Ahoy Mateys!  Halloween is coming soon with the fun for all.  If you are considering of having a party for friends, household or the kids, why not make it a Pirate Halloween Party?  You can even have everyone come in Lady Pirate Costumes and Pirate Costumes.  And make this a requirement or they have to “walk the plank” (just be prepared for someone wanting to do this for fun.)

Costumes are easy.  Whether you buy a beautiful lady pirate outfit or rustic pirate costume for the party or whether you scour your closet or thrift shop for a loose blouse or shirt and black skirt, bandanas, scarves or anything else that can be used for your pirate costume, there are lots of things that will make perfect pirate costumes.  Top these off with bandanas, pirate hats, swords and eye patches to make you look like a pirate.

In preparing for your Pirate Party you should think of the things that need to be planned, like who to ask over, what invitations to use, decorations, food and games.

You can buy or make invitations to send out to the people on your list.  Treasure Maps would make a good invitation as would Pirate Hats and pirate faces with eye patches.  Don’t forget that services like “Evite” or “Sendomatic” have internet invitations that you can design for your pirate theme via email.  Make sure you talk like a pirate in writing your invitations, “Avast ye Mateys”,” Ahoy” and other language pirates would use.

Once invitations have been sent, you can turn your care to what decorations to use.  Here, the list is large, raid the craft shop, your garage or sports store for red, posters and white and black decorations.  Anything with seashells, skull and crossbones, treasure chests, plastic skulls from a craft store, drape inexpensive fish netting from a sporting store around for an ocean look.  Sprinkle the room with swords, pirate flags or anything else you can find with a pirate look.  Your tables could be spread with white and black striped tablecloths.  Above all have fun with the decorations.

Plan your games .  No Pirate Party would be concluded without a treasure hunt.  Hide your “treasures” (These can be small treasure chests  or loot bags filled with candy, coins, and small skulls.)  around the yard and make maps for wherever they can be find and let everyone go looking.  The first clue can lead to a spot where there is the next clue and so on until they find the main prize.   If you have kids, you will likely want to divide up the booty yourself, though, to ward off duels.

For those who did not wear pirate costumes, you can have a “walk the plank” game either as people come or after eveyone is there.  But then, have bandana and eye-patches available for them to wear.  You can also have a treasure chest with party favors in it for your guests to take.

Have a list of pirate phrases printed and ready for people to have with them so they can use these phrases as the evening goes on.

You can set out noshs of fish crackers, chocolate coins, coconut balls dipped in chocolate and sugar to make cannon balls.  Hollow out a watermelon in the shape of a boat and fill it with fruit topped with a pirate flag for a snack or desert for the food.  Make some pirate food of roast turkey or chicken legs, jerky, or fish and chips.  Don’t forget the drinks.  For the adults you can serve beer or rum drinks spiced with lemon, cloves or cinnamon.  And for the kids you can have root beer, other sodas and pirate punch.

Yo, ho, ho!  The important thing is to have fun this Halloween at your Pirate Party with all of your pirate foods and Pirate Costumes. 

Happy Halloween!