Last Saturday was Jack’s 4th birthday party with a pirate theme. Jack does not like ‘scary’ pirates and wanted a pirate party based on a German Pirate, Kapt’n Sharky, that we found while on our Big Big trip. We bought a nice hardback book (all in German, which we can’t read) but the monkeys and I have “read” it many times. All we know for sure is that Capt’n Sharky is a good pirate and he fights the baddies.
There is a GREAT deal of pirate themed party stuff out there, but it is, of course, all ‘scary.’ So, I spend an unreasonable time making my own things for the party. An insanely unreasonable amount of time – but it was fun.
Party favors made from stiff felt and sewn with embroidery floss. (I stole this idea from Pottery Barn Kids thanksgiving settings)
The Map
The map ended up being completely useless during the party – so glad I made two…
The party goers were greeted by this rhyme,
A pirate costume, 
a ship to explore,
A sword to decorate with gems and silver sparkly foam,
Then new ‘clues’ appeared leading to new games…
Pin the Parrot on the Pirate
Destroy the ‘baddies’ bombs
At first I was a little worried because the kids couldn’t pop the balloons. Seriously? How is it my kids are often in tears from accidentally popping their balloons and these things we want to pop – won’t pop?!?! I was just about to bring out some toothpicks to hand to the kids when Lisa said, “relax and just watch what happens!” Super advice! The kids had so much fun because it was a challenge. (Though Eric did sneak in and pop the last three with a toothpick.
And here is poor baby Tyler who was just drifting off to dreamland in the back bedroom when the “bombs” were discovered… 
On to Poison Pretzels where the pirates put on hooks (foil covered candy canes inserted into red plastic cups.) They used the hooks to move a stash of pretzels from a bowl on one side of the table to a box on the other.
The kids were not convinced that they were going to be harmed by the poison in the pretzels, and many kids abandoned their hooks and began eating the pretzels…
The next game was to use small catapults (that we made from popsicle sticks and clothes pins) to launch weighted ping-pong balls at enemy ships and their baddie pirates. The making of this game is an entire blog in itself…
We also had a Walk-the-Plank game where the pirates put their life on the line while walking the 8-foot plank at the great height of 4 inches - surrounded with crocodiles/alligators… sideways, backwards, and eyes closed were popular techniques for walking the plank.
Then the treasure was discovered!
We had dinner and a cake and then present time. All the kids were very gracious at present time. They all clambered around Jack excited to see what he got – no one sad that the presents weren’t for them. Sweet Logan opened the packaging to a motorcycle that he bought for Jack, taking off all of those little twisty plastic-covered-wire-things that make most parents swear they will never buy a toy again (I may have to hire him on Christmas day…)
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