Camp Sunny Patch Session 1: Backyard Pirate Adventure

CAMP SUNNY PATCH SESSION 1 is brought to you by Melissa & Doug, written by Camp Counselor (and Melissa & Doug Blog Ambassador!) Zina Harrington.

Ahoy Matey! Welcome to the first week of Camp Sunny Patch. This week your camp buccaneer will be starting summer off with a splash of pirate adventure.

Required Supplies:

• Plastic cup, a muffin tin or a container from the recycling bin
• Child-Safe Scissors
• Plastic bendy straws
• Tape
• Multi-Color Construction Paper or card stock
• Hole puncher

Additional optional supplies:

• Rainbow Crystals Beads or buttons
• String or ribbon
• Pirate Role Play Costume Set
• Maritime Mates Undersea Treasure Hunt Pool Toy

Instructions (Click here for printable instructions):

1. Collect a variety of plastic containers (your pirate ship shapes). Have your child help look for different shapes, sizes and depths.

2. Grab a straw (your mast) and bend it to a 90-degree angle. Show your child how to place the short end of the straw on the floor of the pirate ship. Use a single strip of tape to secure the plastic mast in an upright position.

Let your child experiment with the supplies. There is no designated blueprint for a pirate ship. My ladies added colorful plastic beads into the hull for decoration. Another one of our pirate ships had a lovely ribbon for pulling the vessel in the water.

Let your child’s creativity run free!

3. Fill the hull with water and freeze. Ensure your pirate ship is frozen solid before moving forward. (Pop on over to Pinterest for a variety of additional pirate activities to keep your little one happy while they wait.)

4. Next it’s time to prepare the sail. Cut a medium sized triangle sail out of construction paper or card stock. Punch a hole at the top and bottom of each sail.

5. Run the bottom of the pirate ships under warm water and gently pull it out of the plastic container. Slip the paper sail onto the straw mast and set sail!

When your pirate ship melts, throw some sunken treasure into the water!

My kids enjoyed bobbing up and down searching for the gems and loot included with the Maritime Mates Undersea Treasure Hunt Pool Toy (below). (You can also use metal doubloons, pool sinkers or other waterproof objects–just be sure they’re a safe size for younger kids and, of course, waterproof!)

Maritime Mates Undersea Treasure Hunt Pool Toy

We’d love to see photos of the pirate ships your children create; tag us on Facebook or use #CampSunnyPatch on Twitter.

PS: Find treasure map activities, pirate books, additional projects, rainy day activities and more each week on our dedicated Camp Sunny Patch Pinterest board!

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Zina Harrington is the author of Let’s Lasso the Moon, where she inspires parents and children to interact creatively and enjoy the beauty of everyday moments. Visit Zina at LetsLassoTheMoon.com, say “Hi” on Facebook or check her out on Pinterest!