Discover how pirate themed STEM activities can unlock hidden treasures of STEM skills in kids. With these pirate STEM activities, children will be prepared to learn all about pirates, how they lived, and how the technology and science that pirates used hundreds of years ago is still in use today!
By engaging in exciting STEM activities for kids like navigating a treasure map or designing a pirate gadget, children will develop critical thinking, spatial reasoning, and logical reasoning abilities.
Keep reading to get the list of pirate themed STEM activities and also learn more about what a pirate is and how they lived on a day-to-day basis!
How Pirate STEM Activities Foster Problem-Solving Skills in Kids
Prepare to set sail as we dive into the captivating world of pirate-themed STEM activities. Delve into the secrets of pirates – from their appearance to their tools and even their favorite pastimes.
So, don your eyepatch, grab your compass, and join us on this educational voyage as we unravel the wonders of pirates and how their experiences still influence the world of STEM today!
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Pirate Facts for Kids
Did you know that the notorious pirate Blackbeard, whose real name was Edward Teach, used to tie slow-burning fuses into his beard during battles to create a fearsome and intimidating appearance?
Or that Anne Bonny and Mary Read were two of the most famous female pirates who disguised themselves as men to join pirate crews?
There are so many fun pirate facts to learn, that we can’t list them all here! But if you’d like to learn more about pirates, here are some books to check out:
Pirates often utilized codes and secret languages to communicate with one another. This allowed them to keep their plans and activities hidden from authorities and rival ships.
Some pirates even had their own unique flags, which were displayed to strike fear into the hearts of their enemies. These symbols represented a sense of unity and identity among pirates.
Pirate legends state that pirates were known for burying their treasure, leading to the popular image of the “X marks the spot” treasure maps.
However, in reality, most pirates didn’t bury their loot, but rather spent it as quickly as possible, often on lavish parties and extravagant items. This is why finding an actual buried pirate treasure is an exceedingly rare occurrence.
What Do Pirates Look Like?
Pirates make quite the statement with their trademark fashion choices! From tattered shirts and pants to long coats, they make sure to stay cool and comfortable during their adventures.
And – of course – they can’t forget their signature accessories: bandanas, eye-patches, and flashy belts with bold buckles.
However, although these pirate clothing tropes are common, most pirates wore clothing that was fashionable for the time period that they grew up in and did not look much different from other people during that era.
What Do Pirates Do?
From sea battles and looting, to disguising themselves as merchants, pirates were the original seafaring thieves. Pirate day activities varied depending on the day!
They were known to pillage unsuspecting ships and villages on land for precious treasures. Pirates were, in fact, criminals of their day, and most people were scared of pirates because of their violent activities.
Pirates were also notorious for nights of revelry, drinking rum, and dancing the night away in secret hideouts.
How Did Pirates Tell Time?
Living a life ruled by the ocean’s ebb and flow, pirates knew the importance of keeping track of time. Without precise knowledge of the hour, minute, and second, their voyages could easily end in disaster. So, how did they do it?
One popular method utilized by pirates was the hourglass. By flipping the hourglass and tracking the time it took for the sand to flow from one bulb to the other, pirates could measure short intervals of time accurately.
These hourglasses were often kept within easy reach on the ship’s deck, allowing pirates to monitor time during their daily tasks and navigation.
Skilled pirate navigators understood how the movement of celestial bodies could indicate the time of day. By observing the angle of the sun in the sky or the position of specific stars, pirates could estimate the time.
Some pirate ships were equipped with nautical ship clock tables, which helped keep track of time in various parts of the world.
Pirates also used a system of bells to mark the passage of time. Aboard every pirate vessel, a designated crew member would strike the ship’s bell at regular intervals, typically every half hour.
This allowed pirates to track time even in the darkness or in tumultuous weather when visual cues were limited. The ringing of the bell would echo throughout the ship, ensuring that all crew members were aware of the time.
How Did Pirates Navigate?
