Pirate Birthday Party

It seems most little boys want to be a pirate, have a sword, wear an eye patch, or find treasure at some point in their early childhood years. Pirate birthday parties are a lot of fun and an easy theme. Here are some easy-to-use ideas for how to throw a memorable pirate-themed birthday party.

Dress up - Encourage costumes, especially if it's close to Halloween. Pirate costumes are easy and a lot of fun for kids, male and female alike.

"X" marks the spot - A creative alternative to "pin the tail on the donkey." Homemade maps can be drawn and aged over your stove. Set your burner on low heat to color the paper and burn the edges of the map.

Cake - No party is complete without cake. For a "treasure cake" make a chocolate bunt cake and fill the center hole with gold coins. For a "map cake" frost a regular 9x13 cake and decorate with dotted lines and a big X. For more elaborate cakes, add miniature trees, pirate figures, a beach, or even a pirate ship.

Scavenger hunt - This is a great activity for any age, and very appropriate to the pirate theme. Kids love hunting for treasure. The scavenger hunt can stay within your home or cover an entire neighborhood.

Goodie bags - Gold coins, eye patches, rub-on tattoos, and fake teeth make great party favors. Most items can be found at your local dollar store or in the toy section of Wal-mart.

Movies - There are many pirate movies, a little bit of something for every age group: Peter Pan, Hook, Pirates of the Caribbean, Magic Island, Muppet Treasure Island, Pirates of the Plain, The Princess Bride, Treasure Island, Into the Blue, etc.

Walk the plank - Have a pool? Walk the plank or sink a toy ship. Leave "treasure" strewn about the bottom of the pool for children to retrieve.

Pinata - Fill a pirate piñata full of candy and let everyone have a chance to strike it rich.

Educational - If geography and resources allow, teach kids how to pan for gold or use a metal detector.