Games and Activities

Upon arrival to the party, provide the kids with a red bandana to place around their heads, an eye patch to wear, and a large earring to clip on. While you wait for everyone to arrive, have the kids decorate felt pirate hats with stick-on gems. The kids can wear these during the party and take them home as a goody too.

Ask your guests to talk like pirates during the party.

Make pirate flags. Cut out felt into flag shapes and let the kids use markers, glitter glue, and faux gems to create their own individual flags.

Host a Pirate Treasure Hunt

For very young children (under the age of 5), hide gold coins in your party area, and give the kids small mesh bags to put their loot in. It’s easy and fun. This candy can also be used as the party favor.

If your party guests are older children, provide them with a pirate treasure map. Create one by burning the edges of some brown paper and drawing a map on it, and then add a scattering of dust across it (flour will do). The kids must follow the map to the treasure. At each point, have a clue available for the kids to solve before they move on to the next location. Alternatively, provide clues that take them around an area and eventually lead to the treasure.

When the kids reach the treasure chest, have it filled with different kinds of hard candy like Jolly Rancher^® , chocolate coins, and fake jewels for their treasure reward.

For some clues, use the following (these include both indoor and outdoor locations):

• Tree — An old matey could take me down, and make me into a boat to sail around.
• Flower bed — If you pull a bunch from the bed, they will flourish and bloom and make our ship move ahead.
• Sand box — Don’t get caught in the granular seed or soon enough you will be sinking and no longer able to lead.
• Fort — Head to your perch, pull out your scope, you’ll have the best view if you lurch!
• Front porch — Your perch may be where it all begins, open the door and you may be let in!
• Garage — It’s dark and dank, full of stowage and vittles if we be frank.
• Mailbox — We ship out on X date, and your marching order will come to the box by the gate.
• Bathtub — If you get out of hand on board, we’ll hose you down in here with a hoard.
• Kitchen table — Around this place we’ll gather for vittles or drink or a game of cards if you rather.
• Fireplace — It’ll be cold on board as the waves take us over, you’ll so wish to warm yourselves with burning clover.

These are just a few of the clues you can use to lead your pirate party guests around to find their treasure!

Have your guests Walk the Plank. Place a wooden plank over a kiddie pool filled with water and plastic fish and crocodiles. See who can walk the plank without slipping. (Make sure there is adult supervision on hand.)

Play Pin the Eye Patch on the Pirate.

Hold a Peg Leg Race, a three-legged race with or without sacks.

Have a Treasure Chest Toss. Using small beanbags, see who can toss them into the treasure chest while standing the furthest distance away.