Princess & Pirate Party 6-7yr - Treasure Hunt

This passed August I threw my godson 7th and little cousin 6th birthday party He wanted a Pirate party and she wanted Princess. I searched around to see where I could throw a huge party. I booked the Horizo's at Marriott Vacation Club in Orlando, Fl. The hotel is filled with a pirate atmosphere everywhere. It had 2 mini water parks, one side with a big ship and the other side with a big water slide along with a big splash pad. A pirate golf course, ping-pong tables, basketball court, pool tables and recreational activities through the whole day. I started planning in February to buy things on sale at the retail stores. I work at a summer camp, where coincidently, the theme was pirate as well. At the end of camp I was permitted to take whatever left over for my party. That was excellent for me because it cut down a lot of money. The only thing I had to buy was princess décor and toys.

When the kids showed up they got assigned their sashes (In the invites I told the kids to wear white t-shirts so they would be uniformed.) Soon after they were starting their treasure chest, telescope and/or tiaras. Next they ate pizza and got started on the treasure hunt. When they found the treasure chest I evenly distributed the items to the party guests. Too cool the kids down, we played Kiss the Frog and a balloon toss game. The children were so hot and excited they ran to jump in the pool and play on the ship. We singed Happy Birthday, ate cake and played at the golf course.

While we were playing, one of the adult volunteer was starting dinner. After dinner, the kids ran to get in the pool again. I finally had to get them out the pool so they could watch the Sea World, Universal Studios and Downtown Disney fireworks. The theme parks usually do fireworks at ten. We were located right in the middle. The children enjoyed it. Afterwards, the kids took their bath and sat while the birthday kids opened their presents. Lastly, we turned on the radio and started to dance. When the kids started to get heavy-eyed, I popped some popcorn and put on Pippi Longstocking. I had other movies like, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Little Mermaid, Peter Pan and Cinderella.

INVITATIONS: My boss had a lot of mineral water. I took about 50 bottles and used 15 for the invites and the rest for the treasure hunt. It was an message in the bottle that included five ½ sheets of individual paper. The 1st one read: Hear Ye! Hear Ye! And a Yo! Ho! Ho! It's off to a princess & party we go! We'll be dressing up, hunting treasure & having fun. We certainly hope that you can come! Then in the middle was a split picture with my godson and my little cousin dressed up in pirate princess attire with the date of the party.

On the bottom it said, There will be games to play so on dry land we will stay. When the treasure is all found Pirates & Princesses will sit down. We'll have pizza to eat then we'll create sundaes so sweet! This was typed in a Chiller font. On the 2nd page: Ahoy maties! Cap't Jovan is turnin seven! A splash bash is in store for this ol sea dog! He needs all his mates to help raise the sails, wash the deck & batten down the hatches. There will be plenty of treasure for the taking. Please say you'll come for this swash buckling pirate fun-filled b-day adventure!

The Captain ship is docked at the Horizon's Harbor. We're settin sail at 11am on August 16. Don't be late or you'll walk the plank! R.S.V.P.(phone #) ---- ---- ---- The background was a pirate ship and an island with a parrot sitting on top of a treasure box with an X The 3rd: Hear Ye! Hear Ye! All Knights & Princesses of the land are invited to a royal celebration in honor of her royal highness, Princess Shaunte 6th year of birth. Please join us for feasting & festivities at the Horizon Harbor, in the township of Orlando on August 16 at 11am. Let Queen Candace know if you will be attending as she has to prepare the Harbor for your arrival.(phone #) --- --- --- The back ground was a castle with pink and purple crowns. The 4th: Star light, star bright. Let's get together & talk all night. It's a Slumber Party! Please bring your pajamas, toiletries, pillow, two set of change of clothes, blankets and medicine (If needed).Come and take the plunge in the summer sun! Please bring a swimsuit, towels, sun block, pool toys (optional) **Please bring a white t-shirt for an activity!**

The border was pillows, fairy wands, lipsticks, etc. The 5th: CANNONBALL!! Come & take the plunge in the summer sun! Please bring swim trunks, sun block, towel& pool toys (optional) No time for sleep, we'll stay up ALL night--watch movies, chit-chat & tell tales of fright! You're invited to a slumber! Please bring pajamas, toiletries, pillow, blanket, 2 set of change of clothes, medicine (If needed) **Please bring a white t-shirt for a activity!** The top picture was a boy jumping off a diving board. The bottom was 4 boys lying down on sleeping bags eating pizza and popcorn. All the pictures I got are from the internet.

