Welcome to the second of our Pirate Lesson plans! Step aboard and be lively!
What is one of the first things that comes to mind when you think of pirates? Treasure!
For pirates, treasure or booty was anything that had value. This could be gold, gems, exotic woods or fruits, spices, fabrics. Anything that could be sold! Some pirates hid their booty from time to time. Sometimes they never made it back to reclaim it, and thus others found it, leading to tales of treasure hunting.
Even today, there are wild rumors of treasure that has never been found.
Here is what you can do to satisfy your pirates and their desire for treasure!
Make your own treasure map. Have each child make their own map, complete with clues to the tresure. An island is usually a popular choice. Try to have moutains, bays, forests, rivers, and all sorts of landmarks. Name each one a pirate-worthy name, like Skull Mountain, Red River, Fierce Forest.
Buried Treasure Send in your own treasure - Bury "treasure" in sand. You can do this outdoors in a sandbox, or, like I did, fill a decent sized plastic container with play sand. Bury any treasure you want. I chose pretty colored beads from a local craft store. After the kids found them all, I gave them leather jewelery string, also bought at the craft store, and they made cool bracelets and necklaces out of them.Even the boys liked this! I "discovered" the treasure outside our door. Included with it was a fake letter from a Captain Etarip. Follow this link to an example. It was fun, and the kids enjoyed it.
For a quick math lesson, assign the beads different values, and have kids add up the worth of their find!
Have your own treasure hunt. Hide clues around the house leading to a small treasure.
Do a treasure hunt on-line. Here are two really fun, on-line treasure hunts for kids!
Treasure Hunt An easy, fun site. Very safe and appropriate for all ages. There is a certificate you can print if
you finish.
The Legend of Captain Dave's Lost Treasure This is Captain Dave's website. A little more difficult, and there is one answer we never found, but it is a fun way to learn about pirates!
