Host a Pirate Themed Costume Party - Adults & Kids

Ahoy matey! Want to get in touch with your inner Pirate?

Throw a swashbuckling Pirate themed costume party that will give your fellow Saucy Wenches and Bad Boy Bucaneers a taste of your wild side! You can't tame a savage pirate but what fun it would be to try, if Jack Sparrow is one of em'!

Having a Pirate themed costume party doesn't mean you have to go overboard! An old wooden ship, go on a perilous journey down under just to get the scurvy, although quite authentic, is hard to duplicate. You just need to focus on a few key items that represent that era such as skull and crossbones, eye patches, hook hands, tattoos, pistols, swords, skeletons, finger foods for grub and lots of rum n' ale! And yes, costumes are a must to pull off this event. Be sure to let your guests know this very important piece of information far in advance, so they are prepared.

Visit the Scavenger Hunt Guru for ideas on how to prepare and plan a successful treasure hunt. Add a bit o' Pirate by making cannonballs from black ballons but first; write up clues and seal in a ziploc bag then gently stuff inside the balloon before you fill it. Give each team a plastic skeleton which must be taken with them, everywhere! Have a disposable camera for each team too, for fun or as part of your rules (a one hour photo shop could prepare them while you're eating).


How to Decorate...

- when choosing your streamers, balloons, table clothes, napkins, plates, cups, utensils etc. stay within the color family of red, black and white in either solids or stripes then accent with gold and silver.
- write invitations on either parchment paper or regular white paper with burn edges (do yourself, carefully!!) or use this Treasure Map. Scroll it and secure with hot wax or a ribbon or roll up and tuck inside a bottle.
- give your mates and the party a name; Blackbeard, Captain Bootstrap or Captain Jack visit Scurvy on Skeleton Island, the Buccaneer Bash or Rowdy Rogue Reunion
- float sharks in the pool and punish stowaway's and land lovers by making them 'walk the plank' or become the target of water balloon cannonballs.
- create n' paint large silhouette pirate ships, flags, skulls and crossbones to hide un-pirate-like items.
- torches, candles and/or a large fire will rustic ambience.
- poppy seeds make great looking gun powder
- turn the beer tub into a Crow's Nest
- drape sheets as though they are sails
- hang long lengths of looped rope
- use your Halloween decorations, they are versatile. Put a pirate's hat, eye patch and gold hoop earring on those ghouls, goblins and witches and they will be piratized!
- candy necklaces, ring pops, chocolate coins wrapped in gold and silver
- inflatable tropical palm trees, parrots or pinata's
- make a ships wheel from an old wagon wheel
- a full stand up of Jack Sparrow

Buy at AllPosters.com

What to Wear...


- eye patch, gold hoop earring, pirate hat, black boots, hook hand, bandana, shackles, chains, sash
- the 'fluffy shirt', a striped t-shirt, dirty shredded and tight clothing, short skirts and high boots
- your costume should represent either a wench, pirate, buccaneer, captain, mate, deck hand or prisoner!
- Pirates of the Caribbean Costumes at Costume Craze! or check out the Sexy Pirate Costumes from Amazon on my blog.


What to Eat and Drink...

- meat and cheese trays, vegetable and dip, crackers and bread
- bbq shrimp, ribs, roasted pig and chicken wings
- salted fish, boiled lobster
- clams, mussels, oysters
- yo ho ho and a bottle of rum chased by mugs of ale, pirates aren't picky!
- Pirate Punch and mugs of rootbeer, coffee, tea, juice

Kids Pirate Parties...
Go for fun, adventure and mystery! Combine pirates with a tropical island,
pirate ships, relic ghost ship, princess and mermaids.


Games for Kids...

- Scavenger or Treasure Hunt

- Sink the Ship (water balloons and a kiddie pool)

- Pin the Patch on the Pirate

- Stolen Treasure (memory game, what's in the treasure chest?)

- Peg Leg Races (a rat ran off with your peg leg, hop on one foot, win the race & get it back!)

- Bobbing for Cannons (use black balloon)

Food for Kids...

- little lads and lassies are content with the basics, hot dogs with a small skull and crossbone flag!

- food on the bone like chicken wings and legs or beef and pork ribs.

- pirate ship cake or treasure chest with gold chocolate coins hidden inside (done after baking)

- mugs of grog (rootbeer)

- piggies in blanket wrapped to look like pirate fingers

- junk food

Pirate Lingo, talk like a Pirate...

Bilge Rat - are rats that live in the lowest, slimmiest parts of the ship, an insult if spoken to someone

Black Spot - to have a 'Black Spot' means he's been marked for death

Briny Deep and Davy Jones' Locker - the bottom of the ocean 

Cat O'nine Tails - a whip with many lashes, used for flogging as a form of punishment

Corsair - is a fancier more romantic term for pirate

Deadlights - a person's eyes

Dead Men tell No Tales - how to justify leaving no survivors

Feed the Fish - a term used when you're thrown to sea

Grog - anything with alcohol like rum and ale

Jack Ketch - is the hangman

Keelhauling - a form of punishment where a victim is dragged back and forth underneath the ship

Kiss the Gunner's Daughter - being flogged while bent overtop of the ship's guns

Lads n' Lassies - a title to acknowledge a person who is younger than yourself

Landlubber - no sailing experience, considered an insult

No Quarter! - a red flag suggests there will be no surrender

Poxy or Poxed - an insult suggesting you're diseased

Scupper - holes that allow water to drain, used as a term for throwing something over board

Old Salt or Sea Dog - an experienced seaman

Splice the Mainbrace - to have a drink

For more pirate words - click here