Pirate Adventures (Challenge Kit)

This kit was created to assist you in completing the Pirate Adventures patch challenge. Kits are written to specifically meet the requirements for the challenge and help individuals earn the associated patch. All of the information has been researched for you and compiled into one place. Included are facts, stories, crafts, games, recipes and other educational information. These materials can be reproduced and distributed to the individuals completing the challenge. Any other use of this kit and materials contained in it is in direct violation of copyright laws.

Patch Requirements

To Earn This Patch

• 5-6 years of age need to complete 2 requirements from the list.
• 7-8 years of age need to complete 3 requirements from the list.
• 9-11 years of age need to complete 4 requirements from the list.
• 12-17 years of age need to complete 6 requirements from the list.

Pirate Adventures Patch

1. Discover what being a pirate was like by learning how pirates dressed or learning how to talk like a pirate.
2. Pick your choice between the Oak Island Treasure Pit or the Cursed French Blue Diamond and read the tale.
3. Research your own buried or cursed treasure and write a brief summary of it.
4. Take the time to get to know two legendary pirates.
5. Choose four out of the eight knots from Knowing Your Knots and form them.
6. Create a quiz for a fellow guiding member where they have to match 10 parts of a ship with their description.
7. Demonstrate that you understand and can find the four basic directions on a compass.
8. Make one craft from the Pirate Clothing section, one from the Pirate Accessories section, and three from the Ship Crafts section.
9. With your Scouting or Guiding group or a group of friends, make two Jolly Rogers and play the Capture the Pirate Flag game.
10. Prepare three out of the six recipes and serve them to a friend, a family member, and a person in your community.
11. Participate in three of the games or participate in one and teach one of the games to someone who doesn’t know it.
12. Show off your pirate skills by completing four out of the five pirate puzzles

Fascinating Facts

• A flag with a white skull and crossbones on a black background is called a Jolly Roger. It was designed to strike fear into the hearts of a pirate’s enemies; however, the Jolly Roger wasn’t flown by all pirates. Pirates of the Spanish Main were usually the only ones to fly this flag.
• Women were typically not allowed on pirate vessels because it was believed that a woman on board brought bad luck. However, some women still became pirates by dressing, fighting, and cursing like men.
• The “Golden Age of Piracy” was from 1650 – 1730.
• Article III of the Pirate Code of Conduct (Bartholomew Roberts Shipboard Articles 1721) states that gambling, an often pictured time of pirates, was not allowed on most pirate ships; instead, they had to gamble whenever they made port. Anyone caught by the captain would be severely punished for breaking the code.
• The term “Davy Jones’ Locker” dates back to 1700. In pirate slang, Davy Jones meant the Devil and being sent to “Davy Jones’ Locker” meant that you weren’t going to heaven.
• Pirates believed that wearing pierced earrings of precious metals such as silver and gold would improve their eyesight.
• St. Thomas, an island in the Caribbean, has a place called “Blackbeard’s Castle.” The island’s lore states that it is believed that this is where the famous pirate spent many hours looking out for approaching ships.

Fact or Fiction?

Pirates wore eye patches to improve their night vision. FACT!

• The MythBusters proved that wearing an eye patch would actually improve a person’s night vision because one eye stays in night vision mode and doesn’t get used to the light. For more details, follow the MythBuster link in the Helpful Website section.

Powder monkeys are small monkeys that help the captain of a ship by putting various substances in his pipe so it would always be ready to smoke. FICTION!

• Powder-monkey was a position on the ship given to young boys who had to clean and load the guns during battle. Eventually, they were promoted to gunner’s mate or gunner if they survived.

A common alcoholic drink drunk by pirates was called grog. FACT!

• Grog was a rum, water, lemon juice, and sugar mixture derived from a nickname for an admiral who liked to drink.

Teaching Pages Overview

• Being A Pirate
  • Learn how a pirate dressed
  • Learn to talk like a pirate
• Interesting Stories
  • Buried treasure
  • Cursed treasure
• Pirate Fables
  • Blackbeard
  • Calico Jack
  • Anne Bonny
  • Mary Read
  • Henry Morgan
• Knowing Your Knots
  • The "S" Knot
  • Half-S
  • Modified Timber Hitch
  • Reef or Square Knot
  • Fisherman's Knot
  • Clove Hitch
  • Slip Knot
  • Bowline
• Pirate Ship Know-How
  • Knowing Your Ship
  • Knowing Your Bearings

Teaching: Being A Pirate

Dress Like A Pirate

When most people think of a pirate they imagine the stereotypical image that of a man dressed in a tricorn hat, long coat, knee breeches buckled shoes or bucket topped boots. A good example of this typical pirate is Jack Sparrow off Pirates of the Caribbean (2003). However history, illustrations, and common sense tell another story.

