Birthday party ideas: Pirate

Test their pirate prowess with a scavenger hunt for buried or hidden treasure, an obstacle course including “walk the plank,” and tug-of-war.

Let kids decorate mini treasure chests they can fill with booty from a larger chest (shown).

Serve bone-shaped sandwiches, black licorice, red strawberries and a Swamp Island Guacamole. And before you can say “shiver me timbers,” Mini Treasure Cupcakes will be gone.

Hollow out a little hole in top of each mini chocolate cupcake. Fill with a candy “treasure.” Replace the tops, and ice with black-tinted buttercream frosting. Line the edges with red, yellow and orange candy-covered chocolates and black-and-white licorice candy. Pile gold “coins” and small silver candy balls on cupcake tray for more treasure. Stick a skull-and-crossbones flag in each cupcake, and finish with a thin flat chocolate-bar plank.

Fill a bowl with guacamole dip. Use a skull-shaped cookie cutter to cut out shapes from thin pita bread. Brush with oil and bake at 350°F (180°C) until golden. Serve these, along with black nacho chips and gnarly finger veggies (veggies cut with a jagged knife) and dip. Top with skull-and-crossbones flag.

It's all buried treasure and gnarly treats at this birthday party. Who knows, maybe one of your child's matey's will walk the plank!