A Pirate Party Palooza – Ideas For a Pirate Party

A Pirate Party Palooza – Ideas For a Pirate Party

Picture the scene - the deck of a mighty ship, the wind in your hair, the vast ocean before you. A life at sea is the only way for a true pirate to live. But for those of you who are less adventurous, or even just fond of the look, we have a huge selection to bring the swashbuckling, grog swilling, deck swabbing life to your very own home. Whether it was earlier today or even twenty years ago, who hasn’t though about becoming a pirate? If you are that kind of person then look no further. Here are some of our top tips and decorations to make sure that you have the best pirate party ever.

Pirate Flags - a must have for any beginner Buccaneer

The ‘Jolly Roger’ has long been the symbol of the privateer and is almost universally recognisable. Measuring in at a whopping 5 x 3 feet, this high-quality cloth pirate flag is the only way to show everyone else that you mean business. The Jolly Roger pirate flag is a wonderful addition to any pirate themed party (no matter the age of the guests) and it should be your first port of call when choosing your party decorations. We’d recommend ensuring that you hang it with pride where everyone can see it. If you have a crow’s nest nearby, we’d recommend flying the flag from there - if not a wall will suffice.

Swashbuckling Pirate Party Games

Thankfully for everyone, the life of a pirate is a rich area from which to take. There are lots of great ideas to entertain tiny pirates, such as a ‘Pass the Treasure Chest (parcel)’. If you can get your hands on some pirate wrapping paper or even age some newspaper with a tea bag, you can put a pirate spin classic party game. Fill the ‘chest’ with goodies such as eye patches, or gold coins (not real of course) and put on some pirate themed music and you are pretty much there. I am sure a hearty ‘Heave Ho’ and a satisfying ‘Aarrrrrrrrr’ will take you in to port. Swab the deck is also a good pirate game; all you will need is two beach balls or other similarly light ball and your trusty mop and broom. Set up a post or marker at the end of a course (this could be decorated as a rock, light house, treasure chest or buoy). You will then need two teams of pirates; one pirate from each team will spin around 3–ish times then use the mop/broom in a swabbing fashion to manoeuvre the beach ball around the marker and back, they then pass their mop to the next pirate in their team who will then repeat the process. First team to finish wins.

Pirate Fancy Dress Ideas

If you’re hosting a pirate themed party, whether it’s a kid’s birthday party or other hearty celebration, then what better way to set the theme than with pirate fancy dress…
  • Pirate Eye Patches - First of all, every little pirate needs an eye patch and you need look no further (pun intended). Our eye patches are all great at completing the look without using all of your hard earned treasure. They can be used as fillers for your little pirates loot bags and help to really get everyone in the spirit.
  • Pirate Beards and Moustaches - A rugged beard or a handsome moustache can really make a pirate themed fancy dress outfit. What better way to feel like a swashbuckling pirate than with a great big bushy beard?
  • Fake Scars – a distinguished scar also makes a pirate stand out among the rest. Our water based Snazaroo face paints are a quick and value for money way of putting together your own crew. We also have downloadable face painting guides if you feel like you are wanting a bit of help.
  • Swords & Cutlasses- As far as outfitting the crew with a cutlass or two, our pirate armoury is the only place to go.
  • Pirate Hats – what pirate is complete without a big bold hat? There are plenty of different style pirate hats to choose from, so everyone can stand out. Hats for male and female guests and children alike. You can even adopt the Pirates of the Carribean theme with wonderful pirate hats featuring dreadlocks and scarfs.
  • Jewellery – pirate themed jewellery is a must. Simple chain, fancy earring and medallions will really make your costume stand out, while the addition of a pocket full of eight will really help you feel like you’re fresh out of a Robert Louis Stevenson novel.
  • Fine Feathered Friend – for a little bird to watch over you or someone to whisper in your ear, our stuffed feather parrot is a great addition to your outfit and will have people talking!

Pirate Party Decorations, Accessories and Designs

Getting the right look doesn’t just start at your head and end at your feet; you have a whole ocean to create, complete with Desert Island. If there’s a storm brewing and you don’t much feel like pirating in the rain, our pirate themed backdrops and scene setters are worth a look. They can help you fill those big areas of space without too much faff. Keep the pirate theme going with a range of pirate party decorations and accessories that will really make your party stand out:
  • Balloons – what’s a party without some balloons? Sure, you probably wouldn’t see any balloons on board and actual pirate ship, but pirate balloons are a great way to improve and enhance your party even further. Skull and cross bones designed balloons are an excellent start and a welcome addition to any pirate party.
  • Inflatables – whisk your guests away to a desert island with a range of pirate party inflatables that you can scatter around the party venue to breathe life and adventure on the high seas into your party. This can include everything from inflatable party ships to treasure chests, inflatable palm trees and cheerful monkeys.
  • Tableware – paper plates and cups splashed with the Jolly Roger design and bright colours will really leap out at your guests and are an inexpensive way to make your pirate theme really stand out.
  • Pirate Favour Bags – party favours always goes down a treat. For a kid’s party, bags stuffed with pirate style accessories will be thoroughly enjoyed. A bag full of telescopes, pirate eye patches, whistles, stickers and more is certainly a worthy booty for any pirate!
  • Pirate Accessories – if you’re really flying the main sail for your pirate party, then you can splash out and invest in a range of other accessories that will brighten up the venue. How about a pirate treasure chest stuff full of sweets or a large pirate cake stand?

Feeding Hungry Pirates

Pirate-Party-Ideas-1 You can make a fantastic pirate feast without having to really push the boat out. ‘Rebranding’ the food is a great way of adding to the atmosphere; with a quick and well placed label you can turn your tuna rolls into ‘Shark Subs’. Potato wedges are also a quick and easy party food for fussy eaters which are sure become even more appetising when you serve them as ‘Parrot Beaks’. As for something sweet, honeycomb is a tasty and reasonably easy way of creating ‘Gold Nuggets’. This particular variety of gold is delicious with ice cream and jelly, and can be sprinkled with jelly tots for the ultimate Treasure Chest Sundae. Finally, shandy is a classic summery drink that will make the children feel more grown up and serves as excellent ‘Grog’ while apple juice can become rum with a quick bit of imagination and a marker pen. Rebottling it will also add to the illusion.

Giving yourself the time to keep the party ship sailing

As much as well as try to resist the electronic baby sitter, when you are planning a party for a group of children, no matter how sizeable, they are an invaluable tool for keeping the children distracted while you tidy up the last mess before they create the next. Thanks to Disney there are some great choices for theme appropriate movies that are suitable for children which I need not mention by name. By making good use of the ‘nanny’ in the living room you can set up games and serve food without having too many little hands trying to help. “I am prepared for the worst, but hope for the best” – Benjamin Disraeli The key to success with almost anything is preparation. That goes double for children’s pirate parties; children are notorious for getting distracted and losing interest. You can reduce stress and make sure you have a lovely time that you can spend with the children by getting through as much prep as possible the day before. Sandwiches can be made and covered with cling film in the fridge while the sets and tools needed for games and activities can be found and all kept together. If you do decide to put on a film make sure everything is set up and you know where it is; it will win you no friends among children to promise and then not deliver. This is just a very small amount of the wonderful tips and tricks out there for making a fantastic children’s party. If you have ever held or are thinking of doing so then please let us know anything you have found useful in the comments. We would love to hear your pirate stories!

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