How to Keep Your Resident "Pirate" Happy and Content

I have residing in my house, my very own pirate of sorts! My youngest son, who is normally a bookish kind of kid, is enamored of pirates and all they portray in media, legend and lore. Of course, at 9 years old, he is too young to know the true nature or stories linked to these bandits of the sea, but in his youthful mind, they hold a fascination that is limited only by imagination and that which he can discover in internet searches.

In trying to satisfy his ever-growing need for more and more pirate information and entertainment, I have compiled a listing of pirate themed activities and pages easily found on the Internet and which are young child friendly.

It is in the spirit of a parent who enjoys seeing her son embarking on a trip through imagination without benefit of video or gaming contraptions that I offer this list up to the reader. As my son said, when I presented him with a packet of some of the pages found below, "Mom, sometimes a pirates booty is much more than gold and treasures...sometimes it's found in words!"

Out of the mouths of babes.... I say!
Here's hoping you find the links as helpful as this pirate mom did, and one last bit of advice...copy the pages twice and sit down with your child to enjoy them too. Being a kid, isn't limited to the under 10 set, it's a matter of mind and not age. Enjoy and have a wonderful experience with your pirate pal!

Coloring pages (these work wonderfully for appliqué and painting patterns)

Many different pirate theme coloring pages show various designs and offer much to color and enjoy for all ages.

The pre requisite skull and crossbones (approximately 5" x5") which all pirates need. This one is great to appliqué on a bedspread or pillow!

Just a plain skull (no crossbones or swords) for those times when simplicity is needed.

A much larger size skull and crossbones (approximately 71/2" x 6")great size for putting in a window or on the fridge.

This page includes links to some great pirate theme pages including a treasure map, skeleton pirates and of course a ship!

Pirate information and coloring pages (located approximately ½ way down page) easy to understand and simple for kids to access as well.

A cartoon pirate to color, a bit on the silly side, but fun none the less!

Here's a pirate for the smallest of buccaneers!

Here's a link to some pirate coloring pages. We find these great to compile for restaurant visits. Perfect to keep the kids busy while waiting for food.

Pirate books of interest

Pirates by John Matthews

Everything I know about Pirates by Tom Lichtenheld

Pirates Past Noon by Mary Pope Osborne

Pirates: A Nonfiction Companion to Pirates past Noon (Magic Tree House Research Guide Series) William and Mary Pope Osborne, Sal Murdocca

Pirates by Dina Anastasio, Donald Cook (Illustrator)

Do Pirates Take Baths? By Kathy Tucker

Scooby Doo and the Sunken Ship by James Gelsey

The Curse of the Black Pearl by Irene Tremble

The Coming Storm (Pirates of the Caribbean, Jack Sparrow Series #1) by Rob Kidd

The Siren Song (Pirates of the Caribbean, Jack Sparrow Series #2) by Rob Kidd

The Pirate Chase (Pirates of the Caribbean Series #3) by Rob Kidd

The Sword of Cortes (Pirates of the Caribbean), Vol. 4

How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long, David Shannon (Illustrator)

Pirate Girl by Cornelia Funke, Kerstin Meyer (Illustator)

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: The Storybook by Catherine Mc Cafferty

Pirates of the Caribbean: the Visual Guide by Richard Black, Herry Brickheimer

Pirateology by William Captain Lubber, William Lubber, Helen Ward, (Illustrator), Ian Andrew, (Illustrator), Anne Yvonne Gilbert (Illustrator)

Dead Man's Chest by Irene Trimble

The Great Pirate Activity Book

Pirate School (All aboard reading level 2...ages 6-8)

Shiver me Letters, a Pirate ABC (Hardcover)

Note: the links to the books above, lead to Barnesandnoble.com. This is not the only bookstore which has these books and in fact, overstock.com offers many of them at a lesser price than Barnes and Noble. But for simplicity sake, the links lead to B&N. A search for these titles will easily show you other purchasing options available.