Easy, inexpensive and fun DIY Pirate Party... with FREE downloads for you to use

Today I am sharing a super-fun DIY pirate party that you are going to love! I'm including ideas for: pirate party invites, pirate party decor, pirate party activities, pirate party, pirate cakes, and pirate party favors. I also have FREE downloads for you to use.

Here's a video I made to show you all the elements of the party.

And here are the free downloads mentioned in the video. 

To download the tags, signs, and map I designed (for free): click on one of the photos below, right-click, save it, and print it like a regular photo. The tags are 4x6s photos, and the signs and map are 8x10s.

I hope you incorporate some of these ideas into your own party. Have fun!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (You can find the step-by-step instructions for the Pirate cake in the video here.)

Number Crafts {Number SIX}... Pirate Adventure

I teach a weekly class for preschoolers called "123 Learn with Me". Each week, we learn about numbers through a variety of activities and crafts. This week, we had some fun learning about the number six through a "pirate" theme.

We did a number search, decorated a number six, practiced printing the number six, and did two pirate crafts.  {The entire lesson plan can be downloaded, for personal use, through the link at the bottom of this post.}

We started by crafting a pirate treasure chest with 6 white treasures and 6 blue treasures inside. {You can draw your own treasure chest, or scroll to the bottom of this post to download my template for free.}

We also read a pirate story, and crafted a simple paper roll pirate telescope.  We used duct tape at one end, and the kids colored the rest of the paper roll with crayons.

Isn't this a cute way to learn about the number six?  I'll be sharing our crafts and activities for the number seven soon, so don't forget to come back and check them out.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

NOTE: You can download the template for the pirate treasure chest and all the number six worksheets here.

PS - You can grab a copy of my 40+ page "Numbers" WORKBOOK here.

You might also enjoy the videos I made here:

Simple Pirate Hooks

I am planning a Jake and the Neverland Pirate party for my youngest son, and I thought it would be fun to make pirate hooks for all the party guests.  After the party, the hooks (that don't go home with our guests) will be added to our "dress up bin".  We love playing pirates!

Want to make your own pirate hooks from cups and tin foil?

1)  Start with a square piece of tin foil.
2)  Roll up the tin foil and "squish it".
3)  Cut a little hole in the bottom of the cup.  Make sure it isn't too big.  The tin foil needs to fit tightly in order to stay in place.
4)  Place the foil through the hole, pull through, and twist into the shape of a hook.

That's it!  Do you have a little pirate that would love dressing up with this pirate hook?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also like this pirate party post.

Alphabet Crafts - Letter P

My 4 year old and I are continuing to "craft our way through the alphabet", and today we had some fun with the Letter P. We made a Paper Pirate Ship, and we did some letter P printing practice.

To make the Pirate Ship Craft:

1)  Download the free pirate ship template that you can find here.
2)  Color the pieces.

3)  Cut out the pieces.

4)  Glue the pieces and three craft sticks in place. 

5)  Glue on some Cheerio "windows".

That's it!  Isn't it a cute little craft? 

After our craft, we did a little printing practice. If you want to practice printing the letter P with your little one, you can right-click on the picture below, save it to your computer, and print it.

And if you are looking for more letter P crafts:

Why not try making this polka dot popsicle from a piece of heavy paper, a craft stick, and some stickers?

And use the leftover stickers to make a polka dot P.

This letter P pig is adorable too.

And a paper plate, some yellow tissue paper, and round paper circles make a perfect pepperoni pizza.

Fun, right?  Next up... the letter Q.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (You can find more alphabet crafts here.)

A Pirate Adventure... and our new favorite toy

I have three little boys, so there is always some sort of play adventure going on in our house.  Pirate play is one of my boys' favorite ways to spend an afternoon, so today I thought a would share a simple DIY pirate adventure with you.

Every pirate loves a treasure hunt, so why not write up some simple clues and hide them around the house?  A simple pirate snack is also a must because pirates work up a big appetite searching for treasure!

And, of course, a pirate craft is always fun.  Here is a simple pirate ship craft you can make with your little ones.

First, download the free pirate ship template that you can find here.

Then, have your child color the pieces, cut them out, and glue them in place.  (In addition to the template, you'll also need three popsicle sticks, a few Cheerios, and some glue.)  Isn't it a cute little craft?

