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Pirate Themed Birthday Party

Throw a Pirate Themed Birthday Party with a Pirate Inflatable

Throw a pirate party!
Throw a pirate party!

Themed parties aren’t just for grown ups. In fact, kids might actually be more impressed by a well executed themed party than anyone over the age of twelve would be. Themed parties can be just as structured and memorable as a regular birthday themed party, if not more.

Planning

The first step in planning a Pirate themed party is to select your date and venue. You’ll want to plan around other community events and any other potential birthdays. Scheduling conflicts with other parties can mean your guests only show up for half of the party, if they come at all. While for some this may be guesswork, you can try to avoid this awkward situation by asking a few of the parents you plan to invite. Throw out your desired dates to see if it would work for your perspective guests. If it seems open for the majority, it’s probably safe to start planning.

If you are thinking of holding the party at a venue, you’ll want to call ahead to confirm they’ll allow your themed decor and games. Typically, your own home or backyard is a great place to hold a themed birthday party because you have no limitations on decor or entertainment.

You’ll want to create pirate themed invitations and send them with plenty of time for guests to clear their schedules and then RSVP. For birthday parties, it is generally recommended that you send out invitations 3 weeks ahead of time and request an RSVP one week before the party. This gives people time to move things around in their schedules if needed, and you have a week to follow up with people who have not yet responded. Be sure to send a themed invitation, and mention on the invite that it is a themed party. This allows them to come prepared. If costumes are encouraged, let your guests know in the invitations!

When planning a themed party, the theme should go beyond just the decor. You’ll want to see that theme in all aspects of the party, including food and entertainment. While Pirate themed decor is easy to find at most party stores, you can stretch your budget by choosing a color scheme to go along with your theme. In addition to the standard plates, cups, and napkins, you can use an ocean theme to keep your decor cohesive. You can use blue cloths with fishing net thrown on top to create a sea-themed table covers, and use party beads or costume jewelry as treasure to be laid out strategically.

The final part of planning an amazing Pirate themed birthday party is to plan the food. You can create your own pirate themed creations or go with some pre-packaged options like Pirate’s Booty and Chips Ahoy cookies. For a fun home-made creation, try filling a punch bowl with sprite, sugar, water and coconut extract for a yummy island punch. To mimic ocean water, you can add a drop or two of blue food coloring.

Execution

On the day of the party, be sure to set up the food and decor ahead of time so that all of your guests get the full experience. Placing the finishing touches as guests arrive may help to save on time, but it can away some of the magic. You may notice their excitement building as your guests look around and see your commitment to the pirate theme. As people arrive you can pass out eye patches, pirate hats or other pirate themed favors. Passing out an eye patch for each child is great because it encourages kids to get into character. You can also hang a list of pirate lingo and encourage all guests (parents included) to speak like a pirate. Getting silly with the kids is a sure way to loosen up any accompanying adults who may feel uncomfortable, especially if you don’t know each other as well as the kids do.

A good party is nothing without awesome party games. You can create a fun pirate themed twist on most classic party games like pin the tail on the donkey. Try pin the “X” on the treasure map instead. A treasure hunt is also a fun way to get kids working together. Even games like a three-legged race can be piratized by simply changing the name! Games are a great idea for some guided fun, but you can also keep it simple with free-play or hired entertainment.

A great party needs entertainment and choosing the entertainment for a themed party doesn’t have to be a huge challenge. The standard options are still there, just with a pirate themed twist. A clown is only an eye-patch away from being a pirate clown, and balloon animals can be swapped for balloon swords! And what is a birthday party without a bouncer? A Pirate Themed inflatable from Blast Zone such as the Pirate Blaster should do the trick! With a bouncer and slide, your party guests have their very own pirate ship to play on.

When you’re throwing a themed party, the number one rule is to make sure that you enjoy it! Themed parties are sure to set the celebration apart from an ordinary affair no matter how far you decide to take the theme. It can be great fun planning and making sure that the details are on-theme, but it doesn’t have to be perfect. Have fun with it and take plenty of photos! Your Pirate party is sure to be an unforgettable event for you and for your guests, and the photos will be a treat to the family and friends who couldn’t make it!

Recap:

  • Themed parties are fun and memorable.
  • A Pirate Theme is a classic recipe for adventure.
  • Select a date and venue, and make sure they’re Pirate-friendly.
  • Set up your Pirate themed food and decor.
  • Put a Pirate spin on your games and entertainment.
  • Have fun and take plenty of photos!