Pirate Dress Of The 18th Century

Hats

When at sea is was common for sailors to wear thrum caps, furry hats, knitted caps or similar headdress. Since pirates are essentially sailors it can be assumed that they would wear this type of practical hat as well. Although tricorns were worn by pirates one has to question their practicality. A strong wind would likely blow it right off your head. Also commonly worn by pirates was the kerchief tied around their head.

Jackets

A long coat would have been as impractical on a ship as tricorn hats. The big cuffs would have interfered with the daily running of a ship. The preferred coat of the 18th century would have been shorted and straight-cut.

Trousers

The pirates of the 18th century undoubtedly wore knee breeches at sea, but then the trousers were invented, and they became very popular amongst the sailors. Trousers tended to be loose and came in styles that were cut just above the ankle to about halfway up the calf.

Footwear

Very few period pictures show pirate captains to be wearing bucket-topped boots. Like the tricorns and the long coats, these boots would have been impractical on a ship as the hard leather soles would cause the captain to slip and slide all over the ship deck. Instead, sailors spent most of their time barefoot so they could grip the deck.

Other Gear

In several pictures pirates have been shown to be wearing a type of scarf called stocks wrapped tight around their neck just for fashion sake. On the other hand brightly coloured sashes were worn only to show off, especially red coloured ones since red dye was expensive and only the wealthy could afford to wear them. Originally sashes were worn by military officers, but soon became a common sight at sea.

Teaching: Interesting Stories

Note: these stories are based on historical facts, but select details were left out to add an air of mystery and suspense.

Oak Island Treasure Pit

It may surprise you to learn that there is a story of buried treasure right here in Canada. Near Nova Scotia, there is a place called Oak Island, which supposedly contains a pit filled with long-buried treasure. The treasure pit, to date, is almost 200 feet deep and told to be protected by an elaborate set of booby traps, underground channels that constantly flood the pit with water and cause it to cave in. People have been trying to find out what lies at the bottom of this pit since 1795, six have even lost their lives in accidents while hunting the mysterious treasure, and still none have
prevailed.

The story of the Oak Island treasure pit is fascinating, complex, and is full of mystery. The Oak Island treasure has been sought by many individuals and corporations for over 200 years. Explorers from far and wide have flocked to it, from the three teenagers who first discovered the site to former US President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The story of the Oak Island Treasure Pit has been written about in numerous books. To date the treasure has not been uncovered, but tantalizing glimpses of what are supposedly parts of the treasure have been reported.

There are many theories about what the mystery treasure could be. The most popular one is the theory that Captain Kidd, an 18th century pirate who came to the Oak Island region to relax and repair his ships, buried his treasure so none could find it.

Another theory suggests that the lost crown jewels of France are hidden in the treasure pit. In 1791 the jewels went missing and were rumored to have been smuggled to Louisburg, which is north of Oak Island (in Cape Breton). But since Louisburg was frequently attacked by the British it was considered unsafe and the jewels were transported to Oak Island.

Still others have speculated that the Oak Island pit was dug to hold treasure much more exotic than gold or silver. Based on the evidence of a piece of parchment paper brought up from the pit by one of the treasure hunters, another theory is that English philosopher Francis Bacon used the pit to hide documents proving him to be the author of William Shakespeare’s plays. It has also been asserted that the pit may have been dug by exiled Knights Templar and that it is the last resting place of the Holy Grail or even the holy Ark of the Covenant. Since no one has been able to dig to the bottom of the Oak Island treasure pit, none of these theories can be proven.

Over the 200 years treasure hunters have been excavating, they have encountered oak log platforms every ten feet or so to the thirty-foot level and multiple layers of charcoal, putty, and coconut fibre in 1849. At the 98-foot level, a spruce platform guarding two oak chests containing loose metal pieces was discovered.