And... if your little one loves using his/her imaginations to go on "play adventures", you should totally check out our new favorite toy -- the Imaginext Rescue City Centre.

Rescue City Centre features a city scape with lots of action!  The left side features a gas station, a currency exchange, and a jewelry store.  The right side of the set is equipped with a fire station, police station and hospital.  It also comes with two figures, a fire truck and lots of interactive sounds and actions.  Seriously... it is a lot of fun!  My boys haven't stopped playing with it since we got it.

Also, be sure to check out the Fisher-Price website for lots of new "Ed Venture" content and a great contest.  Contestants are able to play an online game and unlock the next phase of the game by solving clues.  You'll have a chance to win 1 of 5 $300 Imaginext prize packs including the Imaginext Rescue City Centre, Imaginext Mega Apatasaurus, Imaginext Eagle Talon Castle, and Imaginext Batcave.

What types of adventures do your little ones like to go on?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Disclosure: I am part of the Fisher-Price Imaginext Blogger Campaign with Mom Central Canada and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Top 5 Pirate Play Ideas

Imaginative play is a cornerstone of childhood... and it's fun for adults too. Around here, we LOVE playing Pirates, and today, I am sharing our Top 5 Pirate Play Ideas. The are all easy, inexpensive, and fun!

1)  Make your own pirate costume - You can follow the tutorial for my "no sew" Jake costume here (including a template for a cardboard sword), or you can just cut up some old jeans and shirts to look like ragged pirate clothes.  

2)  Make a pirate craft - You can color a pirate picture, or you can try making our mod podge pirate treasure chest.  (You can find the full tutorial here.)

3)  Read some pirate books - If you don't already have a book shelf full of pirate stories, head to the library and check out some new pirate adventures.

4)  Have a pirate lunch -  Pirates love fish, and these fish sandwiches ARRRRR! almost too cute to eat.  Little pirates will love these peanut butter sandwiches cut out in the shape of fish (with chocolate chip eyes).

5)  Enjoy a special pirate treat - Every pirate adventure ends with a treasure, and these Gold Doubloon cupcakes are the perfect pirate treat.  (You can find the tutorial here.)

Fun, right?  I am absolutely in love with the adorable "fish" sandwiches", aren't you? Do your little ones enjoy going on pirate adventures? I hope I've inspired you to "play pirates" today.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

No-Sew Jake Costume

My boys love pirates, and yesterday my son asked if I could help him put together a "Jake" {from Jake and the Neverland Pirates} costume.  Given that I don't know how to work my sewing machine, here is what we came up with:

Pretty cute, right?

Here's how we did it:

To make the headband - I cut a strip of felt 36 inches long and 2 inches wide.  I fit it to my son's head and secured it with a clear elastic.

To make the sword - I drew a sword (like Jake's) on a piece of cardboard and cut it out.  I used the top of a pizza box, but any thick cardboard would work.  You can download a free printable template of the sword I designed here.

To make the shirt - I took an old white shirt, cut a couple of slits in the sleeves, and had my son draw an "X" on the collar.

To make the vest - I bought a plain blue t-shirt for $4.  I cut off the sleeves, and I cut a straight line all the way up the middle of the shirt.  Then, I sewed on four gold buttons.  (I figured I could manage a couple of buttons, but if you really don't want to do any sewing, you can skip this step.)

I hope you enjoy making this simple Jake costume with your little pirates.

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Disclosure: I'm part of the Disney Junior Mom program, and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group.  The opinions on this blog are my own.

Pirate Play Date

We had a rainy day yesterday, so after a trip to the library, we came home and played "Pirates".  {Such is the life of the mom of three boys.}

You can have your own Pirate Play Date in three easy steps.

 

Step 1 - Build a pirate ship out of an old box.

Step 2 - Dress like a pirate.  We had jeans (with holes in them) and old shirts that we cut off to make "pirate shirts and pants".  We also used a cup and tin foil to make a "pirate hook".  (I got the idea for the hooks here.)  We added some hats and eye patches out of our dress up box.

Step 3 - Read pirate stories, and eat pirate food (peanut butter sandwiches cut out in the shape of fish).  And... you can find more pirate snack ideas here.

That's it!  An afternoon of fun in three easy steps.  Do your little ones like playing pirates?

♥

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)