus on a specific color scheme such as black, red and white. Feature a hanging paper skeleton at the party, along with pirate party supplies such as napkins, cups and paper plates. Fill pirate goody bags with more candy and chocolate coins wrapped in foil. Alternately, find a few fake gems at the craft store to decorate with. If the party is for adults, use regular china instead of paper plates, and decorate the table with seashells, treasure chests and a few balloons with skull and cross bones on them. Adults may also like an outdoor pirate party with hanging string lights that resemble jewels.

Cake and Snacks

No pirate party is complete without a cake and snacks to feed all the hungry little pirates at the party. Order or bake a cake that resembles a treasure chest filled with chocolate gold coins, candy necklaces and other treats. The kids may also want to dig into a cake shaped like a pirate hat or a flat sheet cake made to look like the ocean, with a toy pirate ship and pirates on top. Make cupcakes with little pirate ships on top, or decorate around the food at the party with pirate figurines and pieces of treasure.

References

• FamilyFun: 10 Ideas for Throwing a Great Pirate Party
• Groovy-Kids-Parties.com : Pirate Party