Peter Pan -4yr- Pixies and Pirates

For my daughter's fourth birthday we had a Peter Pan party; it was a good "co-ed" theme - girls were pixies, and boys were pirates! Also with the new movie release of "Return to Never Land", I was able to find some Disney stuff.  For the party site we chose the beach, facilities included covered pavilion and playground with pirate ship jungle gym. Four year olds need lots of room and freedom to run. 

I created the invitation using pretty stationary that looked like a misty, star filled night.  I down loaded some free Disney clip art (Dogpile.com), and pasted Peter, Wendy, John, and Michael flying across the top.  I cut out Tinkerbell and attached her using a puffy dot to add some dimension; using a silver glitter star, and some glitter glaze, I created a pixie dust trail.  I wrote a little poem that started: "It's a Peter Pan Party full of make believe, lots of fun for friends on the shore by the sea.  There'll be food, and games, and friends galore, in honor of Megan who's turning four."  The invite went on to give date, time, and location, as well as giving them the option to dress up.  At the bottom of the invite was Captain Hook with the crocodile. I put the invitation in a ziplock bag with some pixie dust.  

I made the little girls star wands with tinfoil stars and straws, and each received a garland crown made out of metallic star garland with lots of ribbon streamers. My daughter, something of a tomboy, dressed as Peter Pan!  I made hooks for the pirates using black plastic cups (slip over the hand) and silver poster board hooks.  I purchased cardboard pirate hats. Paper goods consisted of both Tinkerbell and pirate plates/napkins.  I made crocodile place cards using clothespins painted green with google eyes, and a gold coin clipped to an index card with guest's name. I bought a silver metallic tablecloth and star for centerpiece.  On the food table I used blue plastic cloth with fishnet draped over it, and then a small treasure box with toy jewels in the center (each child got to take some before leaving). 

Lunch consisted of PB&J telescope sandwiches (just a slice of bread, crust cut off, peanut butter and jam spread, and then rolled up like a telescope), gold fish crackers, shark fruit snacks, and fresh fruit served in a treasure chest.  I had the bakery make pull apart cupcakes and they scanned a picture of the Never Land map I made.  I had a second cake for parents, which was decorated with a photo of Megan at Disney with Captain Hook (you could do a crocodile, mermaid or treasure chest cake). 

Activities included decorating a Polaroid picture frame with pirate stickers and stars, making buried treasure with tiny novelties dropped into plastic pop bottle 1/4 full of rice, and coloring their shadows by tracing their bodies on butcher block paper.    By far the favorite game was the treasure hunt!  I found a map of Never Land in an old Disney Party-planning book.  I made copies of the map for everyone, burned the edges and stained them with coffee to give them an aged look.  I curled them up and tied them with a red ribbon.  Around the beach area I staked small signs which were blown up portions of the map - there was hangman's tree, Mermaid Lagoon, etc.  At each posted sign I had a bottle with clues inside (weighted down by a bit of sand).  They were divided into small teams (with a grown up to help read the clues) - the kids followed their maps to the next clue, and the last clue lead them to a trunk with treasure.  I had covered it with a white tablecloth and drew a large X on top. 

My daughter (the birthday girl) had the honor of tearing off the cloth.  Inside were the loot bags for each party guest - they were beach pails with: Tinkerbell brand nail polish and bracelet (girls) or splash bombs water balls (boys), Peter Pan coloring and sticker books, Peter Pan brand crackers, Miniature wood treasure boxes with gold coins inside, and pirate figure (boys) or pixie dust necklace (girls).  It was a lot of work, but the pictures were priceless and I don't think I've ever seen kids more "into" a party!