(first posted on PlayGames2Learn.com, August 30, 2023)
It’s the start of another school year already! And…It’s almost #TalkLikeAPirateDay!
If you’d like to combine getting back to school with #TalkLikeAPirateDay, we’ve got some great ideas for engaging your rollicking crew of classroom and homeschool learners with our pirate-y games, activities, and even a historical adventure novel. Also, see the note below about our upcoming punny comic to celebrate the day.
Games for #TalkLikeAPirateDay
- Pirates vs. Skeletons – one of our first published games, this dice-roller pits an attacking force of skeletons against a defending crew of pirates. Use different combinations of dice and commander options to vary the math and strategy. Available as a free print-and-play on our website.
- Pirate Pursuit: The Spanish Treasure Fleet – our full-sized board game where a pirate is sneaking about, trying to capture a Spanish treasure fleet. Cooperate with the other pirate hunters to corner the pirate (or at least keep them from the treasure) while learning real pirate lore. Details and pictures via The Game Crafter.
- Pirate Pursuit: The King’s Pardon – this is our cards-only push-yer-luck companion game to Pirate Pursuit: The Spanish Treasure Fleet. In this game, collect as much pirate lore for your famous pirates as you can before you take the King’s Pardon or before yer doom catches up with ye! Details and pictures also via The Game Crafter.
+ A boxless expansion pack is also available for those who already (or wish to) own Pirate Pursuit – The Spanish Treasure Fleet.
Pirate-y Activities
- Pirate Ship Paper Craft – we designed this print, cut, and glue/tape paper craft to work as a 3D game board for Pirates vs. Skeletons. Use it for that, in your own game, or to act out a story…maybe make a whole fleet with sails and everything! Available as a free printable on our website.
- Cookie’s Cookbook – like most cooking and baking, these activities include measurement and mixing of ingredients, “try-question-refine” thinking, health and safety in the work environment, and exposure to the chemistry of cooking. Try making Cookie’s Apples in Paste, Lobscouse, and Ship’s Biscuit.
- STEM Activities – we are creating add-ons to the main Teacher’s Guide to our novel, expanding on the STEM / STEAM activities Emma is involved with in the story. In addition to the recipes of Cookie’s Cookbook, we currently have a pair of math-centric activities; one about Navigation, and one related to Inspecting the Ship’s Hull.
Historical Age-of-Sail Adventure Novel
- The Day the Pirates Went Mad takes place at the turn of the 18th century, during the Age of Sail, and follows the adventures of young Emma Sharpe as she learns to sail the seas, bonds with her shipmates, and then, with the help of cabin boy Jack Randall, must race to save them all from a cursed pirate treasure. A ‘cozy’ historical novel for middle-grade readers and up! Available in ebook and paperback formats on Amazon.
+ Now accompanied by its own Teacher’s Guide for classroom, homeschooling, and distance learners, plus there’s a boatload of behind-the-scenes about the characters, the ship, the timeline, and a glossary as well! - Book two of Emma Sharpe’s Adventures is in the works, so expect to see updates on the socials about that progress from time to time, like the recent map for Annabel Barlow’s millinery.
Speaking of #TalkLikeAPirateDay
September 19 is #InternationalTalkLikeAPirateDay. On that day, be sure to check out this year’s comic from silly Captain Flim Flam and his mini pirate crew by visiting:
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Comics from previous years include “Arr Aye Sea”, “Collide the Colours” & “To Recover a Treasure”.
Remember! Pirates help #MakeLearningFun all year round! Arr! 🙂