We know as a parent it is not an easy task to imagine, plan, and pick the best Seattle kids birthday party ideas & places to hold them. It doesn’t matter if you live in Seattle or the surrounding Bellevue, Mercer Island, Woodinville, Redmond, Issaquah and Kirkland areas, there are tons of children’s birthday party ideas and venues to choose from and figuring out which is right for you, takes a lot of research and work.

Best Seattle Kids Birthday Party Ideas & Venues

At Emerald City Pirates, we believe in making this process much simpler for parents in Seattle, Washington, by providing you with a one-stop-shop with our Family Treasure Cruises or private charters aboard our pirate ship – Queen’s Anne Revenge. A pirate themed children’s birthday party idea is loads of fun and extremely entertaining for children of all ages. Thus, we have the luxury of not only being a birthday party place and venue but also an activity and interactive experience. Our ship aka kids birthday party place is conveniently docked at South Lake Union Park & we sail on Lake Washington Ship Canal and Lake Union with stunning views of Seattle’s skyline, including the Space Needle, and Ballard Locks. Our job is to make sure your birthday boy/girl and your guests have a great time filled with long lasting memories. Our merry group of pirates and 1 dastardly evil pirate  (don’t worry your kids will handle that) truly enjoy interacting with children. Your child and his/her friends will do it all, from picking pirate names, learning pirate words, dancing, shooting water cannons, collecting pirate booty (aka treasure) and leaving with an Emerald City Pirates official certification.

What to expect on an Emerald City Pirates Seattle Kids Birthday Party Celebration

1. First, you and your merry band of pirates will arrive at the dock usually about 30 minutes prior to departure. Our family treasure pirate cruise lasts 90 minutes and that includes 20 minutes reserved for boarding and activities on the dock. We recommend you allow ample time for parking. The best parking can be found to the west of South Lake Union Park along Westlake Avenue North. There is also parking at Chandler’s Cove to the East of the park. Remember, we cannot guarantee that parking at the above locations will be available so please plan ahead.
2. Ahoy, Matey! You will be greeted aboard our pirate ship aka birthday party place by some of the best pirates on these here seven seas in full costume and character. Each child and adult will receive an Emerald City Pirates branded pirate vest and each child will receive a name tag to wear for the duration of the cruise.
3. To start things off, the young pirates will pick their official pirate name. Pirate names are determined by the birth month of the child and the first letter of their first name. You can expect some silly combinations that will definitely get the young ones in pirate spirit!
4. In addition, the birthday boy/girl will receive a special pirate sword, pirate eye patch and pirate hat to mark their special day. If any pirate gear such as pirate hats, pirate swords, pirate eye patches or pirate bandanas have been ordered during the booking process for other mateys, they will be distributed during this time.
5. All hand hoy! Let the fun begin! Our ship sails on Lake Union & Lake Washington Ship Canal and our pirates educate both the children and adults about boat safety in a fun and entertaining way. We then teach your kids to work the awesome water cannons. We have six water cannons on the port side and six water cannons on the starboard side of the boat. Children love this part of the cruise as they are able to aim and blast the water cannons at passing boats, and on looking land dwellers.
6. We continue the entertainment with a fun and interactive pirate storyline. They will hear the story of Bonnie Bones or Billy Bones, a pirate who stole the ship’s treasure filled with all the booty but made a crucial mistake by leaving his/her name tag behind. The children will see the empty treasure chest and the name tag left behind, which adds to the excitement. In between the story and the search for the thieving pirate, kids will examine treasure maps, dance to pirate tunes, play pirate limbo, learn to speak like a pirate, receive pirate tattoos and much more.
7. While the games are being played by the children, parents are able to enjoy a relaxing cruise surrounded by the amazing views of Lake Union. Remember, we are the only pirate ship in Seattle, Washington, so boats, ships, and pedestrians that we pass by are extremely happy (possibly envious) to see us, and you will not run out of admirers to wave to.
8. As we enter Gas Works Park, you will hear the music start to intensify. Something is definitely wrong, and your children will spot the thieving dastardly pirate, who will be attempting to make a getaway in his/her pirate boat filled with the treasure. The children will use their water cannons to defeat the evil pirate and recapture the pirate booty.
9. Success! Your child(ren) and their friends will have defeated the dreaded bad pirate and recaptured the elusive treasure. The treasure will be opened and each child will receive their share of the pirate booty. The birthday boy/girl will get something extra special so they can have a great memory.
10. We truly believe this is one of the unique Seattle kid’s birthday party ideas and places, and your children and their friends will not be disappointed.

