



Pirate party
Host a party at the pool for the little buccaneers
It's time to shake your pirate booty and shore up for a totally clever pirate party at
the pool! You can inflate the fun for pirate pool party, me hearties, by featuring an
inflatable pirate ship and inflatable pirate swords for the whole party crew. Aye,
you'll hook the little scalawags with outrageous fun on the high seas.
Here's how to plan a pirate's bash that will have them plundering for more:
- Inflatable pirate ship: If your pool party is at a community pool, you can still
use pirate party props! An inflatable pirate ship is a focal party and kids can
set their presents on your pirate ship. The pirate inflatable ship, left, is not a
life saving device, and you should supervise kids closely.
- Earn your stripes. Kids parties shouldn't be scary. You'll make bold statement
when you pair red stripes and red polka dot patterns with textured black
crepe paper place mats. Start by weaving lots of fierce black and into the
decor with black paper chains, black goody bags or meal bags, black crepe
paper runners or mats and cutlery. Look for solid black pirate party supplies
and be sure to hoist a jolly roger flag. Then sprinkle with layers of
swashbuckling stripes and bold polka dots, in everything from cookies, right,
to napkins and balloons, and scarves and sashes. Make your own pirate
bunting in red, white and black stripes and polka dots, too.
- Real Pirate party in stripes and polka dots. Check out this swashbuckling
inspiration for a pirate party in red stripes and polka dots.
- Make him captain of his own ship. Look for inflatable pirate ships, cardboard
standee pirate props, and pirate playhouses. Perfect for a pirate pool party is
the inflatable Jolly Roger pirate ship pictured left. If you're looking for a pirate
ship prop made of cardboard, try the Jolly Roger cardboard pirate ship kit,
right. This cardboard pirate ship standee requires assembly, but it's easy to
do and it makes a terrific photo opportunity. If you are extremely handy, then
secure the plans and rivets needed to build your own cardboard pirate ship.
You might otherwise transform a jungle gym into a shipwrecked pirate oasis.
Scroll below me hearties for more pirate ship playhouse ideas.
- Get your tail feathers on this one! A pirate's parrot is a pirate party essential
and there is none better than the costume shoulder pirate parrot, left by
Zoogster. Pirate parrot's just aren't around the local party supply stores, so
order now before it flies away with someone other lucky pirate. You might
hire a pirate show for the party or borrow a pirate from a friend or pet store.
- Tickle them pink. Have a little pirate princess on your hands? Then try a
different kind of pirate's party: a pink pirate party with loads of pink pirate
foods and pink glittery touches.
- Talk like a pirate (and be one): Did you know September 19th is "International
talk like a pirate day?" Visit the Talk Like a Pirate Web site. The authors,
authors Cap'n Slappy and Ol' Chumbucket, educate you about pirate history
and entertain you with laugh out loud humor. Order their popular book, right
"Pirattitude: So you Wanna Be a Pirate?"
- Yo-ho, Yo-ho! It's not a pirate party without proper Pirate party music. Save
yourself time and just buy the pirate party music, left.
- Make them walk the plank. If you have a pool for the party, then use the
diving board for the "plank" for kids who can swim. Even if your pirate party is
not a pool party, you can walk the plank in many creative ways:
- Spray paint a plank from lumber in your party colors (for example, pink
for a pink pirate party) and use it to "Walk the plank" to the pinata.
Other festive colors would be blue, green or red
- Raise a pirate plank with bricks to make . Make the kids walk the plank
every time they say the word "pirate."
- See the "Walk the finger plank" game idea below.
How to dress like a pirate
There's more than one way to dress like a pirate, but there ARRR some pirate party
essentials, me mates! A few pirate props we mentioned above include a pirate's
parrot and a telescope are necessities, but you'll probably want to skip the pirate
peg leg. Here's how to dress like a pirate:
Looking for more kids pirate hat ideas? A pirate hat is essential to a pirate
costume and we have a selection of kids pirate hats. Look for feathered
pirate hats, leather pirate hats, frilly pink pirate hats, pretty pirate scarves,
and scruffy pirate hats and bandannas.
- Pirate hook. You'll poke your eye out with that thing, kid! You can make your
own pirate hooks with a cup and some tin foil. "Eye" think you'll agree they're
safer for the younger kids that the pointy plastic variety.
- Pick this patch, left, (you can see right through it)! Aye, eye, eye! The pirate
eye patch, left, is no ordinary patch. Kids can see through the skull and cross-
bone design, so they'll wear it longer and they won't suffer distorted vision.
The ingenious see through patch made of durable plastic and has a quality
elastic band. Trust us, you'll keep this one the dress up box! Here are some
more ideas for pirate patches:
- Patch their face: Eye patches aren't comfortable, so instead of
supplying an eye patch, simply paint an eye patch with face paint. And
while you're at it, paint a swirly moustache and scruffy facial hair!
- Buy extra pirate patches and bandannas to transform stuffed animals
into a seaworthy crew alternating them with pirate patches and
bandannas.
- That's a wrap. Set the table with an unusual napkin ring. Wrap the
pirate's patch around a real bandanna for use as a napkin.
