I’m sharing some fun pirate activities for middle school and a craft for a pirate ship figurehead. Also, you’ll love my Pirates Unit Study and Lapbook.
If you are swashbuckling your way into a pirate unit study, you are going to need some solid pirate activities for middle school.
I have a tutorial to recreate a pirate ship figurehead.
And it is not only a great craft for building creativity for your middle school child, but it also makes an awesome addition to a room or your homeschool space.
It can be made as part of a larger study on pirates or just as a fun independent activity for the middle schooler who loves all things pirates.
Figureheads were carved figures mounted on a ship’s bow for good luck or to ward off evil spirits and were often made to look like maidens, angels, or skeletons.
Talk Like a Pirate Day is September 19th and it is the perfect excuse to study pirates, ships, treasures, parrots, and everything that makes up the life of a buccaneer.
5 Facts About Pirates
- Pirates kept parrots as pets but often they kept them temporarily, bringing them home from exotic places and selling them for steep prices in places like London.
- Pirates did in fact wear eye patches but not just because they were missing an eye. The patches help their eyes adjust quicker between the bright ship deck and the dark belowdecks so they would put a patch on one eye.
- On board, pirates packed their ships with cured meats and fermented vegetables. They might also keep animals on the ship that could provide fresh milk, eggs, and even fresh meat.
- Captains were elected by popular vote and could be removed if they failed to perform up to “standards”.
- Pirates still exist today but are mostly contained in Indonesia, Somalia, and Nigeria. They still board the vessels and steal money and valuables from the crew, as well as cargo.
Books to Learn About Pirates
Next, you’ll love these books to add to your activities for middle school kids.
Books for Multiple Ages About Pirates and Fun Resources
Add a few of these books about pirates to your history, science or pirates unit study.
Recounting the stories of two legendary women pirates, a ballad about Anne Bonney and Mary Reade describes their desperate 1720 evening battle with the governor's men while the rest of the crew remained below.
Ahoy, matey! Did you ever wonder what life was like on a pirate ship? Join this pirate crew for a day and see for yourself. Hoist the Jolly Roger as the pirates prepare to attack a merchant ship and you'll earn a share of the loot. Sing a sea chantey as you help wind the capstan. And after you climb down the ratlines from the crow's nest, you can feast on salmagundi. From Spanish galleons to stinkpots, from treasure maps to desert islands, for a pirate it's all in a day's work!
One-Eyed Jake was the most despicable pirate to ever sail the seven seas. The cook, the bo'sun, and the cabin boy were desperate to escape Jake's evil clutches and live quiet, law-abiding lives--and one day they get their chance. "Buried treasure reluctant beginning readers need."--School Library Journal. "Illustrated with bouncy bravado."--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books.
"For sheer storytelling delight and pure adventure, Treasure Island has never been surpassed. From the moment young Jim Hawkins first encounters the sinister Blind Pew at the Admiral Benbow Inn until the climactic battle for treasure on a tropic isle, the novel creates scenes and characters that have fired the imaginations of generations of readers.
Describes life aboard a pirate ship. Includes games, puzzles, and mazes.
An action-packed, write-in activity book for little children, full of lots of different things to do. There are things to spot, mazes to follow, colouring, drawing and lots more. Factual information about the
life aboard a pirate ship are incorporated into the activities.
Presents facts about the lives of real pirates, and provides ideas for how to become one with instructions for making pirate shoe buckles, a treasure map, pirate flag, and pieces of eight
Rarely have the exploits of marauding pirates and buccaneers of the Spanish Main been more vividly recounted than in the stories of author and illustrator Howard Pyle. Possessed of a unique talent for recapturing the flavor of bygone eras, Pyle wrote and illustrated these highly readable sagas of the sea wolves who sailed under the dreaded black flag.
When Jack and Annie got back from their adventure in Magic Tree House #4: Pirates Past Noon, they had lots of questions. Did pirates really make people walk the plank? What was life like on a pirate ship? Is there any buried treasure around today? Argh! How do you talk like a pirate? Find out the answers to these questions and more as Jack and Annie track the facts.
When a pirate terrorizes the 1818 California coast, a brave young boy summons up the courage to defend his Monterey home from a savage attack. By the author of Jimmy Spoon and the Pony Express.
Full-color artwork and a simple text chronicle the world of the pirates, detailing the exploits of such famous villains as Captain Kidd and Blackbeard, their battles on the high seas, and their lives aboard ship.
For sheer storytelling delight and pure adventure, Treasure Island has never been surpassed. From young Jim Hawkins’s first encounter with the sinister beggar Pew to the climactic battle with the most memorable villain in literature, Long John Silver, this novel has fired readers’ imaginations for generations. A rousing tale of treachery, greed, and daring, Treasure Island continues to enthrall readers of all ages.
