I’m sharing some fun play doh map ideas and a sensory tray for your preschool and kindergarten kids. Also, you’ll love more ideas on my Pirates page.
This activity is a great way to introduce your child to directions, identify markers and symbols, and details, build fine motor skills, and allow guided dramatic small-world play.
It is quick to set up and clean up.
And uses simple craft items and toys you probably already laying around the house making it a great addition to your theme.
You can create an inviting-themed tray that will keep your little ones busy for hours with the simple steps below.
Books & Resources about Pirates
First, look at some of these fun books to include any aged child to your learning day.
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 some of these other resources for learning about pirates.
Pirate Hands-on Ideas for Kids
Also, I have these fun hands-on ideas for learning about pirates.
- Fun Homeschool Pirate Unit Study Ideas and Free Pirates Lapbook
- Pirate Activities For Middle School And Make a Cool Pirate Ship Figurehead
Additionally, add these pirate play doh ideas for your littles.
More Pirate Play-Doh Map Ideas
Watch your little one exploring the 7 seas in their imagination, searching for treasure, learning to read maps, counting, and learning about their senses with these 8 awesome ideas.
- Put together a treasure chest full of gold that builds little fine motor skills as well as creativity. Check out How to Make Pirate Treasure Playdoh.
- Grab these Free Printable Pirate Playdough Mats to create maps and flags with playdough.
- If you are working on counting and number recognition, then you need these Pirate Play Dough Mats 1-10 to go along with your theme.
- Slime is definitely a hit with kids, gooey, messy, and a great way to explore, try this Pirate Treasure Slime full of booty.
- Make Your Own Pirate Treasure is a simple setup and activity, which means low stress and easy enough for the littlest buccaneers.
- Make an Easy DIY Treasure Map for Your Little Pirates with little more than paper scraps that will get their imaginations going.
- How fun is this Egg Carton Treasure Chest Pirate Craft? You can hide it all around the house or yard and let them find it again and again.
- Brrr, I mean Argh! This Ice Block Treasure Hunt Activity encourages them to problem-solve and experiment to find the treasure.
Finally, look how to make a pirate play-doh sensory tray.
Pirate Play-Doh Map Sensory Tray
This one may make you a little crazy, encouraging your child to mix playdough colors on purpose, but the fun will be totally worth a few dollars worth of Play-Doh as they learn so much.
You will need:
- Various colors of Play-Doh
- Plastic ocean animals
- Craft foam in various colors
- Craft sticks, rollers, and tools for shaping/cutting
- Wood peg doll
- Large Tray
You could also include natural items like beach glass, small rocks, driftwood, and seashells.
First, lay down a piece of blue craft foam in your sensory tray to represent the water.
Use craft foam to cut out small pieces like an X to mark the spot, a plank to walk, palm tree fronds, “gold“ coins to be found, and any other details that you would like to add.
I made these little gold coins by using a hole punch on yellow craft foam to fill the treasure chest.
Lay out all the tools, plastic animals, and playdough on the tray to invite your child in to play and explore.
Fun Pirate Activities for Preschoolers
Little plastic cups from Dollar Tree help create an inviting little organized tray that they won’t be able to resist.
Demonstrate for your child how to spread out the Play-Doh to create an island using a rolling pin. This is also a great time to talk about what makes an island, and the animals that you might find there.
Encourage your child to create details on the island like coconuts, palms, trees, animals, birds, etc. by pressing them into the Play-Doh for support.
You might be surprised by what they come up with completely on their own, like a raft for their marooned pirate to escape on.
We found this treasure chest in our LEGO supply and it was perfect to add to our island.
Adding an unfinished wood peg doll leaves it open-ended for your child to create their own pirate with playdough.
The dough sticks nicely to the wood and cleans off well.
You can also extend the lesson by having them re-create their playdough map on a paper map with crayons.
Encourage your child to copy the island they made including identifiable features like trees, animals, etc…