- Pirate cutlass. For a kids party, the best cutlass (or pirate sword) is an
inflatable one. The inflatable cutlass, right, will inspire swashbuckling fun.
Pirate party games and activities
- Walk the slip n slide plank. Kids in the 8-12 range can walk the plant of the
Pirate's of the Caribbean Wacky Wild Waterslide Slip and Slider, right.
- Yo-ho-HO and a bucket of Play-Doh. Set out Play Doh with some pirate action
figures, a plastic toy ship, mini treasure chests, and pirate's flag party picks,
and let the adventures unfold. Add glitter to yellow Play Doh and you've got
pirate's gold. Kids can make pirate canon balls for the ship, and mold blue
sharks for the oceans or green crocodiles for the lagoons.
- Play sink the ship. Paint two small cardboard boxes to look like ships. Rig a
mast with sails using dowels and large pieces of construction paper. Assign
two teams and arm each pirate with two ping pong balls. Kids aim ping pong
balls at the opposing ship to make it "sink." Balls caught at the opposite end
of the room may be used to fire again. The team that sustains the least
damage wins.
- Pirate booty. Instead of the expected pinata, entertain kids with something
more interesting, like a group treasure hunt in quest of pirate booty. You can
give each child a map of their own to make the experience more authentic
and put one clue on each map. Age your paper by soaking it in tea and
allowing it to dry, then wrap in a red ribbon.
Here are some other ideas to give them buried treasures:
- Walk the finger plank. Set out a galvanized bucket with an ocean of blue
popcorn (a few drops of food coloring as it pops is all you need). Tuck
tiny pirate treasure boxes in the ocean floor. You can stuff tiny
treasure boxes with a prize number for kids to redeem a variety of
goodies (equal but different). Now affix a tiny plank to the bucket and
let kids take turns 'walking the plank" with their fingers to find buried
treasures in the seas below!
- Buried treasures on sandy shores. Bury pirate treasures in the sandbox,
such as doubloons, crocodiles, mardi gras beads, pirate bouncy balls
and anything pirate that can sustain a bit of sand. Gather kids around
the sandbox and provide them with a loot bag. Make some of the
pieces visible, to allude to the treasures below. Set a kitchen timer and
when Captain Hook's nemesis crocodile timer expires, allow kids to dig
for the loot simultaneously. It's always a good idea to start off each
loot bag with a few treats to ensure the little ones get something.
- Mystery treasure chest. Decorate a foam treasure chest with foil, then
fill it with varied pirate goodies you attach to a string, such as bags of
gold chocolate coins, pirate pez, mardis gras beads, pirate bouncy balls
and telescopes. Each kid selects then pulls a string to fish out their
wrapped pirate swag.
Of Course, if you decide to have a pinata, be sure to keep kids at a safe
distance by having them walk the plank. Set up a long board they have to
walk to get to the pinata arranging the rest of the kids at the start of the
plank. Pirate mama can keep them in line, while pirate papa attends to the
plundering pirates yielding a stick.
Pirate Party Invitations:
The message in the bottle is a natural invitation idea for a pirate's party, as is the
rolled pirate's map invitation idea. Steer guests to your party with these pirate
inspired ideas:
- Dub your guests with a pirate name. Use the pirate name generator to turn
an ordinary name into a pirate's name. It also provides you a ship's name.
Use the pirate names not only for the invitations, but also for name tags,
favor bags and thank you cards. If you don't like the choices, you can always
improvise some classic pirate names, such as Jolly Roger, Blackbeard Bob,
Calico Jack or Jane, Zack or Jack Sparrow, Henry Morgan, Captain Hook,
Trader Joe, and so on.
- Here are some pirate party wording ideas:
- You ARRR invited to Captain Jack's 7th birthday!
- Let's pARRRty Saturday September 19
- X marks the spot: 123 Seaside Way
- RSVP: First Mate Mary or Captain Jack at 867.5309
- More pirate party invitation ideas:
- If "Yarr" be having any talent in calligraphy.
- Stain your invitation in tea or coffee! After your message is complete,
crumple the paper slightly and immerse in tea water, and allow time to
dry.
Pirate Party Foods: treats and eats from the galley
A pirate party is no time to provide kids with a taste of adventure: so don't
introduce kids to new foods. Instead of fish sticks (which not every kid will
approve), go for the tried and true chicken fingers and just call them fish sticks. And
it wouldn't be a kids pirate party without some root beer grog!
Kids will want to pillage and plunder for the sweet treats, but you'll have plenty of
healthy snack options for your pirate party with these ideas for pirate's grub:
- Salty sea dogs on stick: Turn corn dogs into pirate swords. Just spear an
orange peel wedge to the bottom of the dog and you've instantly
transformed that salty dog into a pirate treat. Citrus was an important part of
a pirate's diet because it helped prevent scurvy.
- Cut-throat kebabs. Skewer green apples and cheddar cheese to make a
pirate's sword*. You'll need two skewers: one long and one shorter (about a
third of the size). Slice an apple wedge, then skewer the slice twice into a
cross to make the base of the sword. Now cut bite size chunks of apple and
cheddar cheese and alternate on the stick. Supervise and serve only to kids
mature enough to handle pointed objects. Avoid food fights by providing
plenty of inflatable swords.
