Argh me mateys! The weather is cold but our pirate spirit is just heating up! It’s time to get inside and throw pirate themed birthday party and we’ve got the perfect place for it. Why not have it on a pirate ship?! In the middle of the pool (which really could double as the ocean). Here are a few tips for having the best pirate themed birthday party that the kids will be talking about for years to come!
Location
Where you have it is key. The Ramada Tropics Resort and Conference Center just happens to have a water park named Buccaneer Bay Water Park with a full-fledged pirate ship in the center. The pool area is over 18,000 square feet, complete with pirate ship, two 150 foot tube slides, water basketball and volleyball, and a pool side Tiki Bar for the adults. What more could you need?!
Decorations
Eye patches are your friend here. Get a bunch of eye patches for the kids to wear during the party. Hang pirate flags around the party area that would be reminiscent of pirate flags hanging from the mast of a ship. Skulls and the colors red, black, and white are your friends here. Use them everywhere! Get black and red and white balloons and if you can’t find any with skulls on them, you can color skulls on them with Sharpies. You can also make pirate hooks for the kids to wear by using Red Solo Cups and putting a foil hook on the end of it.
Food
This is where it really gets fun! Get a treasure chest and fill it with Rolos and put a sign on it that says Gold Nuggets. You can also spray paint Oreos with gold edible spray paint and give kids chocolate coins. You can also serve bags of Pirate Booty popcorn, and “Canon Balls,” which are really cheese puffs. Stick a plastic sword or a pirate flag toothpick into a skewer of fruit or ham and cheese sandwiches, and you instantly have pirate themed food. Have fun with it!
Games
Games are key to the success or failure of any party. If you have your party at the Buccaneer Bay Water Park, you may not need many games, but it’s always good to bring the kids in for a little out-of-water fun. You can play bowling and let the kids roll a skull towards a pile of cans wrapped in pirate themed paper. Make a giant pirate head and using a bandana blindfold the kids and play Pin the Eye Patch on the Pirate. Give kids a pirate name at the beginning of the party and they are only allowed to use that name for the rest of the day. Fill a treasure chest with sand and hid various small items in it, such as bead necklaces, gold coins, etc., and have kids dig through the sand to find the hidden treasures.
It’s fun to be a pirate! So ahoy me mateys, see you out at sea!