Essential Tips on Planning a Seattle Children’s Birthday Party

Choosing the best Seattle Kids Birthday Party Venues

The key to starting your party planning is by narrowing down the vast Seattle kid’s birthday party venues available. The easiest way to do this is by setting a budget. Each parent will have a different amount of money to work with and there is no shame in that. When you take into consideration the amount you can spend for your kid’s birthday party,  you can make rational decisions on the Children’s birthday party venue, theme, and other details.

The average parent spends $250 or more per children’s birthday party and only 15% invite their child’s whole class to the celebration according to a study by Parents Magazine. Thus, as a parent, one should strategize on who to invite. Moreover, there are schools now that require the parent to invite the whole class or no one from the class at all. Obviously, this is something you must research to fully understand the school policy on birthday invites at your respective child’s school. However, sometimes an all inclusive guest list is just not feasible, so a parent should rely on inviting his/her child’s closest classmates and do their best to reduce any chance of hurt feelings from other students who did not make the cut. To minimize any child feeling left out, ask your child not to talk about the birthday party during school time with his or her friends. In addition, possibly attempt to track down each child’s home address, or parent’s e-mail to send invitations outside of school rather than having your child pass them out during school. This can greatly reduce the chance that other kids who did not receive an invitation feel less important or left out.

Once you set your budget and an invitation strategy to your children’s birthday party, the next step is to select the kid’s birthday party venue. In Seattle, there is no shortage of locations to celebrate a kid’s birthday party. The trick is to find a venue & location that can scale to your group size, is tons of fun and has some of the bells & whistles all ready to go. The latter is extremely important because you do not want to start on a blank slate.  A venue that caters to children’s birthday parties will give you a jump start on planning and reduce your time commitment.

At Emerald City Pirates, we specialize in Seattle kids birthday parties and are a unique kids birthday venue & idea. Our Family Treasure Cruises allow you to simply buy the amount of tickets you need and nothing more. If you have a larger group we have specials for up to 15 people and up to 25 people (more information about that below). Our location cannot be beaten as we sail on Lake Union Park and Lake Washington Ship Canal. As an added bonus, during the hot summer months, children can enjoy the kid’s splash water fountain at Lake Union Park prior to or after the pirate cruise.

Trust in a children’s birthday party idea and theme.

Let’s face it, any Seattle kids birthday party is better with a theme idea. A children’s birthday theme idea allows you to set the tone on decorations, invitations, costumes, goodie bags and just adds overall merriment to the festivities. In addition, a birthday theme allows you to be creative and create long lasting memories (i.e. makes for great pictures). There are tons of commonly used theme ideas such as superheroes or a popular kid’s television show/movie but you can also think about out-of-the-box theme ideas.

One great theme idea to consider for your Seattle kids birthday party is a pirate birthday theme. Pirates have entertained and captured children’s imaginations for centuries, and there is no sign of slowing down. Popular movies and cartoons such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Hook, and Jake and the Neverland Pirates continue to spread the fun and merriment of a pirate adventure. There are tons of great ideas you can incorporate into a children’s pirate birthday, such as treasure filled goodie bags, temporary pirate tattoos, and pirate costumes, much of which is already included in our family treasure cruises.

Take a minute to relax and enjoy.

We know that planning your Seattle kids birthday party can definitely take a toll. Many parents plan, worry and then plan some more, and after it is all said and done, they really don’t remember much of the actual event. Your child’s birthday is something special and a memory you want to remember fondly. Thus, teaming up with a company and children’s birthday party venue such as Emerald City Pirates gives you the best of both worlds. You can be rest assured our merry band of Pirates will entertain your children and their friends with family friendly activities, while you are able to partake in the festivities without worrying about multiple things to do. You will have a great deal of time to take pictures, laugh with your kids, and just have an overall great time. A children’s birthday party is to make your child feel special but it also serves as a long lasting memory for you as a parent. As we all know, kids grow up fast and these memories can last a life time!

Are you interested in hosting your next Seattle kids birthday party with Emerald City Pirates aboard the Queen Anne’s Revenge? You can book our family treasure cruises right here and if you are interested in a private event you can click here.

Have a big party? We at Emerald City Pirates love entertaining bigger groups! We have setup two packages to accommodate your needs. Each package allows the birthday boy/girl special treatment and attention, including a special sword (ages 6 and up), eye patch and pirate hat. In addition, each child will receive one item from the ship’s treasure chest. Please call us at 206-639-8689 or email ahoy@emeraldcitypirates.com for more information on booking / groups / celebrations.