Kids Birthday Party Games

Pirate Birthday Party

Location for pirate birthday party in Seattle?

We would prefer an outdoor location (it will be in June) but any suggestions are appreciated. The aquarium is too expensive. The birthday boy will be 4 so a park w/ a ship- or pirate-theme playground would be ideal. There's one on Mercer Island but no bathrooms or parking...both of these limitations take it off the table! Any ideas?

The King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way has just put in a VERY cool Pirate Ship in their newly remodeled rec pool. It isn't an outdoor location, but very cool and you wouldn't need to worry if the weather wasn't cooperating that particular day. My husband works for the Aquatic Center and has taken me down there to see it first hand. Their grand opening will be sometime in April ( I think) and it might be a good time to check it out ahead of time to see what you think. You can also go down there any time prior to check it out as well, but the grand opening will be fun for the kids. I do not know the rates, but you can call the receptionist at the main desk at the Aquatic center for more details at 206-296-4444.

Pirate Birthday Party Ideas - 7 Top Dos and Don'ts For A Great Kid's Theme Party

If your little buccaneer is dreaming of having a pirate party for his birthday, he's not alone. This theme remains extremely popular for young mateys of all ages. Here are the top seven dos and don'ts for making this the best celebration ever.

1. DO build excitement for the theme by sending out pirate birthday invitations. You can make your own by decorating old looking paper to appear like a treasure map.  Write your party information on the map and add skull and crossbones stickers.

If you'd rather not construct hand crafted invites, then you can buy them. Party supply stores offer packets of ready made cards to announce the activities. Just fill them out and you're ready to go. Or you could order personalized pirate invitations online, some of which can even include a photo of your child.

2. DON'T spend a lot of money on decorating for the party.  You can achieve great effects without going through too many gold doubloons.  Hang black balloons and fishing nets around the house.  Attach seashell and plastic fish, crabs and lobsters to the nets.  Spray paint an old styrofoam cooler brown and embellish it so it looks like a treasure chest.  Use items you may already have on hand, such as a Halloween skeleton, toy canon or a stuffed animal parrot.  Scatter plastic or chocolate gold coins on the table.  And don't forget to fly the pirate flag.

3. DO help the kids dress up like pirates. When they arrive, provide them with eye patches, bandanas and three corner hats.  A station for temporary tattoos is also a good way to get them in the mood for the party.

4. DON'T leave the kids unsupervised with plastic swords. If you've included fake weapons as part of the costumes for your guests, be careful.  The impulse to start dueling is nearly irresistible, so keep a close watch.

5. DO get creative with the menu.  You can take a kid's favorite, like hot dogs and adapt them to your theme. For example, attach a sail with toothpicks to the frankfurter to make a ship or split it on the bottom to form an octopus. Offer bowls of blue jello with gummy fish imbedded in the middle. Rename food to fit the atmosphere. Chicken nuggets become golden coins and peanut butter and jelly is transformed into peanut butter and jellyfish.

A treasure chest cake is easy to make.  Use two cakes baked in 13x9 inch pans and when cool, stack them on top of each other.  Use popsicle or wood dowel sticks to keep the chest "open". Frost the cake, in that position, with chocolate icing. You can use fruit roll-ups to simulate the bolts. Then put your treasure in the opening. Use gold chocolate coins, candy necklaces and wrapped hard candy jewels to give the effect of an overflowing bounty of riches.

6.  DO plan a lot of fun pirate games. Play "swab the deck" races with brooms and beach balls. Another good one is pin the "x" on the treasure map. The kids could all "walk the plank" on a flat or slightly elevated board. If they make it across without going overboard, they win. And of course, you'll have to engage them in a treasure hunt. The older the group of kids, the more challenging you can make the clues. But this is always a sure-fire hit.

7. DON'T let the kids leave without their loot.  The goodie bag can contain any combination of treasures like a candy necklace, gold coins, eye patch, pirate stickers, temporary tattoos, plastic or plush parrot or anything with a skull and crossbones. You could even add a custom item like a personalized pirate notebook, chocolate bar or magnet as another cool party favor.

So, ahoy all mateys! Follow these tips and you're sure to put together a pirate birthday party filled with fun.  Just set sail and create those lasting memories for your child.

