The pirates take over an outdoor kid birthday party

When I did earlier my series on Habitat, the small fishing boat scene cut my eyes. It taught it would be great for pirate theme party for kid.

A few days after, my nephew had his birthday. My sister in law M. made the party around a pirate theme. Then, I started working on my board.

Temporary tattoos are easy to find at toy store. M. got her pirate tattoo kits at Toys R Us. Kids and adults like the idea. Most people put more than one. The tattoo was our entrance ticket if we want to go swimming. All guys grab the skull heads; so make sure to stock well.

Every party starts with the invitations. If you can, try to send the invitations by mail. I found these coaster shape invites at Aliroo, a UK stationary company. Their designs are very cool. The invites are printed on genuine 94mm diameter coaster stock. They are sold in set of 8 invitations with matching envelops. Aliroo carries a vast selection of grown up invitations; check out their entire selection for inspiration.

My board was designed for 2 age groups of small kids. Most of time, kids of different ages will attend the same birthday party so it is best to be prepared for more than one age group.

For the younger kids, I suggest a soft air-filled pirate boat. I select the Pirate Ship Play Center by Little Tikes (only $39.99 CAD at Toys R Us); it is well-priced and it looks fun for kids. The idea is to create a scenario behind your party theme. I decide that the youngest will be the pirates and the rest of the kids will play the shipwrecked people.

For the other kids, creating a realistic wrecked lifeboat required a few easy steps. Start with a little fishing boat. Make sure to include a buoy with a cord. If you can find one or if you do not mind the extra expense, a broken oar seems more realistic. Maybe, you can try a marine boat shop or a marina to see if they do not have a broken one to spare.

Any handyman should be able to secure a pole to the lifeboat. Hang on the pole a bed sheet sail or a white canvas on which you draw a watercolor or better yet, a wash down pattern. Draw something else than a pirate inspired sketch on the lifeboat sail. You can simply write down Help! on the sheet.

For a theatrical effect, try to rest the wrecked lifeboat near the sandbox or create a beach spot with sand. Putting a large rock or a large damp stump creates a dramatic set up.

My lifeboat inspiration was taken from 2007 summer mini-catalogue of the UK store Habitat. They use BEAM kid bed linen, £39 a single set. Instead of a triangular flag, Habitat stylist team hangs FASHION Monster by Christian Lacroix, the fashionista will be impressed.

You can put on the top any stuffed teddy bear or plush monkey that you like. The patched textile of the FASHION Monster reaffirms the idea of a wrecked ship. It is something to keep in mind.

Update: Fabric stuffed animals are the latest trend according to Nesting blog: Inside Cookie. Why not put a stuffed on top of your sail? And your kid will thank for this gift. I like Reddy sold for $29.95 USD or Ollie the dotted owl at $39.95. Both are available at Orange Button. The orange and aqua Zeke the Alien Giraffe from the neverenoughhours shop at etsy is just adorable. You may want to review all her collection before making your choice but be warned that it can complicate the selection process.

The parrot is a must for a pirate theme. This place is a Zoo sells realistic stuff animals, a lot are jungle animals. I select the Realistic Blue Parrot, an affordable option at $24 USD.

FISHING from Habitat and even HELLE, a rubber kid swinging loop, are fun outdoor kid toys. The 12-inch high treasure chest pinata is from Plum Party. I also spot a set of 6 child’s felt pirate hat for $24 USD at Plum Party.

The pirate Bandana and the pirate Telescope come from the Amazon.com Web site. Some pirates can wear a red bandana or a plain black bandana. Give to the wrecked team tropical patterned bandanas but make sure to mix and match the look and style to be more authentic.

Finally, I want to point out this adorable homemade pirate ship cake that I found on flickr. One thing that I particularly like about this cake is the realistic sail. The writing and the burned spot are well executed. I salute the appropriate choice of the character font.

This homemade birthday cake was made by the parents for the third anniversary of a boy named Kade. It shows that with a little bit of imagination and skills, you can make a more interesting kid birthday cake than the typical models from the big chain stores. Kyleroth shares more details about the pirate cake on flickr.

I think you got enough stuff to start thinking about your pirate theme for a kid birthday party.

Sourcing:
Buy online: Coaster-style pirate invitation cards and matching envelops at Aliroo
Buy online: Pirate Ship Play Center by Little Tikes at Toys R Us
Buy online: BEAM Kid bed linen, FASHION Monster and FISHING toy at Habitat
Buy online: Treasure chest pinata at Plum Party
Buy online: Child’s felt pirate hat at Plum Party
Buy online: Pirate Bandana and Pirate Telescope at Amazon.com
Buy online: Realistic Blue Parrot at This Place is a Zoo
More cake photos: Pirate ship cake in kyleroth’s photostream on flickr
Read more: Trend Watch: Fabric Stuffed Animals on Nesting blog: Inside Cookie