Pirates were master navigators, relying on their wits and the tools at their disposal. Observation of the sun and stars played a key role in their navigational strategies.
Without maps or navigational instruments, savvy pirates could estimate their latitude and longitude by studying the movement of celestial bodies, such as the sun and stars.
By interpreting the patterns and positions of these bodies, they could orient themselves across the vast open ocean. Making accurate navigation a reality, transforming the seas into paths of opportunity.
Pirates also leveraged a super clever technique called “dead reckoning” to stay on course. This savvy approach involved monitoring variables such as the wind and current, then assessing their ship’s estimated speed and direction.
With that information, scurvy scalawags could map out their approximate position on a chart – even when they didn’t have exact measurements to go off of.
Pirate ships relied on bells to help them navigate, but their ringing had multiple other purposes, too.
Not only did they mark the passage of time, they also allowed the crew to keep track of it, even in low visibility conditions or during bad weather.
Keeping time was so important that one specific crewmember was dedicated to striking the bell, ensuring all pirates were in the know and ready for whatever task lay ahead.
What Did Pirates Do for Fun?
Pirates often found ways to entertain themselves with stories, music, and friendly competitions.
Storytelling was a popular pastime, providing an opportunity to share tales of daring adventures and preserve their wisdom.
Music was also a major form of entertainment, as pirates gathered to make lively melodies on fiddles, concertinas, and drums.
In addition to music, dancing, and stories, pirates also used games and gambling as a means of friendly (and not so friendly!) competition.
Pirate Tools and Equipment
Pirates were resourceful seafarers who relied on a variety of specialized tools to survive life on the treacherous seas and carry out their daring exploits.
Perhaps their most iconic tool was the trusty cutlass: a curved blade and handguard, which made it ideal for close combat and a powerful symbol of authority and fearlessness.
Other vital equipment included the grappling hook, which could be used to board or secure a vessel during storms and the astrolabe and sextant which were used to measure the angle between celestial objects and the horizon to improve navigation.
And of course, pirates also relied on maps for navigation.
Telescopes were used to spot far-off lands and other ships, and compasses helped pirates navigate treacherous waters.
Pirates also employed a range of communication tools, such as the speaking trumpet and colorful flags and pennants, to issue orders and send signals between vessels.
Pirate Themed STEM Activities
Introduce the world of problem-solving to your students with these pirate STEM activities and pirate science activities.
From better understanding the tools and equipment used by pirates to unlock their resourcefulness and ingenuity, to inspiring your students to embrace their adventurous side, there’s much to be discovered about the swashbuckling life.
The Mason Jar Scientist: 30 Jarring STEAM-Based ProjectsCreative Kids Flakes – 600 Piece Interlocking Plastic Disc Set for Fun, Creative Building – Educational STEM Construction Toy for Boys & Girls – Non Toxic, Ages 3+
Straw Constructor STEM Building Toys 300 pcs-Colorful Interlocking Plastic Enginnering Toys- Fun- Educational- Safe for Kids- Develops Motor Skills-Construction Blocks- Best Gift for Boys and Girls …
CoolToys Monkey Balance Cool Math Game for Girls & Boys | Fun, Educational Children’s Gift & Kids Toy STEM Learning Ages 3+ (65-Piece Set)
Learning Resources Code & Go Robot Mouse, Coding STEM Toy, 31 Piece Coding Set, Ages 4+
DK Workbooks: Science, Kindergarten: Learn and Explore
TinkerActive Workbooks: Kindergarten Science
Scientific Explorer My First Mind Blowing Science Kids Science Experiment Kit
Learn & Climb Science Kit for Kids – 21 Experiments Science Set, Hours of Fun.
UNGLINGA Kids Science Experiment Kit with Lab Coat Scientist Costume Dress Up and Role Play Toys Gift for Boys Girls Kids Age 5 – 11 Christmas Birthday Party
Learn & Climb Kids Science Kit – Over 60 Experiments, Fun with Science!