12 Assorted Pirate Themed Bandanas for Birthday Party Favors / Costume / Dress-up Sale Price: $10.99   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours See Reviews For This Product Description This listing is for 1 Pack Of 12 Pirate Jolly Roger Bandannas for one price... Three assorted styles as shown. Patterned with skulls, swords and crossbones. Get really creative at your next Dinner/Luau/Pirate Party and use as napkins.Cotton - Size 20" x 20" Features Pack Of 12 Assorted Pirate Jolly Roger Bandannas Skulls, Swords and Crossbones

20 pc Pirate Party Loot Bags Sale Price: $4.99   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours See Reviews For This Product Description Present guests with a Pirate Party loot bag filled with swashbuckling favors and treats. Package includes 20 Large Pirate Treat Bags. Plastic bags measure approximately 12" high x 5" wide. Blue twist ties included. Features Plastic bags measure approximately 12" high x 5" wide. Pack of 20. Blue twist ties included.

Birthday Party Bash List Price: $14.99 Sale Price: $10.48 You save: $4.51 (30%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours See Reviews For This Product Description BIRTHDAY PARTY BASH Features Free party invitations and special Duncan Hines coupon included to bring the virtual party into reality. Over 20 classic birthday party games including Pin the Tail, Hot Potato, Present Frenzy, Balloon Popper, Musical Chairs, Sack Race and many more. Ten different girl and boy themed party rooms including: pirate, glamour, sports, princess, construction, stuffed animals, monsters, magical forest, army men and music. Customize customizable for any birthday boy, girl, friends and family (even grandma). Accommodates up to 12 players (via shared Wii Remotes).

A Princess, A Pirate & a Perplexing Arch Sale Price: $1.99   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days See Reviews For This Product

12 Inflatable Pirate Swords Sale Price: $12.95   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours See Reviews For This Product Description Inflatable Pirate Swords. Ahoy! Gear up for swashbuckling fun with vinyl swords that are perfect for pretend play adventures! These toy swords make perfect favors for little buccaneers at a pirate party or high seas school carnival. 17" Features 12 Inflatable Pirate Swords Size: 17"

Pirate Ship Cake Kit Sale Price: $14.60 See Reviews For This Product Description Make the same pirate ship cake found in expensive bakeries at home yourself! Features Pirate Ship Cake Kit to make yourself! The same cake found in expensive bakeries Complete Instructions Included Sturdy Re-Usable Action Figures Project supply list on request!

Pirate Party Happy Birthday Letter Banner 7 ft x 7 in Sale Price: $1.00 See Reviews For This Product Description Pirate Party Happy Birthday Letter Banner 7 ft x 7 in Features Pirate Party Happy Birthday Letter Banner 7 ft x 7 in

Dora the Explorer - It's a Party List Price: $12.98 Sale Price: $7.49 You save: $5.49 (42%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours See Reviews For This Product Description The main episode is "Daisy, la Quinceanera." This marks the first appearance of Daisy, Dora's cousin, who celebrates her 15th birthday, a milestone in Latin culture.

Pirates of Caribbean: Swashbuckling Sea Songs Sale Price: $9.99   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours See Reviews For This Product Description Yo Ho! Sing along to your favorite pirate songs. Swashbuckling Sea Songs, Away, Away, Away, Treasure, The First Mate is a Monkey, Welcome to the Caribbean, Stowaway, The Legend of Davy Jones. By the looks of the cartoony cover art, Disney's Swashbuckling Sea Songs is meant to be a consolation prize for kid brothers and sisters who couldn't convince their parents they'd come away from "Pirates of the Caribbean" (name your installment) without developing nightmares. That's not to say that bigger kids won't whistle yo-ho-ho merrily after a casual listen, too: salty classics like "Blow the Man Down" set the mood for a plastic sword fight in the basement; "Pirates of the Black Tide" and "Stowaway" deliver mutinous tales made mild by friendly-sounding flutes and fiddles; "The Pirate King" sallies forth with regal, dramatic flair; and "Shiver Me Timbers" and "The Legend of Davy Jones" are sufficiently menacing-sounding to keep the whole thing afloat with kids who'd sooner walk the plank than be caught listening to a kiddie CD. The packagers didn't forget that any pirate worth his eye patch expects a little buried treasure with his purchase: Pirate lore--cool tidbits on flags, secret identities, and so forth--fill the liner notes. --Tammy La Gorce Features Swashbuckling Sea Songs includes: Away, Away, Away, Treasure, The First Mate is a Monkey, Welcome to the Caribbean, Stowaway, The Legend of Davy Jones (Forty Gathoms Deep), Shiver My Timbers, Yo, Ho, Ho (And a Bottle of Rum), Sailing for Adventure, Blow the Man Down, The Pirate King, Pirates of the Black Tide, Davy Jones Locker, and Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me).

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