This last weekend we were taken over by Pirates and Buckaneers for a Pirate-themed preschooler birthday party! From the decorations, to the activities, and even the food, I had treasure and the open seas in mind…
My big kid just turned 4. It is the first time that he was old enough to pick out his own party theme. The Oriental Trading Company catalog came in just as I was ready to start party planning. Since “what kind of party do you want? is too open-ended to ask my kiddo, we sat down with the party planning catalog and flipped through the party ideas to help him decide. He saw Pirates, and stuck with it. I think it was the idea of having chocolate coins. Every time we go to JoAnns he wants a little baggie of chocolate coins. They are his favorite.
He was infatuated with some of the things in the catalog, so I did a little online ordering… and combined it with some DIY flare for a memorable party.
Party activities included making eyepatches (I ordered the eyepatch kits from Oriental Trading) and skull necklaces. The skull beads (also OT) came in a pack of 300, and there were plenty for the 5 kids at the party… but more than 6 kids and I would add a second bag. I used simple leather cord from my craft stash, and we knotted the ends together. Each child was also given a key to put on their necklace which would unlock a special surprise later …
In the kitchen, I put down Pirate bandanas as the table runner. We had grapes and veggies, cheetos, and jello jigglers cut into squares (they were supposed to be Pirate jewels). To drink there was apple juice, bottled water, and lemonade (anti scurvy elixer).
We also used pirate bandanas instead of party hats. No pictures of the other kids, though… I’m not a fan of posting pictures of other people’s kids on my blog without consent. And most of the people at the party didn’t know I was a blogger (the secret life we bloggers live…)!
The kids got to pick their own Pirate tattoos… I love kiddie tattoos!
I made shirts for both the boys. The Birthday Boy had one with the number 4, and the word 4 written out. But the baby got a Pirate-themed onesie… Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle…
I made these Treasure Islands… they are super simple, and you can read how to make your own Treasure Island Party Game.
They were as fun for the kids to break into as they were for me to make!
I love this picture of my “shy” boy as we were all singing Happy Birthday. I kept the cake simple – cupcakes with white frosting, gold sprinkles, and a chocolate coin on top. In this cupcake stand, it resembled a big treasure pile.
Instead of goodie bags, each buccaneer took home a mini treasure chest… that opened with the key on their skull necklace! Originally, I had all the boxes in the middle of the big red X, but Birthday Boy decided that they looked better this way…
We had a blast, and I heard my newly-minted-4-year-old say “this is the BEST PARTY EVER!” at least half a dozen times. Which is the best reward for a dog-tired momma.
Do you do themed parties for your kids? What is your favorite?
ps – this post wasn’t sponsored in any way by Oriental Trading… I just thought y’all would want to know where I picked up some of the supplies…
Comments & Reviews
Looks like the birthday boy had a blast! Good job Momma. And that onesie to awesome!
Aww what a great birthday!! I just started ordering a bunch of stuff for Lil M’s 1st birthday on OT 🙂 I love it! Esp with their free shipping!! Wish we lived closer so would could have attended 🙁