25+ Fun Ideas For A Pirate Unit Study
Arrr Mateys! We love pirate pretend play and pirate activities in my house! My kids can’t get enough of the treasure hunting, ship sailing, and adventure seeking that comes with pirate themed activities. I have compiled a list of all of our favorite pirate activities that will make for an incredibly exciting pirate unit study filled with art, math, literacy, STEM, sensory, and fine motor skill activities. Gather your crew and get ready for some pirate fun!
Recommended Grade Level:
The possibilities for fun are endless with these pirate activities. They are easily adaptable for all ages and skill levels. So, whether you have toddlers, preschoolers, or kindergartners, you can make these activities work for you.
All of these activities have simple set up and require very few materials, so they are perfect for busy moms and teachers. We take the work out of the planning for you, so that you can focus on all the other things you need to do!
Why Should I Use Pirate Themed Activities?
There are so many benefits to using pirate themed activities with kids!
Reasons to Use Pirate Themed Activities:
Pretend Play: Pirate themed activities are the perfect way to get kids to engage in pretend play. Kids love pretending to be pirates sailing in the Caribbean and searching beaches for treasure. Pretend play is great for promoting creativity and getting kids to use their imaginations!
Language Development: “Ahoy Matey!”, “ Arrgh!”, “All Hands on Deck!”, “Walk the Plank!” There are so many popular sayings that kids love to shout out as they are playing pirates and doing pirate themed activities. These activities will have your kids sharing all their favorite pirate exclamations and telling pirate stories, both of which are fabulous for language development.
Problem Solving: Pirates are excellent problem solvers, and a pirate themed unit encourages kids to use their problem solving skills and think like a pirate!
Teamwork: Pirates have to work together! All of these activities can be done independently, with a partner, or in a small group, which means there are plenty of opportunities for teamwork and collaboration!
Check out all of our amazing pirate themed activities below!
25+ Pirate Activities
Pirate Themed Art Activities
Pirate themed art activities are a wonderful way to use your imagination, express your creativity, and work on fine motor skills all at the same time! Check out all of these fun and easy ways to make pirate themed artwork to make your pirate unit extra special!
1. Easy Paper Plate Octopus Craft for Kids
Watch out for octopus when you are sailing the oceans! Pirates may not want to see octopus swimming up to their ship, but I bet they would love this adorable Easy Paper Plate Octopus Craft for Kids! You can create this super cute octopus with just a few simple materials you probably already have in your craft stash!
More Pirate Themed Art Activities for Kids
- Use a brown paper bag to make a Pirate Craft For Kids.
- This DIY Pirate Hat is perfect for dressing up like a pirate!
- A Handprint Pirate Craft For Kids is easy to make!
- Make some Easy {Pirate} Cork Boats.
- Make A Pirate Toilet Roll Craft With Your Mateys!
- Create a Popsicle Stick Pirate Ship!
- Build A Pirate with this free printable craft.
Pirate Themed Math Activities
Everyone needs math, even pirates sailing the seas searching for treasure! These pirate themed math activities will help spark an excitement in preschoolers about practicing math skills. Golden treasure themed math manipulatives only add to the fun!
1. Free Pirate Play Dough Mats Numbers 1-10
This next activity combines two of my preschoolers favorite things! Play dough mats and pirates! These Free Pirate Play Dough Mats Numbers 1-10 are the perfect way to practice counting and identifying numbers 1-10. As an added bonus, your preschoolers will be working on their fine motor skills as they manipulate the play dough and form the numbers on this mat.
2. Free Pirate Play Dough Mats Numbers 11-20
Once you are finished practicing numbers 1-10, keep the pirate and play dough number practice going with these Free Pirate Play Dough Mats Numbers 11-20! Your kids will love continuing the fun of counting the gold nuggets onto the base ten frame and creating the shape of the numeral with play dough while practicing numbers 11-20.
3. Gold Rock Manipulatives for Math and a Free Subtraction Matching Game
I have double the fun for you in this activity! Pirates love finding gold, and in this activity, your little pirate can make their own gold and then use it to play an exciting subtraction matching game! Check out Gold Rock Manipulatives for Math and a Free Subtraction Matching Game to learn how to make your own pirate gold math manipulatives and play the game.
4. Free Printable Pirate Board Game Rounding to the Nearest Ten
This Free Printable Pirate Board Game Rounding to the Nearest Ten is perfect for any learner who is working on the skill of rounding. Kids will enjoy playing on the adorable pirate game board and practicing their rounding skills. Will you be the first to make it to the treasure? Watch out for the crossbones cards!
More Pirate Themed Math Activities
- Everyone will love this skip counting Walk The Plank Math Activity .
- Check out more preschool math skills practice with Pirate Printables: Counting Preschool Math.
- Practice coloring and numbers with this Pirate Color by Number!
- Printable Pirate Number Puzzles for Preschoolers are great number practice.
- Count out your treasure on Pirate Treasure Counting Mats.
Pirate Themed Literacy Activities
Learning to read is super fun with pirate themed literacy activities! Sand, treasure hunts, and gold all make practicing letters and words exciting for kids. Beginning readers will love these engaging, pirate themed literacy activities!
