This was my son's 4th birthday...What a Blast!
We had it at our local park where there is a large open flat area and large pavillions. I will start at the beginning... Message In A Bottle Invitations: I went to the local art supply store and bought little plastic bottles. Then I bought a pack of paper that was kind of yellowish or aged looking. I typed the following... Ahoy Matey! It's A Pirate Birthday. Captain .... Is Turning... Join Us For Lots of Pirate Fun! I also listed the date time and location. I did four to a sheet of paper and cut them apart. I rolled them and stuck them into the bottles so that they stuck out a good ways. I then took a slip of paper and wrote the child's name who was being invited on it and punched a hole in it. I tied the paper to the invitiation with a small piece of ribbon. The Decorations: I bought a couple premade banners with cross bones and skulls, A couple of paper parrots. I took one table and made it the focus point. On it were the following. A large wooden chest ($8.00 A.C. Moore on sale) It had silver bead necklaces and loose gem stones (used green and clear flat marbles for fish tanks) and candy necklaces in it. It was open with some draped over the edges and two plastic pirate guns sticking out of it. There was a net with some star fish and sea shells next to it (A.C. Moore total $6.00) I had some swords and pirate guns and figures set around on all the tables...The kids eaach got to pick a decoration to take home. We had a CD player playing pirate music in the background. The cake itself was a decoration as it was shaped like a pirate ship...I got it from Weis Markets. It was a 2 story pirate ship with a mast and sails, a cannon, and even a bunch of pirates on it. Great for play afterwards too. Food: I had bowls with ice and juic boxes for the kids and water, tea and soda for the adults. There were chips and peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches (cut into the shape of fish) We had pirate gummy candies, and Hot dog and hamburgers. I bought the M & M's that were for pirates of the carabean and had them out in large goblets where the kids could grab and go. Games: This was the best part for both the kids and parents. I made a realist treasure map for each of the kids by doing the following... The same paper used for the invites was used. I made a layout on the computer to take the kids through each of the 6 activities I had planned. I cut the edges of the paper to make it look rough and carefullly burned the edges to make them look authentic. They were rolled and tied with ribbon. At each activity they would recieve part of their LOOT" to become a real pirate. The activities are as follows... Pirate face painting: This is where they received their map and a painted moustache. Cannon Ball Bowling: A basic plastic bowling set with a new name...here they received a set of pirate bubbles. Ring Around The Mast: Wooden rings were tossed at a couple wooden dowel rods...this is where they received their head bandanas. Bean Bag Blast: A wooden cut out of a pirate ship with black bean bags with skulls and cross bones...the kids got their pirate coloriing book and crayons. Pin the Eye Patch on The pirate: Pretty easy to figure out...the child got eye patches here. Treasure Dig: This was marked with the X on the map. I took a baisc plastic tub and filled it with sand. The helper running the game would quickly burry a wooden treasure chest and then the child would dig it up...The wooden chest contained tatoos candy necklaces and gold coin chocolate candies. I got so many compliments on the party...There was not one toddler melt-down and none of the kids wanted it to end. We even had parents getting into the whole thing wearing the bandanas on their heads. All the supplies and games were gotten from Oriental Trading U. S. Toy Company A.C. Moore and the grocerey store."