DECORATIONS: For the décor I really didn't do anything spectacular because the hotel scene gave it away. I did though put up a princess banner outside by the patio/grill area. Inside our room I put princess pictures that the kids colored. I used pink and red plastic cups, red plastic ware, black napkins, pink and paper plates and black table covers. It was a pretty diverse area.

FOOD: I served pizza for lunch and grilled hotdogs, chicken and steamed corn on the cob for dinner. For the beverage, I served Shark's Blood which was Berry Hawaiian punch and watermelon. For the cake I went to Publix and purchased a ½ sheet cake. One side was Cinderella and her prince. The other side was a pirate face. I took ideas from this website about serving finger food like gold fish crackers, peg legs (baby carrots), etc.

PARTING GIFTS: I made a treasure chest that I saw on this website. I got a foam cooler and spray painted it brown. I took a hot glue gun and glued colored jewels, gold beads and plastic coins from the inside out. I purchased gold Easter grass and placed it on the bottom. I collected Mardi Gras beads, fake money, pirate and princess tattoos, pirate and princess stickers, pony stickers, plastic jewelry, ring pops, candy jewelry, skull yo-yos, pirate coins, pirate key chains, skull stickers, pirate and princess rubber duckies, small stuffed animals, pirate necklaces/bracelets, princess and pirate pencils/pens. They also made mini treasure boxes, where they could glue their own colored jewels, gold coins and gold beads. They colored telescopes and glued the left over jewels on the tiaras that the girls had on their heads. I went to Wal*Mart and purchased pink sheer and skeleton fabric for $1.00 a yd. Each child had a strip of fabric, according to gender, for a sash.

GAMES/ACTIVITES: The main thing that the kids were talking about was the cannon ball game (balloon toss), kiss the frog (similar to pin the tail on the donkey.) and the Treasure Hunt.  

At the beginning of the hunt I started a story I made up: Many, many centuries ago, there was a royal family that lived in a valley named, the Ray's. The Ray's made up King Perry Ray, Queen Lenora Ray and Princess Rosa Ray. The family was very wealthy and all the citizens knew it. But although they had a lot of money, they always did their sharing of giving to the poor. One stormy night a ship of pirates set land on the west side of the valley. They stole and wrecked the valley people houses.  They also bombarded the Ray house. The only room they made it to was Princess Rosa's. They took all of her jewels and coins. King Perry and all of his army men caught them and ran all the pirates away. They set sail and put all of the stolen goods in a chest.

I have found out that the pirates buried the treasure somewhere here where X marks the spot. They never returned to claim it. As a team, you guys are going to find it by using a map and searching for clues. But you will have to follow the rules or you will walk the plank! The rules pretty made of the simple, no running; don't run off before the clue is read, etc. The treasure hunt was divided up into 2 teams. Each time had a map of the hotel area that I drew up and colored. Ahead of time I spread the clues through out the hotel. F

or team blue clues: 1+1 will always be 2, but 3+3 is the next clue FORE you. 6TH GOLF HOLE. (The clue was a picture of a camp fire) The campfire clue read, By breaking the balls, you could win this battle. Nine holds the clue, just give it a rattle. There were 9 blue balloons stacked like a pyramid. They were given instructions by one of the parents to bust them open to find the numbers for the next clue. (Hieroglyphics: [1=A, 2=B, 3=C, etc.] POOL TABLE) the pool table clue was: Cannon balls don't go through this hoop this is where Princess Shaunte take a shoot. The team had to go to the basketball court. The volunteer parent gave the instructions that each child must make the ball in the goal in order to receive the next clue. The winning clue read: *Princess Mania Treasure Dive- Go to the Parched Pirate (a gift shop by the pool at the hotel). He will let you know what to do to buy your next clue.* The attendant told them as a team everybody must collect 100 pennies in the pool. But they have to go up the stairs and down the slide to enter the water. Once collected they have to count the pennies and give them to him in order to receive their next clue.

