PIrates: EYFS & KS1 activities, displays and Topic ideas

Ahoy mateys! Set sail for adventure and discover a swashbuckling world of pirates! On this page, young learners will embark on an exciting journey across the high seas, exploring pirate life, treasure hunts, and daring voyages. Get your learning shipshape with our planning ideas, and let imaginations run wild with pirate character colouring mask templates and our immersive pirate ship role-play pack. Boost literacy with our fun letters and sounds game and snap cards, then craft your own look with pirate hat templates. Enjoy engaging activities like the pirate ship names game, creating 'Pirate Wanted' posters with our templates, and mastering numbers with counting mats/posters and our walk the plank numberline. Spark imaginative play with pirate role-play activity challenge cards, decipher clues on a treasure map, guess what's inside the treasure chest, and get creative with our design a pirate flag activity. Arrr you ready for an unforgettable adventure? Yo-ho-ho! 🏴‍☠️💰

Please scroll down to browse our Pirate themed activity ideas, printable educational materials, planning inspiration, display resources and much more! If you’re looking for Preschool, Nursery, Childminder, Reception, SEND or Home Education resources for 0-7 year olds, you’ve come to the right place! Our interactive and engaging EYFS and KS1 learning resources are lovingly made (including original hand drawn images) by early years teaching and learning experts; a husband and wife team. We hope it helps! 😊

Please note that both Editable (docx file) and non-editable (pdf file) versions are available for all ‘Pirates’ topic resources. (Editable files require Microsoft Word to work at optimum level and Non-Editable files require a pdf viewer.)

Core ‘Pirates’ Topic Eyfs & KS1 Resources | Teaching & Learning Materials

Get ready to be inspired! We hope you enjoy browsing our selection of fun and engaging printables, all created by the Little Owls Resources team—featuring our own original hand-drawn images. Have fun exploring! 😊

Click on the thumbnail images below for further details…

Related resources in ‘Sand’ and ‘Water’ Play…

‘PIRATES’ THEMED RESOURCES AVAILABLE IN OUR ‘GET ORGANISED’ SECTIONS!…

‘Pirates’ related Theme & Activity Ideas by age (🥚0-3/🐣3-5/🐤5-7 years)

(Note: Ideas by age and stage below are merely a guideline. Please use your own discretion and knowledge of your children to ensure appropriateness of each activity and safety concerning any materials given.)

Possible Theme/Topic Titles

🥚Ages 0–3 Years (Simple, sensory-friendly, and familiar language)

- Ahoy, Little Pirates! - Pirate Playtime - Treasure Time - Row, Row, Pirate Boat - Parrots and Pirates - Sing with the Pirates - Pirate Pals

🐣Ages 3–5 Years (Imaginative, exploratory, and story-based)

- Aboard a Pirate Ship - Pirates Ahoy! - X Marks the Spot - Sail the Seven Seas - Treasure Island Adventure - Pirate Tales and Songs - Captain [Class Name]’s Crew - Under the Pirate Flag - Let's Hunt for Treasure!

🐤Ages 5–7 Years (More detailed, adventure-driven, and enriched with early literacy/science)

- Secrets of the Pirate Map - Life as a Pirate - The Great Pirate Quest - Legends of the High Seas - Design Your Pirate Ship - Cursed Treasure and Ocean Mysteries - Pirate Code and Compass - Stormy Seas and Buried Gold - Build a Pirate World

Imaginative & Role Play

1. Dress Like a Pirate – Try on hats, eye patches, and bandanas from a costume box. (🐣3–5 years, 🐤5–7 years)

2. Pirate Ship Role Play – Turn cardboard boxes into a ship; pretend to sail the seas! (🐣3–5 years, 🐤5–7 years)

3. Treasure Hunt Adventure – Simple scavenger hunt with “X marks the spot” clues. (🐣3–5 years, 🐤5–7 years)

4. Pirate Puppet Play – Use pirate puppets for storytelling or singing. (🥚0–3 years, 🐣3–5 years)

Arts & Crafts

1. Make a Pirate Hat – Fold paper into hats and decorate with stickers or skulls. (🐣3–5 years, 🐤5–7 years)

2. Create a Treasure Map – Draw or tea-stain a paper map with islands and treasure spots. (🐤5–7 years)

3. Fingerpaint a Pirate Ship – Use brown and blue paint to create ship and sea scenes. (🥚0–3 years, 🐣3–5 years)

4. Craft a Parrot on a Stick – Cut out and colour parrot shapes, then attach to craft sticks. (🐣3–5 years, 🐤5–7 years)

Sensory & Discovery

1. Treasure Sensory Bin – Fill a bin with sand or rice, and hide coins, gems, and trinkets. (🥚0–3 years, 🐣3–5 years)

2. Floating Pirate Ships – Test what floats using foil boats and toy pirates in water play. (🐣3–5 years, 🐤5–7 years)

3. Smelly Spices for Treasure – Explore spice jars (like cinnamon, cloves) as pirate "cargo." (🥚0–3 years)

Music & Movement

1. Pirate Song & Dance – Sing “A Pirate Went to Sea” and add actions or marching. (🥚0–3 years, 🐣3–5 years)

2. Walk the Plank! – Balance on a line or low beam in a playful pirate challenge. (🐣3–5 years, 🐤5–7 years)

3. Parrot Says (Simon Says) – A pirate-themed version of the classic game. (🐣3–5 years, 🐤5–7 years)

Story & Language

1. Pirate-Themed Story Time – Books like “Pirates Love Underpants” or “Ten Little Pirates.” (🥚0–3 years, 🐣3–5 years)

2. Story Sequencing: Pirate Adventure – Put simple picture cards in order to retell a pirate tale. (🐤5–7 years)

3. Pirate Name Game – Make silly pirate names and practice letter sounds. (🐣3–5 years, 🐤5–7 years)

Cognitive & Problem Solving

1. Treasure Map Puzzle – Piece together a torn or cut “map” to reveal hidden treasure. (🐤5–7 years)

2. Code Cracking for Treasure – Match letters or numbers to unlock a pretend treasure chest. (🐤5–7 years)

3. Shape Hunt on the Pirate Ship – Find shapes (circles, squares) hidden in a pirate scene. (🐣3–5 years)

Related topics you may be interested in…

Related Special Dates

International Talk Like a Pirate Day

International Talk Like a Pirate Day is a humorous holiday celebrated annually on September 19th, where people are encouraged to speak in pirate slang and embrace a playful pirate persona for the day. It started in 1995 as an inside joke between two friends, who thought it would be funny to have a day dedicated to talking like pirates.

Key Aspects of International Talk Like a Pirate Day:

1. Purpose:

   • The day is meant to be fun and lighthearted, with people adopting pirate lingo such as "Arrr!", "Ahoy, matey!", and "Shiver me timbers!" It's an opportunity to embrace creativity, humour, and a bit of silliness.

2. Global Participation:

   • What began as a small event has grown into a global celebration, with individuals, businesses and schools participating. Some people host pirate-themed parties, dress up as pirates, and post on social media using pirate talk.

3. Pirate Slang:

   • On this day, people try to speak like stereotypical pirates from popular culture, often inspired by pirate movies, books, and folklore. Phrases like "Avast ye!" and "Walk the plank!" are commonly used.

4. Charitable Aspect:

   • In recent years, International Talk Like a Pirate Day has also been linked to charitable causes, with some participants using the day to raise funds for various charities, including organisations that support literacy and education.

It’s a playful day that brings a little adventure and fantasy into everyday life while spreading joy and laughter.

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