Pirate Adventures

Each summer our local botanical garden puts on a special kid-friendly exhibit. While I doubt they will ever be able to top their Enchanted Storybook Forest, this year's Voyage of Discovery came pretty close.

Pirate Food!

What do you do with sick, grumpy pirates? You try to cheer them up with pirate-themed food!

Pirate Pancakes

Fill a ziplock bag with a portion of your pancake batter, snipping off a bit of the corner. Pour your batter into the pan to make traditional pancakes. Flip over and using the bag, add a pirate face to the cooked side of the pancake. Flip again to finish.

If you're really brave, try drawing a pirate ship using the plastic bag to drizzle your batter into the pan. This was my best attempt. For a much more impressive ship, check out Filth Wizardry.

 Pirate Banana

Cut a portion of banana for the pirate body. Add a strawberry bandanna by slicing the strawberry at an angle. Add a chocolate chip for the eye patch, a raisin for the good eye, and a craisin for the mouth. Use a toothpick to draw the eye patch strap with melted chocolate. Another toothpick and raisin form the sword. Piles of yellow smarties become the pirate's booty.

For once the girls happily obeyed me when I called them to the table. What really cracked me up, however, was that they both came carrying books!

I must be doing something right. :) 

(For more pirate ideas, including an adorable pirate treasure snack map, check out Katherine Marie.)

Pirate Pete by Kim Kennedy

While a little long for young children, this fun tale of pirate adventure is just right for older preschoolers and young school-aged children. When Pirate Pete steals the Queen's treasure map, he makes haste for Mermaid Island to find the buried treasure. On the way his path crosses several islands, all of which hold promise of pirate booty... and where there's gold, he's a'going! But will he find gold or will the Queen catch up to him?

The story follows a familiar rhythm, repeating at each island but with enough surprises to make the story exciting. Your kids will love the brilliantly colored and clever illustrations of the different islands: a candy island, a sleeping island (full of beds and with palm tree night lights), a leprechaun island, and a dragon island! It's a fun little story full of pirate speak and just enough danger to satisfy the most demanding little pirate.

Pirates: Treasure Chest Sensory Bin & Color Matching Game

Dig for buried treasure with this little game that combines sensory play, fine motor skills, color recognition and matching!

I filled a small bin with beach pebbles and added plastic jewels to the mix. Then I cut an egg carton in half and, using a hot glue gun, covered it in felt to create a treasure chest.

I asked A to pick out the jewels and put them in the compartment with the matching colored dot.

When she tired of the game, I handed her a couple measuring cups and a large spoon for free play in the fresh air and sunshine. Virginia is always gorgeous in September!

How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long

David Shannon's quirky artwork bring to life this clever tale of a little boy turned pirate. Jeremy Jacob is playing on the beach when Captain Braid Beard and his crew recruit the little boy to be their digger and help bury their treasure. Jeremy loves every minute of pirate life until it's time for bed. None of the pirates want to tuck him in or read him a story, and when a storm breaks the mast, Jeremy conceives a clever plan to get back home.

What can I say? The story is adorable. The illustrations are adorable. Your son or daughter is going to love it... and so are you!

I'm linking up to:
- Tot Tuesdays @ My Delicious Ambiguity
- Show & Tell @ ABC & 123

Pirates: Crazy Feathered... er, Parrots?

Ahoy, matey! Did you know Sunday was National Talk Like A Pirate Day? To celebrate we're doing a week of Pirates, and to start off, we made these paper tube parrots. They're cute... in a sort of hideously ugly way. Inspired by Vanessa's Owls @ Silly Eagle Books, I decided to see if the craft would work for parrots. Not sure if we succeeded, but it turned out to be great craft for fine motor skills, color recognition and sensory stimulation, not to mention a fun start to our Pirate Week!

First, my little Picasso painted a toilet paper tube an array of colors. Once the paint had dried we drizzled glue over the tube, then took a break while A threw a massive temper tantrum because the glue wasn't coming out fast enough for her liking. When she'd calmed down we added feathers, googly eyes, and a paper beak.

In the morning it'll be ready to take it's perch on a little pirate's shoulder!

I Love My Pirate Papa by Laura Leuck

Adorable illustrations and a sweet rhyming story make this a great pirate book for 2 and 3 year olds. A cute baby pirate explains all the reasons he loves his pirate papa: "I get to walk along the plan and leap into his lap. I've learned the letter X because he lets me read his map." The pictures are both fun and beautiful and partner the story perfectly. You'll enjoy it as much as your toddler!