The next clue read: Jack & Jill went up a hill to fetch a ______ __ ________. (The hotel had a splash pad where there was 2 huge buckets on top of a tower. When the buckets fill up with water they would tip over.) The clue for that station was: Math Problem: Jovan had 138 rooms he had to paint in the castle. Shaunte had 301 rooms she had to paint in the castle. How many rooms did they have to paint all together? ROOM439 (The answer added up to the room number we stayed in.) (Ahead of time I told the team leader to go to the stairs instead of the elevators.) If its treasure that you seek, then please don't despair, for you'll find the next note at the top of the stairs. (It was a note saying Find Me! of a picture of a boot.)

When they found the boot the clue said: To the front door- run quick as a rabbit, for waiting on children pirates aren't in the habit! When they got to the door another clue read: I've a ring in my ear & a scarf on my head, now you must look by the foot of the bed. On the floor there was apiece of paper along with a thick paint brush and a small bowl of water down red dye. Oh no! Captain Jack Sparrow wrote the clue with an invisible pen. Spread the magic blood from the bad witch, Ursula, from the Little Mermaid, over the paper to reveal the clue. (The magic word for that was In a closet in a shoe) They went to the closet, found the shoe and the clue: If you're looking for Captain he's up on the bridge, but if it's a clue that you seek, it's stuck on the fridge.

That clue read: Some pirates had a brawl aboard the ship, The Poison Sea. Collect the torn pieces in the trash bin to see what it says. They puzzle piece together the clue and it read: Now even old seadogs as ancient as me like to take baths after a long year at sea! They went to the tub and found a piece of paper that read: Mirror Word: Face the mirror to find your clue The word was --TELEVISION spelled backwards. The clue for the T.V.: To find the treasure you need a ship, which has a clue for this trip. They knew to go the ship in the pool. When they got there, they searched and found the clue that read: X marks the spot. By the patio there was a poster board sign that was leaning on the treasure chest.

The Orange team clues were the same but backwards: Jack & Jill went up a hill to fetch a ______ __ ________. Math Problem: Jovan had 138 rooms he had to paint in the castle. Shaunte had 301 rooms she had to paint in the castle. How many rooms did they have to paint all together? ROOM439 If its treasure that you seek, then please don't despair, for you'll find the next note at the top of the stairs. Find me! To the front door- run quick as a rabbit, for waiting on children pirates aren't in the habit! I've a ring in my ear & a scarf on my head, now you must look by the foot of the bed. Oh no! Captain Jack Sparrow wrote the clue with an invisible pen. Spread the magic blood from the bad witch, Ursula, from the Little Mermaid, over the paper to reveal the clue. In a closet in a shoe If you're looking for Captain he's up on the bridge, but if it's a clue that you seek, it's stuck on the fridge. Some pirates had a brawl aboard the ship, The Poison Sea. Collect the torn pieces in the trash bin to see what it says. Now even old seadogs as ancient as me like to take baths after a long year at sea!

Mirror Word: Face the mirror to find your clue  PLAYGROUND (It was playground spelled backwards.) The kids searched the playground to find the clue which is the first one for team blue. 1+1 will always be 2, but 3+3 is the next clue FORE you. Find Me! By breaking the balls, you could win this battle. Nine holds the clue, just give it a rattle. Hieroglyphics: (1=A, 2=B, 3=C, etc.) POOL TABLE  Cannon balls don't go through this hoop,this is where Princess Shaunte take a shoot. Each child must make the ball in the goal in order to receive the next clue. Princess Mania Treasure Dive- Go to the Parched Pirate. He will let you know what to do to buy your next clue. 

As a team everybody must collect 100 pennies in the pool. But they have to go up the stairs and down the slide to enter the water. Once collected they have to count the pennies and give them to the attendant at the Parched Pirate in order to receive their next clue  To find the treasure you need a ship, which has a clue for this trip.  X marks the spot. This was a lot of searching and brainstorming. The kids and the adult volunteers had a delightful time with this hunt. I'm pretty sure you can use these clues for your next party. Of course you would have to do some changes.