This really “cool” pirate themed activity for summer fun is brought to you by Melissa & Doug, written by Melissa & Doug Blog Ambassador, Zina Harrington, of Let’s Lasso the Moon!
Ahoy Matey! Your little buccaneer will get into summer fun with a splash, when they have their own DIY backyard pirate adventure with these really cool Frozen Pirate Ships.
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:
- Plastic beads or buttons
- String or ribbon
- Pirate Role Play Costume Set
- Maritime Mates Undersea Treasure Hunt Pool Toy
Instructions for Your Backyard Pirate Adventure! (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 each pirate ship 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!)
We’d love to see photos of the pirate ships your children create; tag us on Facebook or Instagram, using the hashtags #TakeBackChildhood, #CountlessWaysToPlay and #MelissaAndDoug!
PS: Find treasure hunt activities, pirate printables, other fun pirate activities, rainy day activities and more for your little swashbucklers on the Melissa & Doug Blog!
*Click here for your FREE Frozen Pirate Ships instruction sheet!*
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