Early on in the hunt for the Treasure, an inscribed stone (which has been lost over time) was found face-down in the Pit. There have been various interpretations made of the inscription. The most commonly accepted translation is: “Forty feet below two million pounds are buried.”

Legend Of The Cursed French Blue Diamond

The French Blue Diamond, now called the Hope Diamond, is a stone the size of a pigeon egg and is dark blue in colour, appearing blackish-blue in incandescent light. When exposed to short-wave ultraviolet light the diamond produces a brilliant red phosphorescence, kind of a red glow-in-the-dark effect, that continues for some time after the light has been switched off. The stone has been described as feeling cool to the touch. Misfortune is said to follow this treasure wherever it goes.

The story goes that one billion years ago, hot magma was working its way to the surface through a kimberlite pipe, and with the magma was a large steel-blue diamond. The diamond was found in India and was shaped into a rough triangle weighing 112 carats (worth 720,000 livres). It was purchased by a French merchant, Jean Baptiste Tavernier, and sold to the King Louis XV. The stone was then re-cut into a 67-carat diamond called the “Blue Diamond of the Crown of France” or simply
called the “French Blue.” The stone remained in the royal line until 1793, when Louse XVI and Marie Antoinette were beheaded, and the diamond was stolen, never to be seen again, or so it would seem.

In 1812 a 44.5-carat blue diamond surfaced in London. King George IV purchased the diamond, but he also ran into misfortune, and the diamond was sold to pay off debts at his death in 1830. The diamond passed through many hands but then was acquired by Henry Philip Hope, and the name changed to the “Hope Diamond.” The diamond seemed to once again work its magic and the Hope family were forced to sell the stone. In 1958, the Hope diamond was donated to the Smithsonian Institute, and there it resides today, located in a museum in Washington, D.C.

Teaching: Pirate Fables

Blackbeard

Edward Teach, known better as Blackbeard, was the fiercest and most feared pirate to ever sail the seven seas. He earned the nickname “Blackbeard” because of his long black beard which almost covered his whole face. This gave him a frightening wild look, but he became even scarier when he charged into battle because his beard would smoke. Blackbeard had a habit of weaving hemp into his beard and lighting it when he saw his enemies. He used this fear tactic to scare his opponents and victims into surrendering before he even attacked them. Most of Blackbeard’s crew believed he was the devil.

Blackbeard started his pirating career around 1713 when he was just a crew member on a Jamaican pirate sloop and died on November 22, 1718 when he was killed in a battle with the Royal Navy. It took five gunshots and more than twenty sword cuts until he finally died. During his pirating profession Blackbeard fought many battles, plundered over 40 ships, and became one of the most famous pirates to ever exist.

Calico Jack

“Calico Jack” was the nickname for John Rackham, a not-so-famous pirate. He was known for wearing multi-coloured calico coats and britches which is where he gained his nickname. Calico Jack is better known for his association with Anne Bonny and Mary Read, two famous female pirates.

Anne Bonny

Born in Ireland, Anne Bonny was a headstrong, fiercely independent woman with a vicious temper and legendary courage. She married a small-time pirate named James Bonny, who wanted her father’s estate, but he disowned her, foiling James’ plans. Later, she left James to become the mistress of “Calico Jack” and join his crew on a pirate sloop called Revenge. She was eventually captured along with another famous pirate, Mary Read, and sentenced to hang. However, both Bonny and Read were given a stay of execution because they were both found to be pregnant. Bonny then disappeared from records until her death in 1782 at the age of eighty. No one truly knows how she escaped the law, but speculators have suggested that she was smuggled away by her father.

Henry Morgan

Morgan was born in Wales in 1635. Not many pirates earned the title “Sir” since they were considered to be criminals. But Henry Morgan did. He was knighted in 1674 by King Charles II after pulling off a daring and spectacular raid on one of the richest cities at that time — Panama City. He was one of the bravest, most intelligent and successful swashbucklers in all of history.

Captain Morgan spent a lot of time in the islands of the Bahamas. He would wreak havoc, and he buried a great deal of treasure. Morgan’s Bluff, the highest point on Andros Island, is named after Captain Morgan.

Mary Read

Since she was very young, Read led a man’s life. Her mother raised her as a boy to receive financial support until her teen years when Read went to work aboard a ship. Her next employment was with the military service and there she stayed until she fell in love with a Flemish soldier. After they were wed, Read dressed as a woman for the first time. Unfortunately, the soldier died young and Read went back to life as a man. She boarded a ship bound for the West Indies, but it was captured by pirates who forced her to join them.

In 1720, she joined the pirate “Calico Jack” and became close friends with Anne Bonny. At one point “Calico Jack” tried to kill her because he was jealous that Bonny found Read attractive. Fortunately, Read revealed that she was actually a female and thus was sparred. Read was later captured along with John Rackham and Anne Bonny, but she escaped hanging due to her pregnancy. She died a short time later, though, of disease and fever while still in prison.

Teaching: Knowing Your Knots

Parts Of A Rope

Before you start tying knots just yet there is some terminology that you have to learn to understand these instructions. A rope can be broken down into three sections: two ends and a standing part. Some knots are formed by two ends (reef knot), some by the end and the standing part (bowline), and some by the standing part alone (sheepshank).

Although some knots may appear difficult, they can all be broken down into three basic terms: bight, standing part, and free/working end. A bight is any curved section between the ends of the rope. The standing part is the section of the rope not involved in the knot and the free/working end is the end of the rope that you are using to make the knot.

You also need to know the difference between an overhand loop and an underhand loop. An overhand loop is where the end of the rope comes above the standing part to form a loop, and an underhand loop has the end of the rope going under the standing part to form a loop.

Teaching: Knowing Your Ship

Teaching: Knowing Your Bearings

Learning The Basics

Begin by teaching your girls the four basic directions: north, east, south, and west. An easy way to help the girls remember these is to use phrases such as “Never Eat Soggy Waffles.” Show them how each letter in the phrase stands for a direction (the “n” in “never” represents “north”) and teach them that the order of the directions in the phrase is the same as the rotation of a clock’s hands

8 Points On A Compass

Next, introduce the girls to the four intermediary directions: northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest. Have them draw a compass on a sheet of paper with both the basic directions and the intermediary directions to make sure they have them down pat.

Working To Find North

Show your girls a compass and explain that it will always point to the north. Allow them to practice turning their bodies in different directions and moving the compass to various locations, noting which direction the compass points each time.

Mastering The Compass

Practice finding directions other than north. South is the easiest to find since it’s simply the opposite of north. If you want to go south, you just go the opposite of the way the compass is pointing. To find the east, go to the right of the direction the compass points. To find the west, go to the left of the compass arrow.

What Is A Compass Rose

A compass rose is a figure on a compass or map used to display the cardinal directions. Since the 1300’s the compass rose has been draw on charts and maps. Originally, the compass rose was called a wind rose because it was used to indicate the directions of the winds. The 32 points of the compass rose come from the directions of the eight major winds, the eight half-winds and the sixteen quarter-winds, but today, we just use it to show the four cardinal directions. The term “rose” comes from the figure’s compass points resembling rose petals.

Craft Overview

• Pirate Clothing
  • Paper Pirate Hat
  • Eye Patch
  • Beaded Sash
  • Build a Bandana
• Pirate Accessories
  • Beaded Necklace
  • Old Coin Medallion
  • Parrot Partner
• Ship Crafts
  • Tin Candle Lights
  • Design A Jolly Rodger
  • Create A Compass Rose
  • Make A Compass
  • Make A Treasure Chest
  • Treasure Map

Craft: Paper Pirate Hat

Materials

• A standard sheet of paper

Instructions

1. Start with a piece of paper (a sheet of newspaper makes a nice, big hat). Fold the sheet of paper in half and open. Now fold the top down to the bottom edge and crease well.
2. Fold the top corners down to the centre line. Fold the bottom edge (uppermost layer only) up to the base of the triangles. Fold this part up once again, and
   crease well. Turn hat over and repeat on the other side. Open out the hat to shape it. Your pirate hat is complete!

Craft: Eye Patch

Materials

• String
• Cardboard/poster board
• Decorating materials (optional)
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Draw a circle on the cardboard big enough to cover your eye. Carefully cut it out and punch two holes in it, one on the right and left side of the patch.
2. Next, take a piece of string and wrap it about your head to measure how long of a string you’ll need. Cut it to size. Insert the end of your string through one of the holes in the eye patch and tie it off.
3. Take the other end of the string, put it through the other hole and tie it. Place the string over your head and you’ve built yourself an eye patch. Good job, matey! Now you can decorate it any way you want.

Craft: Beaded Sash

Materials

• Long, rectangular piece of material
• Scissors
• Glue
• Glitter
• Beads

Instructions

1. Find a long, rectangular piece of material that wraps about your waist and still has some material dangling down. Take a moment to tie it around your waist to see what your sash will look like then remove it.
2. Cut little strips on one end of your sash, the part that dangles down, to give your sash a frayed look. You can leave it as is, or you can slide beads onto the strips and knot off the bottom to keep them from slipping off.
3. Next, determine which part of the sash goes against your body. Take the side that doesn’t and start decorating it with glitter, beads, or even a skull and cross bones. Anything you want will work; just make it as piratey as you can.

Craft: Build A Bandana

Materials

• A meter of material
• Scissors
• Decorating tools

Instructions

1. Cut a meter of cloth into a square. Fold the square into half, corner to corner, so you have a diamond shape. If you have a rectangle shape you folded the wrong half.
2. Take the centrefold, wrap it around your forehead and tie the two corners at the back of your head.
3. Tuck the point of the triangle underneath the tied ends. Arr, you’re a pirate! Feel free to decorate the bandana with anything you want, glitter, markers, or anything you can think of.

Craft: Beaded Necklace

Materials

• Length of string
• Scissors
• Beads

Instructions

1. Take a piece of string and measure it to the length you want. Remember that any knots you make take up that much more string.
2. Add beads or letters to your string. You can place knots in between each bead, or every two, or where ever you want a knot. This separates the beads and can make your necklace look more balanced.

Craft: Old Coin Medallion

Materials

• Coin shaped rock
• Gold or silver tinfoil
• Long piece of string

Instructions

1. Give each girl a rock roughly shaped like a coin. Have them wrap the rock in gold or silver tinfoil. This will be your old coin.
2. Using a long piece of string, tie the coin to the center of the string. You now have a medallion.
3. If you want to decorate your medallion some more you can add beads onto the string or paint a design onto your coin.

Craft: Parrot Partner

Materials

• Parrot template
• Paper
• Card stock
• Glue
• Scissors
• Markers
• Tacky glue
• Coloured feathers
• Googly eyes
• Tape or safety pins

Instructions

1. Cut out the parrot template, glue the template onto card stock and cut it out.
2. Decorate the parrot with markers and use the glue to adorn it with coloured feathers and googly eyes.
3. Fold the paper tab along the creases and tap or pin it to your pirate’s shoulder.

Craft: Tin Candle Lights

Materials

• Tin can 
• Paper or cardboard
• Scissors
• Tape
• A nail
• Hammer
• Wood insert
• Tea candle

Instructions

Before you start, make sure you have a tin can and a chunk of wood that you can place inside the can. It has to be roughly the same size as the can. The wood insert is used so the can doesn’t bend when you make the nail holes.

1. Take a tin can and make sure it’s cleaned out and the label is removed. Set the can aside.
2. On a piece of paper or cardboard, draw the design you want on your tin can. This is your stencil. Wrap your stencil around the can to make sure it’ll fit how you want it. Make changes as needed. Next, cut out your template and tape it onto the can.
3. Place your wood insert into the can and then punch out your design using a nail and a hammer. Once your design has been completed, remove the stencil and the wood insert. Light a candle, place it inside your tin can, turn off the lights and watch as your design shines.

Craft: Design A Jolly Roger

Materials

• 1 sheet of drawing paper
• 1 sheet of red, white or black construction paper
• 3 pieces of felt
• A stick

Instructions

1. Pirates sailed under flags called “Jolly Rogers.” Many pirates created their own designs.
2. Design a pirate flag that tells something about you. Pick something you are interested in or good at to include on your pirate flag. For example, if you like camping, include a tent on your pirate flag. Also, make sure you include some pirate symbols on your flag, such as skulls, skeletons, crossbones, cutlasses, and hourglasses.
3. First, draw your design on the drawing paper. Then, cut your design out of felt and glue it onto construction paper. After your pirate flag is dry tape it to a stick.

Craft: Create A Compass Rose

Material

• Pencil
• Ruler
• Crayons or markers

Instructions

1. Give each girl a piece of paper and some markers. Have them draw two 12 cm lines, one vertical and one horizontal, so they intersect to form a cross. This will be your N, E, S, and W directions. Next, draw two more 6 cm lines intersecting the middle to form an X. These lines will be in NE, SE, SW, and NW directions.
2. Now make little dots 6 mm up the 12 cm legs. Draw the sides of the 4 N/S/E/W legs to the marked points forming a large star.
3. Next, draw the sides of the short points from the tip to the new marks to form the short star behind the large star.
4. Now, it’s time to bring your drawing to life. Take a light colour and shade the left half of each of the star points. Shade the right half of each point a dark colour to make your star really stand out. Once you are satisfied with the inside of your compass rose, it’s time to work on the outside.
5. Draw a big circle around your star and a circle around your new circle to form the compass border. Inside the border, write your N, E, S, W and NE, SE, SW, and NW directions in their appropriate spot. Colour the compass border, and you’re finished!

Craft: Make A Compass

Materials

• 1 clear plastic cup
• Pencil
• Bar magnet
• Thread
• Needle or small nail

Instructions

1. Stroke one end of the magnet along the needle, about 30 times in the same direction. Test to see if the needle (or nail) has become magnetized by picking up pin.
2. Next, tie one end of a piece of thread to the center of your magnetized needle. Tie the other end of the thread to a pencil. Place the pencil on the rim of the cup with the needle hanging down into the cup.
3. Place the completed compass on a table. Once the needle comes to rest the thickest end of the needle will point north. Move the cup compass to other areas on the table and watch the needle come to rest and point north.

Craft: Make A Treasure Chest

Materials

• A shoe box
• Coloured paper
• Glue
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Have the shoe box, glue, and paper ready. Paste a dark colour paper on the box until it is covered, but make sure to do the box and lid separately
2. Cut two long strips (3 inches) of yellow paper and two shorter ones (also 3 inches) and glue them on the edges or as stripes on the box.
3. Cut out or draw on designs for your treasure chest and put them on your box. You can also glue brown or black construction paper on the inside of the box to cover the inside as well. Make a keyhole, and then you are done.

Craft: Treasure Map

Materials

• White construction paper
• Crayons
• Used damp tea bag

Instructions

1. Have the kids draw an island in the middle of their construction paper. Give the island a name, then write the name of the water that surrounds their island (ocean, bay, cove, lake) on the map.
2. Draw a compass rose in the lower right-hand corner of the treasure map. You can include things like hills, mountains, pond, lakes, forest, palm trees, shark fins in the water, or a big X to mark where the treasure is.
3. Tear jagged edges all around the treasure map to make it look rugged. When the treasure maps are finished age the maps by pressing a damp tea bag all over it. Allow to dry and colour your map.

Recipe Overview

• Oreo Cannon Balls
• Shiver Me Timbers
• Sand Dollars
• Pirate Punch
• Melon Pirate Ship
• Skewered Octopus

Recipe: Oreo Cannon Balls

Ingredients

• 1 package Oreo cookies
• 1 package cream cheese, softened
• 1 package almond bark

Instructions

1. In a plastic bag, crush Oreo cookies, then take a bowl and blend the crushed Oreo cookies and cream cheese.
2. Roll into bite-size balls. Dip each ball into melted almond bark and place it on waxed paper.
3. Drizzle melted chocolate on each ball and decorate with skulls and crossbones or black sprinkles. Set in refrigerator and let chill.

Recipe: Shiver Me Timbers

Ingredients

• 2 oz orange juice
• 2 oz apple juice
• Lemonade
• Grenadine
• Optional: an orange slice
• Optional: a cherry

Instructions

1. Put orange and apple juices into a glass half filled with ice.
2. Fill the glass with lemonade and a splash of Grenadine. For garnish, you can use a half orange slice and a cherry.

Recipe: Sand Dollars

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

1. Beat butter in a large bowl until light. Beat in 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar and vanilla. Add flour and mix until just blended. Stir in nuts. Shape dough into a ball, then flatten into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Place on prepared sheets, spacing evenly. Bake for about 20 minutes or until firm and lightly coloured.
3. Sift powdered sugar into a bowl. Transfer cookies to powdered sugar while still warm and roll gently to coat. Immediately transfer cookies to plastic bag and seal (this makes the cookies sweat and form an icing). Let stand 5 minutes in the bag. Transfer to rack and cool.