- Swordfish candy kebabs. Alternate marshmallows with Swedish fish. Be sure to
spear the Swedish so that the fish swims on the stick vertically.
- Say cheese! Embellish cheese sticks with pirate flag picks* for a healthy treat
that Jolly Roger himself would approve. Have an adult carefully remove the
pick before serving to ensure there are no wooden pick remains in the
cheese.
- Pick up on this: There are plenty of pirate picks on the market, but if you're
picky, make your own, cupcake! Pottery Barn kids provides a free template to
make your own adorable pirate ship cupcake picks.* They can serve as place
cards too.
- Hoist a mast from paper on skewers and sail away with any number of ideas,
from a pizza boat to devilled eggs
*NOTE: Picks and skewers of any sort are not suitable for kids under three
years old as they pose a risk of choking. Supervise all kids closely with sword
picks, cupcake picks and skewers.
- More pirate party food ideas:
- Set a course for a fruit salad adventure with a pirate ship watermelon.
- Malt balls look like canons. Set them near a toy canon.
- Serve "Seawater Grog" a drink made with apple juice with blue food
coloring, or "Pirates of the Carribbean Rum" (a bottle of cola or
rootbeer with your private labeling).
Pirate Party Favors
If you want an extreme pirate party, then no ordinary pirate booty will do. If you
want something extraordinary, try these unusual ideas for the pirate loot:
- Pirate's of the Caribbean Pez: Your assorted variety may include Jack Sparrow,
Will Turner or Davy Jones.
- Pirate flash pops. Another unusual candy idea from Kidsmania: the Pirate Flash
Pops. These novelty suckers light up when activated and come in three
flavors: strawberry, blue raspberry and watermelon.
- Pirate candy. Look for pirate gummy candy at Oriental Trading company, and
butter mints wrapped in pirate motifs.
Pirate party decoration ideas
We're not going to bore you with the same tired pirate party advice. Swab your
party decks with these unusual ideas:
- Drape the front door with a fishnet and a few dangling pirate treasure, such
as a weather "Beware of Pirates" sign.
- Pirate's Chest. A pirate party is the ultimate kids party as it evokes a fantasy
world of adventure and treasures. It goes without saying that a Pirate's
chest is a must for a pirate party and here are some ideas to ensure you will
treasure every moment. You can pray paint a wooden pirate chest gold.
Look also for inflatable pirate chest coolers.
More fun ideas for a pirate party
Your little sea scoundrel will love these very pirate-y ideas:
- Wake up and walk the breakfast plank! On the morning of his birthday, cut
French toast into a stick to form a plank across the plate (a blue paper plate
works well). Pour syrup into a gummy shark infested ocean.
- Pirate treasures for the birthday boy: Maximize your party budget by unveiling
a pirate theme gift that your child can share with friends (assemble it ahead
of the party). For example, the Melissa and Doug Treasure chest is an
inexpensive irate gift idea, but it will also double as a pirate chest you can
use for a treasure hunt. Here are some other pirate gift ideas:
- Pirate puppet. Have a pirate puppet show with Melissa and Doug's
value-priced pirate puppet, left. With moveable mouth, this pirate
puppet has removable clothing and a removable hand-operating rod.
- Pirate's treasure chest for toys. Unveil a treasure toy chest for his
morning birthday gift and stash the gifts from guests on his big day.
The Guidecraft treasure chest, right, is a terrific quality (other than the
screws, which is an easy and inexpensive fix at the hardware store).
He'll certainly treasure this heirloom gift along with the memories of the
terrific pirate party you give him.
- Pirate ship water table. The Little Tikes Anchors Away Water Table, left,
will provide hours of activity for the littlest pirates. Ideal for hot days
this summer, it's good clean fun. Fill it with sand in the Winter.
- Pirate ship tent. Buying the inflatable pirate boat tent is a better
investment than renting a bouncy house for a few hours. So go ahead
and make him the captain of his own ship. The pirate ship tent, left,
inflates for indoor or outdoor use.
- Pirate booties. Your little pirate will need boots for his pirate attire, and
you'll need them anyway for the rainy season. Shake your pirate's
booty and buy now (these pirate rain boots are available year round
using the link to the right).
Resources for a pirate party
- Swab his deck! Turn an ordinary bedroom into a pirate captain's cabin with
help from (an ideal book for pirate apprentices in the 9-year and up range).
You'll also find Olive Kids pirate collection has an amazing collection of linens,
lamps and bedroom accessories, below.
Argh! We hope we've helped you earn your stripes for a memorable pirate party!
Please send us pictures of your real pirate party. We love party planning and linking
to quality kids party blogs. You'll find us fun to talk to on Twitter! So drop us a line.
*For pool parties with kids, hire a life guard for peace of mind.












All about a pirate pool party...
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This pirate party article is by M.C.
Nygard, right. That's her first
mate, Aaron, left. M.C. held a
memorable pink pirate party. She
is a mother of two and a former
eBay Platinum Powerseller of party
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