1. Stamping Compound Words with Kinetic Sand Activity
Pirates love hunting in the sand for buried treasure, and I’m sure they would love taking a break from their treasure hunting to make some words in the sand. Kinetic sand makes an amazing and unique writing slate for creating words and stamping letters in this Stamping Compound Words with Kinetic Sand Activity!
More Pirate Themed Literacy Activities
- Sight Word Activity: Pirate Initial Sound Secret Code Hunt is fun for sight word practice!
- Can you spy the sight words in this Sight Word Activity: Pirate Doubloons Treasure Hunt?
- Preschool Alphabet Activities With Gold Coins make a fun letter matching game or can be added to a sensory bin.
- Beginning readers will love this Pirate Printable Book.
- Can you find all the letters in this Pirate Letter Find Activity?
- Practice letter formation with Pirate Letter Writing Mats.
- Write about what you would do with this If I Were A Pirate Writing Template.
Pirate Themed Science Activities
Navigation, engineering, and problem solving – sounds like a day in the life of a pirate! Your preschoolers will be thinking like a pirate with these engaging Pirate Themed STEM Activities.
1. Map Skills for Kids: Backyard Treasure Hunt
X marks the spot! Learn how to make a map and set up a treasure hunt right in your own backyard. Kids will be begging to do this Map Skills: Backyard Treasure Hunt Activity over and over again!
More Pirate Themed Science Activities
- Pirate Science Fun: Exploding Treasure Chests is so much fun for kids!
- DIY Treasures will have you creating your own rocks and gems!
- Investigate density with Sink or Float Activity: Pirate Style.
- Can you keep your gold dry in this Pirate Waterproofing Experiment?
- Make Magic Treasure Rocks.
- Turn your golden pennies green with this Penny Science Experiment.
Pirate Themed Sensory Activities
Pirates need to keep their senses keen for treasure hunting and sailing across the oceans! These Pirate Themed Sensory Activities will engage preschoolers and help them explore using their senses. Sensory bins and scavenger hunts are just a few of the many exciting activities you will find below!
1. Exciting Pirate Sensory Bin Using Chickpeas
Chickpeas make an awesome sensory bin base in this Exciting Pirate Sensory Bin Using Chickpeas! The brightly colored chickpeas and fun pirate accessories will have your kids entertained and enjoying this bin for hours.
2. Ocean Sand and Seashell Sensory Bin Activity
Get transported to a deserted island with this fun Ocean Sand and Seashell Sensory Bin Activity. Dig for buried treasure, or just enjoy a mini vacation experience in a sensory bin. There are so many creative ways to use this bin!
3. Fish in the Ocean Sensory Bin for Preschoolers
Pirates better watch out or they may get thrown overboard and have to swim with the fish! Preschoolers will love playing with this Fish in the Ocean Sensory Bin for Preschoolers. Water beads make a squishy, fun filler in this bin that kids will love playing with.
4. Senses Scavenger Hunt
Pirates need to keep their senses sharp and be prepared for whatever comes their way. This Senses Scavenger Hunt is the perfect way to do that! Kids will love drawing pictures of everything they find on the recording sheet.
5. Beach Themed Scavenger Hunt
Little pirates will love using their sense of sight in this Beach Themed Scavenger Hunt. Get your spyglass ready and see what you can spy and find on the beach!
More Pirate Themed Sensory Activities
- Create a DIY Treasure Chest For Toddlers using an old wipes container.
- Prepare to be amazed by this Sunken Treasure Discovery Bottles for Little Pirates!
- These Ocean Sensory Bag for Kids are perfect for toddlers.
- Try making some Pirate Treasure Slime.
- Messy Pirate Play is so much fun!
Pirate Themed Motor Skills Activities
Having opportunities to develop fine motor skills is an incredibly important part of child development. Sensory bins, play dough activities, and slime are all great ways to strengthen hand and finger muscles and work on fine motor skills. The fact that they are pirate themed just makes them all the more exciting!
1. Night Sky Sensory Bin
Pirates love using their sense of sight and the night sky to help guide their ships! Navigate your way through this Night Sky Themed Sensory Bin with your fine motor skills. Stars, beads, and black rice make the perfect base for sensory and fine motor skill play.
2. How To Make Golden Slime
Slime is awesome for building fine motor skills! The twisting, squishing, and manipulating of the slime helps to build muscle in little hands and fingers. This golden slime is the perfect treasure chest filler or pretend sand for kids!
More Pirate Themed Motor Skills Activities
- Get moving with Pirate Exercise Cards!
- Practice scissor skills with Pirate Cutting Practice Printables.
- More Pirate Cutting Practice activities!
- Everyone loves playing with Pirate Play Dough Mats!
- Create a treasure map and have a Fine Motor Color Hunt.
- Work on fine motor skills with fun X Marks The Spot Activities.
More Unit Studies You’ll Love:
- Popcorn Unit Study
- Transportation Unit Study
- Forest Animal Unit Study
- Feather Unit Study
- Leaf Unit Study
Search All Activities
Looking for more? Find exactly what you need here:
