You've got a rowdy group of pirates ready for some action at your Pirate Party, and you are wondering, how on earth will I entertain these rascals? Here's a list of pirate party games, entertainment ideas and arts & craft activities that will make your party time sail by!
Pirate Party GamesShark Infested WatersThis game is like the pool game, Sharks and Minnows, but you play this on a lawn area instead. Designate one side of your yard the pirate boat and the other side the island. The space in between is the ocean. Have all the pirates stand near the boat. Have one party guest be the “head” shark. The shark tells the pirates to swim to the island. The pirates must pretend to swim from the boat to the island without getting tagged by the shark. If they are tagged they become a shark and help the sharks catch more pirates. The last pirate left becomes the new “head” shark.
Treasure HuntSet up a scavenger hunt through your house, yard, or neighborhood to find a treasure. This game can be as elaborate or simple as you’d like. Party guests can be broken into teams, or work together as one team if the party is small. Pick the number of “stations” for the hunt (i.e., a station could be a room in your house; a specific object like a painting, vase or identifiable plant; or a location in your neighborhood like a mailbox or street sign.) At each station provide a clue at to guide the kids to the next clue. At the end, have enough treasure to share, or leave each guest’s goodie bag.
Lost at Sea: Treasure MapInstead of a scavenger hunt with clues, you could create a treasure map the kids need to follow to find the treasure. The map could be places in your house, yard or neighborhood. Have the final destination a place that is not easily identifiable, such that following the map is necessary.
Gaming Table: Cards and DiceWith months at sea, many pirates passed the time by playing card and dice games - of course, they played for money! Provide each guest with fake money, and let them take their chances playing a simple game like betting who gets the highest card (each player is dealt one card, highest card wins), or a dice game where kids bet if they will roll a pair or 3 of a kind or the likes (simplified version of Yahtzee.) The games can be more elaborate depending on the age of the guests.
Pirate Party Entertainment IdeasDress Up BoxNo matter the age, dress ups are sure to please most guests. Here’s a list of items you can place in a plastic tub for all to enjoy:
- Eye Patches (see Art section for details)
- Vests (see Art section for details)
- Scarves- Head to the fabric store and pick up a couple yards of red and black polyester fabric. No sewing necessary, just cut into long strips and kids can use as a tie around their waist or around their head!
- Pirate Hats - Pick up a couple pirate hats online (www.orientaltrading.com) to add to the mix.
- Captain’s Blazer - Get out that old blue blazer or head to the second hand shop to pick up a Captain’s jacket. You can embellish with pins and colored tape stripes to make it more “authentic.”
Face PaintingWhat pirate wouldn’t like a skull and crossbones on his or her cheek? Hire a face painter, or ask an artist friend to help. The Klutz (
www.klutz.com) Face Painting book has pirate face painting ideas, and is a great kit to own.
Read a Pirate StoryDress up with a pirate hat, don a pirate accent and read a story or 2 to the crowd. There are many pirate books out there, some written for young folks, some for older – here are a few that might engage the crowd:
Hire a Pirate Actor or ActressGive a call to your local high school theatre department and see if any kids would like to be a pirate for an afternoon! Perhaps they could do a skit or two to entertain the crowd.
Pirate Party Arts & Craft IdeasMake an Eye PatchCut out eye patch shapes from black construction paper. Punch a hole in either side and tie a piece of yarn through each hole. Set out on a table with stickers, pretend gems, glue, gel pens and let the kids decorate.
Decorate a Pirate’s VestGather several paper grocery bags for this project. Cut the center of one side, and a round “neck hole” from the bottom of the bag. On either side of the bag, cut a circle for the arm. Either set out crayons or pens, or washable paints, and let the kids decorate. You can punch holes on the edges of the cut sides, and string yarn through the holes to tie the vest closed.
Design a Treasure MapBuy some brown paper gift wrap, and tear into letter size pieces. Crumple the paper to give it a worn, authentic look. Set out some pens and let the kids decorate! You can also print out some samples from the web to give examples for the kids to see. Type in “Treasure Map” into your favorite search site and find some images to print.
Pirate Coloring PagesMany different websites offer coloring pages that you can print from your own computer. In your favorite search engine type in “pirate coloring pages”. Pick and choose your favorite pages to print. At the party, just set up a small art table with crayons, glitter glue and the coloring pages.
