Michael is four!
One. Two. Three. Four!
Whoa!
This year he asked for a Jake and the Neverland Pirates party and that’s exactly what he got. For me, the best part of the party wasn’t watching the kids have a crazy amount of fun. This party was different because Michael helped me plan the entire party. Everything from shopping, to filling the bags with silverware, to the menu, and even testing the swords for durability. It was a great time.
JAKE AND THE NEVERLAND PIRATES PARTY FOOD:
Rainbow River was an assortment of fruit dressed up with hooks and pirate flags.
I used my Silhouette Portrait to make the cupcakes look like pirate ships sailing the high seas.
The Puny Pirate Pasta was nothing more than some Suddenly Salad, and our cannonballs were swedish meatballs.
The Popinjay Parfaits surprised me. As in, they were the second most popular item and I made maybe twelve? Who would’ve thunk it? I prepped them the night before with gluten free granola, vanilla yogurt, and strawberries.
We served vegetables in my fancy, new veggies on ice tray.
The Sharky and Bones Cones (AKA dirt cake) were delicious even if the gummy sharks and bones candy caught people off guard.
Our Gold Doubloons came in chicken nugget form.
And I made maps out of hazelnut cookie straws and licorice.
The Blue Lagoon actually turned into a lagoon after being introduced to the swamp-like weather. Which ended up working out because they kids thought it was juice. Win-win, I guess.
We had Izzy Fizzy (Coke) and Smee Tea (Iced Tea) for the grown-ups.
Party tip: If you have the space, put your drinks in the freezer a few hours before the party. The big containers shouldn’t freeze and the drinks will stay cool for quite a while. In addition to the freezer, I made a giant Coke ice cube by freezing a bread pan full of Coke.
And there was a HUGE inflatable pirate ship full of water.
Party tip: Freeze half of your water bottles the night before so you don’t have to worry about keeping the water cool. Depending on the heat, the frozen ones should keep the water chilled for the first half of the party.
JAKE AND THE NEVERLAND PIRATES PARTY ACTIVITIES:
This party was my first attempt at party activities because details are sometimes lost on tiny people.
This time, though, I filled the first treasure chest with treasure hunt bags for the kids. The bags included:
- Telescope
- Jake vest
- Pixie dust
- Map
- Inflatable sword
- Pirate hat
- Temporary tattoo
- Eye patch
Note: Stay tuned for separate tutorial posts featuring the treasure hunt bags and the party favors. For now, just know that I highly recommend these kits for pirate loot and pirate garb.
The first stop on the treasure hunt was Tick Tock Croc Ring Toss.
Next, I buried some of the pirate loot in the sandbox.
And some of the pirate loot was added to the pool.
We brought the pirate ship from the basement for a little Jolly Roger versus Bucky action with cannonballs (water balloons) and squirt toys.
Except… the concept of a water balloon fight was lost on the kids and they chucked them ALL in the first 5 minutes.
And we had our standard monster truck bounce house.
The treasure map ended at the Team Treasure Chest full of tiny treasure chests and chocolate.
Each treasure chest came equipped with Playdoh, gold coins, and a temporary tattoo.
JAKE AND THE NEVERLAND PIRATES PARTY DECORATIONS:
The ship wheel hung from the stand Michael made, and I found some blue and white fabric to hang on the mast made of dowels.
I covered the patio doors with a Jake and the Neverland Pirates themed sign because overboard is my middle name.
Back in the day, I purchased a butt ton of pirate party stuff because it was on clearance.
Thrifty? Yes. Risky? Sure was. Worth it? Absolutely.
So, I wrapped a shoebox in brown paper and filled it with a bunch of favor bags consisting of silverware, a straw, and a napkin. I wanted everything to be grab and go.
Each table was decorated with a blue tablecloth, netting, a map, ten gold coins, an empty wine bottle, and a bit of sand.
Note: By cutting the tablecloth and netting in half, I was able to get two tables out of each.
If you are on a tight budget but still want details the kids will appreciate, definitely grab the bundles of pirate loot and pirate garb. It wasn’t junky AT ALL.
And because I’m a hoot, I put a poop deck sign on my bathroom door. Seriously. Best idea EVER!
DO A GIRL AND FAVOR AND PIN MY IDEAS FOR A JAKE AND THE NEVERLAND PIRATES PARTY!