Though much of his early life remains a mystery, Blackbeard most likely began his life as Edward Teach in the sailing port of Bristol, England. He began his career as a hired British sailor during Queen Anne’s War. He eventually settled in the Bahamas under Captain Benjamin Hornigold who taught the young sailor to go "a-pirating." Soon enough, Blackbeard was commanding his own fleet and stealing ships around the Caribbean and up and down the Eastern seaboard. Known for his thick, black beard and fearsome reputation, the legend of Blackbeard has influenced pirate legend and lore for over 300 years.
Play Pirate Fluxx, boardgames are always a good addition to any study.
When Braid Beard’s pirate crew invites Jeremy Jacob to join their voyage, he jumps right on board. Buried treasure, sea chanteys, pirate curses—who wouldn’t go along?
Soon Jeremy Jacob knows all about being a pirate. He throws his food across the table and his manners to the wind. He hollers like thunder and laughs off bedtime. It’s the heave-ho, blow-the-man-down, very best time of his life. But then Jeremy Jacob finds out what pirates don’t do. . .
BUCKET OF PIRATES: Ignite your child's imagination with this bucket of pirate action figures playset! Includes 8 detailed pirate figurines, boat, ship, treasures, and more for epic battles and treasure hunts. Let their creativity soar!
Next, look at these pirate activities for middle school.
9 Pirate Activities For Middle School
- Read the classic, Treasure Island, or assign it as independent reading to your middle schooler.
- Grab my free Pirate Unit Study Ideas and Free Pirates Lapbook.
- Another good option for reading is Who was Blackbeard? While these books are recommended for 5-6 grade I think they still have a lot to offer to kids through middle school as an easier read with a lot of great information.
- Watch Pirates of The Caribbean together as a family.
- This Pirate Escape Room would make an amazing activity for home or even as a group in a co-op setting.
- Have your child research and write a paper on female pirates like – Anne Bonny, Cheng I Sao, or Mary Read.
- Play Pirate Fluxx, boardgames are always a good addition to any study.
- Learn how to draw a pirate map from distressing to final coloring.
- Create a piece of pirate artwork like the pirate ship figurehead below.
Finally, look how to make this cool octopus pirate ship figurehead.
How to Make an Octopus Pirate Ship Figurehead
Figureheads of the ship embodied the spirit of the ship.
They were made of wood and were placed on the prow of the ship.
The prow is the most forward part of the ship’s bow above the waterline.
And the pirates felt the figurehead offered protection and safe voyage, so they went to great lengths to protect it.
We are going to create a figurehead that looks as if it might have been recovered from a pirate shipwreck and brought up to be put on display.
You will need:
- Air dry clay
- Craft paint
- Paintbrushes
- Toothpick
- Craft stick
- Water
- Aluminum foil
You will also need:
- Scrap wood (Dollar Tree)
- Small rope (Dollar Tree)
First, you want to condition the clay by pulling off a large piece.
Work it in your hands for a minute or two to warm everything up and make it easier to work with.
Divide the clay up and eight same-size pieces as these will be the legs for your octopus.
Roll each of the legs out to the same length and thickness.
Then arrange them in a circle where they touch in the middle. You will not want to move it again after this, so be sure to build it where it’s going to be able to sit for the next two or three days.
Add a small piece of clay over the top of the legs where they touch and carefully smooth it with your fingers so that it’s pressed into each of the legs.
Pirate Ship Figurehead
Now take another piece of clay and condition it by kneading it for a few minutes and use it to shape the head of the octopus.
Press into the piece that you placed over the legs and smooth it, so that it appears to be one solid piece.
Use the paintbrush with a little bit of water to wet the pieces anywhere you join them or want to create a smoother appearance.
Create deep-set eyes by pressing the end of a paintbrush into the sides of the head.
Now you can pose your octopus if you don’t want it to just lie flat by arching his arms, twisting them up words, etc. using balled-up tin foil to hold it into place while it’s drying.
Use a toothpick to create little suctions on the bottom of his tentacles anywhere that you can see the underside.
Let the octopus sculpture dry out completely for 2 to 3 days, and then carefully remove the aluminum foil props pieces.
Once the sculpture is completely dry, paint it however you like and allow the paint to dry, while you’re waiting for that to dry you can move onto the board.
Hot glue your rope all the way around the board to give it a little bit of a nautical look.
Secure the octopus to the center of the board with your chosen glue.
You may want to use something a little more substantial than hot glue like E6000.
Be sure to give us plenty of time to dry before hanging so that your octopus stays secure and will not fall off.
Now, you can either display it flat on a table or shelf or hot glue a loop of twine to the back to act as a hanger.
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