4M 5557 Crystal Growing Science Experimental Kit – Easy DIY STEM Toys Lab Experiment Specimens, A Great Educational Gift for Kids & Teens, Boys & Girls
Discovery Extreme Chemistry Stem Science Kit by Horizon Group Usa, 40 Fun Experiments, Make Your Own Crystals, DIY Glowing Slime, Fizzy Eruptions, Gooey Worms & More
Crayola Color Chemistry Set For Kids, Gift for Age 7+
Here are some fun pirate STEM activities to try with your students from pirate activities for early years to pirate themed STEM activities for middle school.
Answer the question how did pirates navigate by teaching your students how to read a map!
Make your own slippery pirate treasure by making this pirate treasure slime.
Explore the fascinating subject of using the stars to navigate by making flashlight constellations or marshmallow constellations!
Challenge kids to design and build their own pirate ship using materials like cardboard, popsicle sticks, and glue to create a sailboat STEM challenge. Encourage them to consider the ship’s stability, weight distribution, and overall design.
This activity will engage their problem-solving skills as they navigate the challenges of constructing a functional and seaworthy vessel.
Put those STEM skills to use by creating a treasure map! Kids can use their knowledge of geometry and scale to design and draw a map with hidden clues and treasure locations.
This activity will require critical thinking as they consider the placement and accuracy of landmarks, distances, and coordinates.
Challenge kids to construct a periscope using simple materials like mirrors and cardboard tubes. This activity will encourage them to experiment with angles, reflection, and optics while developing their problem-solving skills.
Introduce students to the world of coding by having them create a pirate-themed message using a simple coding language or block-based coding software.
They can learn about algorithms, loops, and conditionals as they encode and decode secret messages. This activity combines creativity with problem-solving as they decipher the messages of their fellow classmates.
Supplies for Pirate STEM Activities
Here are some fun pirate STEM kits and activities for kids!
Pirate Crafts for Kids
Set your students on an adventure like no other with a pirate-themed craft project! Not only will this captivate them, but crafts can also help teach kids STEM skills for pirate STEM activities even though the focus is on arts and crafts.
These fun and imaginative pirate crafts engage critical thinking skills and provide a great opportunity for creative expression.
Making a treasure map can create a hands-on challenge building critical thinking skills.
All you need is some parchment paper, markers, and a healthy dose of imagination and they can create a personalized map with special symbols, hidden treasures, secret islands, and treacherous obstacles.
Gather cardboard, popsicle sticks, and paper to design and test pirate ships!
With these materials, kids can make their pirate ship stable and balanced, create sails and cannons, and test their ships’ seaworthiness.
Kids can get creative designing eye patches out of felt or fabric, decorating hats with classic skull and crossbones symbols, and even crafting their own pirate hooks from recycled materials like cardboard tubes and aluminum foil.
Pirate Craft Supplies
Here are some fun classroom pirate craft sets for kids that you can use along with your pirate STEM activities.
Pirate STEM Activities for Every Age
Bring the high seas into the classroom with exciting pirate STEM activities!
Kids of all ages can benefit from hands-on learning experiences that build problem-solving, observation, and critical thinking skills.
For the younger set, plan a treasure hunt with a map or clues that lead to buried booty.
As they search, kids are encouraged to hone their problem-solving abilities as they decipher the clues, as well as improve their powers of observation to spot tiny trinkets.
Older kids can tackle the challenge of building a pirate ship model from scratch – they can test materials, experiment with weight and balance to make sure it floats, and get creative with the design.
Through this activity, students learn to think critically as they plan and adjust their design for the desired results.
A fun pirate STEM activity for middle school kids is designing a treasure hunt! Children can work together or independently to solve puzzles and riddles that will lead them to the hidden treasure.
The complexity of the puzzles can be adjusted based on the age group, challenging their problem-solving skills.
With pirate-inspired crafts and STEM projects tailored to their age, children can lay the groundwork for future success.
Go on this educational journey with your little adventurers today and guide them towards the hidden treasures of problem-solving skills that will stay with them forever. Set sail and start discovering!
