Pirate Parrrrty

Mr. One turned six last week.  (Six!!)  On Monday afternoon, we had a little friends party for him. We are on Spring Break this week, so we waited to have his party until school was out.   He wanted a ninja Lego party (his favorite gifts this year were Ninjago Lego sets).  We compromised and had a pirate party (because there are cool pirate Legos too, you know).

Here's the front of the invite:

I originally wanted to use parchment-like brown paper and to burn the edges like a treasure map.  Time not being on my side, I opted for a simpler approach:  stickers and parchment-like gray paper.

The boys dressed in their pirate best and met at the park close by our home.  Unfortunately, the park I had decided to have the party at was completely full (I was not about to spend $50.00 to reserve a ramada at a public park!).  Luckily, there was another park close by, so we relocated.

When everyone arrived, each boy got an eye patch, gold earring and bandana to wear.  Those brave souls who wished for some pirate-like facial hair or scars had them drawn on with a black eyeliner pencil.

They also got a Loot bag to put their party favors in.  I didn't bother making these cutesy (just a brown paper sack with "Loot" written with a sharpie), because everyone knows, pirates don't do cutesy.  Or eat vegetables.  Or color-coordinate.

On to the activities!

We bombed approaching ships.

(By flicking ping pong "bombs" with a spoon "catapult" at some paper boats.)

They earned pirate booty in the form of a ring pop "treasure."

They decorated their own treasure chests (found at Michaels) with jewels and skull and crossbones (stickers).

Of course we needed to fill the boxes with some real treasure.  They dug in the volleyball court sand pit for treasure (plastic gold coins and colored florist stones).  The boys were told there was enough treasure for them each to find twelve coins and twelve jewels.  They dug for a long time, searching and counting.  It was so fun to watch!

We sang Happy Birthday (with no cha-cha-cha's, thank you...), ate cupcake pirate ships, drank lots of cold water and opened presents.

I used a Funfetti cake mix so that there would be little flecks of color in the cupcakes, like "buried treasure".

To end the party, we let them loose with balloon swords for the rest of the party.  They LOVED the swords!  I didn't love tying almost 20 balloon swords, as they would occasionally pop, but I'll take sore fingers for a little happiness.

A big thank you to Handsome Husband for help in the ideas department for games and party planning (we wish you could have been there!). Thanks to my brother who was in town with his family and new camera.  We wouldn't have had any pictures without him at the party.  He also turned out to be an excellent pirate treasure hider.  Thank you to my sister-in-law who was willing to chase ping pong balls and help keep the party running smoothly  Thanks to my mom who supplied many last minute odds and ends and party help and held Mr. Three to keep him happy.  It was a fun day.

Now I need to publish and finish "swabbing the deck" in my long-neglected home.