We decorated the house with black and purple streamers on the stairway and fireplace and 50 black and gold helium balloons tied with gold ribbon. We also had the toy pirate ship decorate the food table and a big pirate ship toy box (today's kids)in the middle of the family room for the kids to play on/with. Signs were posted at the door, "Ahoy there matey- Welcome to Evan's Pirate Birthday Adventure!" I didn't want the children going upstairs during the party so we gated the stairs off and put a sign that read, "Upper deck closed due to storm wreckage. Pirate Adventure fun on lower deck matey!" We had a music Cd on of sailing sounds from the ocean in the beginning.