Hunting for Treasure

One of the first rides we went on at Disneyland was Pirates of the Caribbean. I wasn't sure how my boys would like it. They aren't big on scary things, but after our last summer storytime, which was pirate themed, they were excited to go on a pirate ride. In the spirit of adventure, I'm posting a bounty of pirate themed activities to enjoy with your own rascally crew.

First, you must have some pirate literature.

Shiver Me Letters:  A Pirate ABC by June Sobel

A clever ABC book with a pirate theme.  "R," The pirate crew must search the sea and nearby island for all the alphabet letters, or walk the plank.  Each letter is hiding in the pages for you to find, accompanied by an adjective and/or object using that same letter's beginning sound (ex:  V is veiled in velvet, T is on a turtle).  Mr. Two especially loved shouting "R!" each time he saw it in the book, just like the pirates.
 

Can You See What I See? Treasure Ship by Walter Wick

This is my favorite I Spy book so far.  It is full of fun pirate things to find and implied pirate story lines within the pages.  As the book progresses, each page becomes a bigger piece of the picture (ex:  the first page is a large gold coin, the next page has the same gold coin surrounded by more treasure.)  This book is great for all ages.  I even caught the adults on our vacation pouring through the pages looking for treasure when the kids were off playing.

Tough Boris by Mem Fox

Boris is a rough and tough pirate, but even rough and tough pirates have feelings.  Another winning Mem Fox book.

How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long

 The little boy in the story agrees to goes along on a great pirate adventure, as long as he's back by soccer practice.  With no parents, and few rules, life is great.  But as the sky grows dark, being a pirate doesn't seem like as much fun as before.  Luckily, the pirates have heart, and return their recruit to land and home.  Find out the clever place they hide their treasure.  I see on Amazon that there is a sequel to this story, Pirates Don't Change Diapers.  We'll have to check that one out soon!

Pirate Pete's Talk Like a Pirate by Kim Kennedy

Pirate Pete has a problem.  He needs a good crew, a crew that is rough and tough and can shoot a cannon, but most of all, a crew who can talk like a pirate.  Clever, funny and fantastic word choice.

Go and grab your own little buckaneers and settle in for a tale or two.