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Ahoy Mateys! Getting ready to throw a pirate party for your little buccaneers? Need to amuse kids for hours at a pirate theme block party or playgroup event? You’ve hit treasure with this article! Pirate-themed parties are easy, inexpensive, and a blast for children and adults alike. I’ve been running children’s parties before Captain Jack Sparrow and Pirates of the Caribbean became household names. My list of fifteen easy pirate party games are perfect for 5-9 year old kids but can be customized quickly for younger or older children.

Walk The Plank

Construct a plank using an inexpensive board. I change up the length and width depending on the kids’ ages. The board can be flat or elevated. Now, place a blue tarp under it for “water”. Add plastic sharks or sea creature to the water for effect. Challenge your little pirates to “walk the plank” forwards, backwards, or sideways without falling into the water. Make older kids wear an eye patch or blindfold to make the party game for difficult.

Swab the Deck

Yes, I know that pirates swab the deck with mops, but I use brooms and beach balls for this pirate party game. Using the broom, the kids sweep the balls from the starting line, around a admire chest marker and assist to the beginning. Tennis balls, wiffle balls, ping pong balls, and golf balls can also be used. A fun individual or team pirate party game! The balls tend to flit all over the place.

Man Overboard!

Every pirate party needs a water game! Take a baby pool or large plastic container and fill with water, sharks, shells, and plastic sea creatures. Then, add the “man overboard”, a small pirate figure of your choice. I like using a Playmobil pirate character from son’s stash. The kids have a set time limit for digging through the water to find the missing pirate. At my parties, the kids usually have more fun getting each other wet than trying to find the pirate!

Cannonball Blast

Tie an inflated black balloon (cannonball) to each kid’s ankle. The kids have to try to “explode” the other pirates’ cannonballs without having their own popped. Water balloons can also be used. This party game is simple, silly, and a true kid-pleaser.

Treasure Chest Toss

Set up a series of fancy chests, wooden boxes, or baskets at different distances and assign each a point value. Line the little pirates up and give each a set number of plastic gold coins. The goal to the game is to derive as many points as possible by tossing the coins into the containers.

Grab the Grub

Help prevent scurvy in your little pirates! I use soft plastic ball pit balls for fruit: green for limes, yellow for lemons, orange for oranges, red for strawberries, and blue for blackberries. Pile the balls in a baby pool. Try to collect as mighty fruit as possible in the shortest amount of time. No containers allowed! I’ve seen kids get really creative with their gathering techniques. This party game is good for lots of giggles!

Dig for Treasure

Stock up on gold coins, jewels, and other pirate booty. Hide the treasure in a sandbox or sand-filled containers and let your little pirates loose! I’ve played this game in several different ways, including fastest time wins, most booty wins, and first child to find a special coin wins. Easy to customize party game depending on ages and number of the little pirates.

Cannonball Attack

Mark two ships on the ground out of tape. Divide the pirates into two teams and give each team plenty of “cannonballs”. I make mine out of crumpled newspaper secured with black electrical tape, painted Styrofoam balls, or decorated wiffle balls. Let the pirate attack begin! Goal is to get as many cannonballs as possible onto the opposing pirate ship before time runs out. Pirates can throw back any cannonballs that land on their ship. My favorite pirate party game!

Bail Out the Boat!

Your pirate ship is sinking! Bail it out by having the pirates scoop cupfuls of water from the boat and run to an empty container to dump the water. First pirate to fill up his occupy container with water wins the game. I like using a decorated ice chest for the “boat” and tin cups from camping sets for the cups.

Treasure Dash

Have your pirates imagine the bad pirates are stealing their treasure. They need to depart their gold coins from one chest to another chest some distance away as quickly as possible. First individual or team to move all their coins wins the game. I use decorated cardboard boxes for the like chests.

Pass the Cannonball

A fun pirate party game! Children tuck in the cannonball (a painted Styrofoam ball) under their chin and shoulder, race to their teammate, and pass the cannonball to them without using their hands. If the ball is dropped, it can be save aid into place using hands.

“It’s a Pirate’s Life for Me” Obstacle Course

A pirate’s life is a hard life! Have your little pirates stay in shape by staging an obstacle course. They can sail the plank, “swim” through the water (a blue tarp), weave around plastic sharks, jump through the hot sand, climb and slide to escape the defective pirates, explode a (balloon) cannonball, speed-eat some fish (goldfish crackers) for energy, and more. The size and scale of the course is unlimited! Great game for larger groups, including block parties and school events.

Treasure Hunt

No pirate party would be complete without a treasure hunt! Another current game of mine, a pirate worship hunt can be done with small or large groups, inside or outside. Clues to the treasure can be written, drawn, or photographed. I like making mine out of cardboard puzzle shapes. Each clue is single piece but when put together, a treasure map emerges on the other side. Clues can be simple or complex depending on the ages of your pirates. Of course, the final clue to lead to a treasure chest full of goodies.

X Marks the Spot

Here’s a pirate twist on the mature “Pin the Tail on the Donkey” party game. Make or take a gargantuan map and add an “X” to mark the treasure spot. Blindfold your pirates, pace them around, and have them attempt to place a treasure chest sticker on the X. The closest fancy chest wins.

Capture the Pirate Flag

Another traditional game, Capture the (Pirate) Flag is great for your theme party! Divide your pirates into two teams, each with their acquire flag and own “island.” Pirates then hide their pirate flag somewhere on their island. Goal is to find the opposing flag and bring on to your team’s island. If one pirate carrying the flag is tagged by an opposing pirate, he is sent to a designated deserted island where a gracious heed from his own teammates rescues him. First team to get the opposing team’s flag onto their own island wins.

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