A couple of weeks ago my nephew celebrated his third birthday and decided he wanted a pirate party theme. It wasn’t a big or complicated birthday celebration by any means – his cousins, grandparents and aunties and uncles had a simple picnic at the local park and enjoyed fish and chips for lunch. But a few red and black stripes with skulls and cross bones teamed with simple snacks, a pirate treasure hunt and some bandanas and eye patches made for a very fun afternoon for all seven kids (and the kids / pirates at heart).
Ahoy me hearties!
After lunch the kids went on a pirate treasure hunt. I drew a pirate map of our local park and made a copy (using our scanner/printer) for each pirate. I used tea to stain the maps and paper, crumpled them and burned the edges using a candle in the kitchen sink. They did the treasure hunt as a group, and were given the first clue which told them where to find the first treasure station. In order to earn their treasure the kids had to perform a simple task for the pirate (an adult) who was assigned to that station (most of the kids were 5 or under, so the tasks were things like singing a nursery rhyme, hopping on one foot for a few seconds, or kicking a soccer ball from one person to another). After they fulfilled the task, they got their treasure (pirate tattoos, stickers, lollies or bubbles) and the pirate handed them the next clue, which told them who to find and what they had to do to earn their next pirate treasure.
All in all, it was a simple but super fun way to spend a sunny Saturday afternoon. My sis used spare material and scarves for bandanas, and we bought a few little pirate odds and ends from the dollar store. I hope you’ve gotten plenty of ideas for your next pirate party and have just as much fun!