Boys' Birthday Party Ideas: A Pirate Party

Are you trying to come up with some ideas for a boy's birthday party that won't break the bank? If so, here is an idea for a party with an inexpensive, fun theme. If you choose themes that are more general, rather than very specific, you can often find things from around your house to use for the party.

For example, you could have a Pirate Party instead of a Pirates of the Caribbean party. You might not have a lot of movie memorabilia lying around your house, but you will probably have some scarves that your child can use as part of a pirate costume. A white blouse, some gold jewelry, and an eye-patch from the dollar store would complete the outfit. If you don't mind sacrificing an old pair of athletic pants, you can even make them into ragged pirate pants. If you would prefer to keep your clothing intact, a pair of black capris would work as well.

Now that the costume is complete, all you need is some cardboard and paint or markers for a great birthday activity. First, draw a simple sword shape on the cardboard and cut it out, then make as many cardboard swords as you need for your guests. When the boys arrive for the party, they can decorate their swords with paint, markers, stickers, etc. A scavenger hunt where the boys search for buried treasure is another great activity. You can usually find cheap eye-patches at your local dollar store, and you can hand those out as your guests arrive. A few yard of red fabric can be cut into multiple sashes for all your guests as well.

First, you can draw a map of either your backyard or your living room with an x marking a certain spot. At that spot, you can hide a clue and a small “treasure” like some candy. The clue leads to another clue, and so on until you reach the real treasure. Plastic or chocolate coins are great things to use for the reward.

When you are decorating for a pirate party, you can keep it simple, if you want. Red, black and gold are good colors for a pirate party. You can also buy some Jolly Roger flags (the ones with a skull and crossbones) to decorate your home. If you are good with a pen, you can draw skulls and crossbones on poster board and use those to decorate. No matter how simple or how elaborate you choose to make your pirate party, you and your child are sure to have a great time!