Pretend Play for “Talk Like a Pirate” Day!

September 19, 2012 by

(by special guest blogger Crystal)

Hello, my name is Crystal, and I am the writer of  Growing A Jeweled Rose, a children’s site where I share fun and educational play activities. I am so excited to be sharing this fun playtime with you here today!

My little girl Rosie’s imagination has really taken off, and I have been having so much fun bringing worlds to life for her. So when this Pirate Chest and Pirate Role Play Costume Set arrived in the mail from Melissa & Doug, I knew just what I would do with them! A Pretend Play Pirate Treasure Hunt!

pretend play pirate treasure hunt
This was such a fun playtime!
I wanted to surprise Rosie with this activity and really tap into the magical world of make believe, so I went to a beach close to our house and buried the treasure chest in the sand without her knowing. I then used washableliquid watercolors to make an X in the sand.
pretend pirate play
X does mark the spot after all, and this will wash straight away at the next rainfall.
Then I hurried home to get Rosie. I was so excited!
I built Rosie’s excitement the whole way back to the beach, telling her we were going on a hunt for lost treasure. Once we arrived, I gave her a hand-drawn map of the area. Then Rosie put on the pirate costume and was magically transformed into a pirate!
pirate role play
There is a wooded trail that leads to the beach really making this the perfect spot for this activity. We walked the trail looking at our map often to make sure we were on the right track.
pretend pirate play
Before we arrived I had hung a pirate flag from a tree for Rosie to discover once we were near the destination where the treasure was buried.
pirate play activity
 When Rosie saw the flag she was really excited!
Once we made it to the beach Rosie spotted the X almost instantly. She said, “Look mama!” and went running! She immediately began digging for the treasure in the sand.
 
She was so excited when she saw the treasure chest and couldn’t wait to open it!  
 
She was even more excited by what she found inside!
Treasure!
Wait…. what’s that?  A secret compartment!
No, really! One of the wooden slats lifts to reveal a secret compartment. In it, mommy had hidden a beautiful necklace with a large gem broach. As soon as Rosie saw it, she insisted I put it on her.
She has not taken the necklace off since!
Rosie loved this playtime so much! Not only that, but I have lots of other fun play ideas in mind using this treasure chest and pirate costume too! I cannot wait to bring more imaginative worlds to life using these wonderful Melissa & Doug products!
________________________________________
Crystal is the writer and creator of Growing A Jeweled Rose, a play based website packed full of fun and creative playtimes for children. Crystal is currently staying home with her two small children, Jewel and Rosie, and strives to make the most of her time with them by providing fun and enriching activities! She strongly believes in the value and importance of play and that childhood should be a magical time in life. Drop by Growing A Jeweled Rose for lots more fun play ideas or stay connected through Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, or Google+.
Filed Under: arts & crafts for kids, By Skill, Fall, Halloween, Halloween, Imaginative Skills, Play Ideas, Pretend Play, Role Play & Dress-Up, Skill Building Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Comments

  1. Carmen C. says:
    September 19, 2012 at 4:45 pm

    What an awesome idea. What kid wouldn’t love digging in sand for a surprise! Your daughter looks adorable in the costume and I love that the pirate theme was not limited to a boys activity. It looks like it is a great quality costume. Thanks for sharing!

  2. wilhcarm says:
    September 19, 2012 at 4:59 pm

    Very creative and memorable! You created a wonderful day! Carolyn

  3. Go Kid Yourself says:
    September 19, 2012 at 5:54 pm

    Lovely, Crystal, just LOVELY!! This inspires me. I can’t wait to do this with The Chief… omg he’d totally love searching for buried treasure. Thanx for sharing.
    p.s….. I swear Rosie is the happiest little girl I’ve EVER met! I smile everytime I see her little smiley face :)

  4. Jacquie F. says:
    September 19, 2012 at 6:20 pm

    And ‘x’ in the sand – adorable! Looks like a great time for all – lovely post!

  5. Momma's Fun World says:
    September 19, 2012 at 6:41 pm

    What fun!!! J is so into pirates we just did a treasure hunt at the park near alittle beach area. He loved it!! Super cute pics.

  6. Susan Case says:
    September 19, 2012 at 7:47 pm

    This is a wonderful post. Arrrgh. I love Growing a Jeweled Rose blog – SO much fun. This mom KNOWS how to play.

  7. Rebekah @ The Golden Gleam says:
    September 19, 2012 at 9:11 pm

    How fun!!!! What a great activity for the pirate’s chest.

  8. Liz Hallberg says:
    September 19, 2012 at 10:11 pm

    What an amazing adventure you planned for your little Pirate, and a great way to bring some fun play products to life :) Love it!

  9. Carolyn Elbert says:
    September 20, 2012 at 12:06 am

    What a lucky little girl! This is such an amazing outing- I would love to replicate this. I know my boys would love it.

  10. jaime says:
    September 20, 2012 at 11:06 am

    What pirate fun. This is a great idea. My boys would love this. Thanks for sharing!

Trackbacks

  1. 35+ pirate activities and pirate crafts | NurtureStore says:
    October 25, 2012 at 8:01 am

    [...] Pretend play pirate treasure hunt from Melissa and Doug [...]