A pirate party is a great theme. Costumes are easy to make, and the possibilities for games and favors are endless. It might sound like something boys would enjoy more than girls, but it's amazing how universal rocking out on the high seas can be. My good friend Jenni had an amazing pirate birthday party for her son, and I was surprised to see how much my daughters loved it! Some other fun ideas include "message in a bottle"–inspired invitations, and pirate-themed snack names.
BUCCANEER ROOT BEER FLOATS
Turn this classic childhood drink into an awesome pirate treat. With scoops of ice cream foaming the mug, the little pirates will be both surprised and excited for their buccaneer floats. So gather the ingredients and get ready for this easy and quick recipe.
YIELD: 1 SERVING
1 mug per kid
1 to 2 cups root beer, chilled
1 to 2 scoops vanilla ice cream per float
Fill each mug half full with root beer. Slowly add scoops of vanilla ice cream. Top with root beer until full. Make sure to add the root beer slowly, as it will foam over the sides if added too fast. Encourage slurping, mug clinking, and lots of pirate songs.
TREASURE DIG
Dig for the buried treasure with this awesome game! This is what we thought of as an alternative to the treasure hunt. Who knew a bucket, sand, and treasures could go such a long way?
Place some treasures at the bottom of a barrel. Fill the barrel a third of the way with sand, hide more treasures, and fill it another third of the way. One by one, blindfold your pirates, give them each a small rake or shovel, and give them thirty seconds apiece to dig for treasure. Whatever they find, they get to keep.
TIPS
? There are so many ways to recycle what you have in your house. The spyglasses made from paper towel inserts and the hats made of newspaper helped make our party so great (see next page). Oftentimes we think we have to spend money to create something magical for our kids when so many of these things are already in our home.
? I am so lucky to be Target's Mommy Ambassador. Before I started working with them, I was the mom who spent hours in the aisles. I still do. We got our eye patches and treasures from Target. You can also go to Target.com to find lots of goodies!
SPYGLASSES AND HATS
Pirates definitely need their spyglasses to keep an eye out for ships on the horizon. So save those cardboard paper towel inserts, and make this project an eco-friendly craft that the kids will love. Once the little buccaneers are ready to climb the crow's nest and head out to sea, they need one last pirate accessory: hats, of course! Get ready for these fun crafts to create a pirate day filled with adventure.
1 paper towel insert per kid
2 tablespoons each of red, black, and white paint
1 paintbrush for each color
1 sheet of newspaper per kid
Glitter, plastic jewels, ribbon (optional)
Give each child a paper towel insert for his or her "spyglass." Lay out a pirate's array of paint colors—red, black, and white—and have the kids paint their spyglasses. For fancier spyglasses, they can add glitter, plastic jewels, or ribbons.
Follow these easy instructions for making your pirate hat: Take a sheet of newspaper and fold it in half from top to bottom. Place the folded sheet horizontally and fold down both corners so they meet in the middle. You'll notice there are two flaps at the bottom. Take one flap and fold it in half and then in half again. Turn the hat over and fold up the other flap the same way. Now your hat is ready for the high seas!
TREASURE CHESTS
All pirates need their own treasure chests. This was a favorite for the kids. Who wouldn't like a personalized treasure chest to take home as a keepsake? Treasures and all …
1 piece of "aged" paper per kid
1 unpainted wooden chest per kid
2 tablespoons each of various paint colors
1 paintbrush for each color
1 sheet of stickers for each kid
1 cup of sand per chest
4 to 6 trinkets per chest
To "age" the paper, gently run a flame along the edges of each sheet. Make sure to do this safely before the kids arrive. This is best done over a sink to prevent accidents. Let each little pirate choose a wooden chest, and have them start decorating with paints and stickers. Next, have them write their own pirate message on the paper, and roll it up to form a scroll. Lay out sand and an array of trinkets for the kids to fill up their treasure chests. It will surely be a hit!
