Throwing a Pirate Themed Kids' Party

With the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie and young boys' (and girls') fascination with pirates, the theme of pirates and treasure is a great one for a kid's birthday.

Invitations

You can make them using clip art on the computer or have the kids make them by hand. Send out a couple weeks before party. Make sure you give address and directions to party, as well as phone number for parents to call to RSVP or if they get lost.

Food

Some think the decorations are most important, while others think the activities are the most important part of a kid's party. Although all are important, personally I think the food is most important. You do not want to deal with a bunch of hungry kids. Believe me they are the toughest.

Below is a suggested menu, but of course you should try to tailor it to the preferences to your child and the other children attending (if you know their preferences).

Main Dish: Golden Nuggets (These can be chicken or veggie alternative nuggets. Serve with dips such as ketchup, honey, and BBQ sauce.)

Side Dishes:
Cannon Balls: I like using cheese balls, but many kids do not like them, so you can do Peanut Butter Balls instead.
Veggie Tray: Even if you cannot get the kids to eat them, the parents that attend will appreciate the effort. Serve with ranch dip or you could use cheese dip (works great with broccolli).

Cake: One can be ordered pirate themed from most local grocery stores. You can of course make one using you kids favorite cake mix. Decorate it with small pirate toys. I found these buildable ship card game packs that work well (The cards come in booster packs and can be found at some places that sell trading cards. I have found them at Target and at my local Party Store.) You can make an island with graham cracker crumbs. Use Reese's Pieces and Skittles as treasure. You can use normal candles, number candles, or purchase pirate themed candles at most party stores. A straw can be turned into a palm tree by putting green paper on top cut in the shape of palm leaves. Raisins or chocolate chips can be used to represent cannon balls. Buried Treasure Birthday Cake Recipe. Example cake pictured below created for boy's 12th birthday.