Recipe: Pirate Punch

Ingredients

• 12 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate
• 1 small can (6 oz) frozen lemonade concentrate
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1/2 gallon dry ginger ale (32 oz)

Instructions

Pirate punch serves 24.

1. Mix the fruit juices, then cover and chill in the refrigerator.
2. Add cold ginger ale just before serving.
3. Serve fruit punch over crushed ice or freeze about half of the ginger ale in ice cube trays and add to punch with remaining ginger ale.

Recipe: Melon Boat Pirate Ship

Ingredients

• Watermelon or any melon of your choice
• Teddy graham bears or gummy bears

Materials

• Popsicle stick or chopsticks
• Black construction paper
• White crayons

Instructions

1. Cut out a triangular sail out of the black construction paper; this will be your pirate ship sail.
2. Using a white crayon or marker, draw a skull and crossbones or any pirate symbol you want. Cut two holes in your sail and insert your mast, the popsicle or chopstick.
3. Cut a slice of melon to get a rough boat shape and stick your flag into the middle. Then place teddy graham bears along the melonas your pirates.

Recipe: Skewered Octopus

Ingredients

• Hot dogs
• Pirate sword plastic toothpicks OR wooden toothpicks

Instructions

1. Take the hot dog and slice it four times ¾ the way down into eight legs.
2. Put your sliced hot dog into a pot of boiling water or on a roasting stick over a campfire and wait until the legs curl up.
3. Take out your octopus and skewer it with a colourful pirate sword toothpick or place it on a festive plate.

Games Overview

• Treasure Hunt
• Cannon Ball Down!
• Capture the Pirate Flag
• Captain Says
• Memory Game

Game: Treasure Hunt

Materials

• Paper or cardboard
• Scissors
• Marker
• Treasure chest
• Any goodies and prizes

Instructions

A pirate treasure hunt can be done with small or large groups, inside or outside. Clues to the treasure can be written, drawn, or photographed. Cardboard puzzle shapes are a good idea because the clue is more durable than paper, and although each clue is a single piece, when the kids put it together, a treasure map emerges on the other side. Clues can be simple or complex depending on the ages of your pirates. Of course, the final clue leads to a treasure chest full of goodies.

Recipe: Cannon Ball Down!

Materials

• Gym balls

Instructions

1. Designate a rectangular play area. Place a kid on each side of the long part of the rectangle; these people are pirates. Give the pirate the inflated gym balls. Everyone else is on normal merchant ships just going about their business when they come across two pirate ships battling. The only way to get to safety is to sail through the battle zone.
2. The merchant ships run from one end of the rectangle to the other while the pirates throw/roll cannon balls (gym balls) into the crowd.
3. Any ship that is hit has to come to the side of the rectangle playing area and become a pirate. The last merchant ship standing wins, or once all the ships are sunk, the game ends.

Game: Capture The Pirate Flag

Materials

• Two different pirate flags

Instructions

1. Divide your pirates into two teams and give each team their own flag and own “island.” Pirates then hide their pirate flag somewhere on their island.
2. The goal is to find the opposing flag and bring on to your team’s island. If one pirate is tagged by an opposing pirate, he is sent to a designated deserted island where a friendly tag from his own teammates rescues him.
3. First team to get the opposing team’s flag onto their own island wins.

Game: Captain Says

Materials

• Any props you want (optional)

Instructions

1. Set up a designated playing area and gather your girls into a line facing you. Before you begin teach them the commands and which action they have to do.
2. The Leader then calls out a command and the girls have to do the action. If anyone doesn’t do the right action then they are out and have to stand next to the Leader.
3. The girls that are out can try to mess the other girls up by doing the wrong action in hopes that the girls will follow them instead of the Leader. The commands and activities are listed on the next page.

Commands

Game: Memory Game

Put your mind to the test and see if you can match the cards!

Instructions

Note: Build a card deck using the pictures on the next page. There has to be two cards for each character.

1. Mix up the cards and lay them all face down.
2. Next, flip two cards face up one at a time. If they match, gather the pair together and put them aside. If they don’t match, flip them face down again.
3. Repeat until all the cards are paired up and set aside.