Preschool Pirate and Tropical Island Theme
On this page you'll find preschool Tropical Island and Pirate themed activities for your preschool lesson plans.
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Planning your Tropical Island and Pirates Preschool Theme
Club Members can download all of our Tropical Island and Pirate Resources and Theme Planning Guide for free! Not a member? Learn More Here
Download our Free Tropical Island and Pirates Preschool Sample Lesson Plan
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Tropical Plant Prints
Provide your students with a variety of Faux tropical leaves. Set out a variety of paint, and paint brushes,
Allow your students to paint the leaves, and press them onto large pieces of butcher/construction paper to make their own tropical leaf prints. Find more details for this creative activity on our blog. |
Try this!
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Paper Plate Pirate Ships
Cut paper plates in half. Have children paint or color their half of the plate brown. Give them a variety of different colored construction paper in shapes that could be used for the masts and sails. Give them markers, crayons, paint, etc. to decorate their boat.
Hand print Pirate CraftMake a little pirate hand after reading a fun book with our How I Became a Pirate Pre-K Book Companion pack!
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How I Became a Pirate Pre-K Book Companion
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Hibiscus HeadbandUse Tissue Paper and Construction Paper to create a Hibiscus Headband. Find the details on how to make this lovely craft on our Hibiscus Headband Blog Post.
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Try this!
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Pirate Maps
Have children drawn their own pirate maps on butcher's paper. During circle or group time, show them examples of pirate's maps and talk about what they could add to their maps before letting them go off an draw on their own. You could have them use markers or crayons or even paint if you wanted!
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Pirate Telescope
Give children paper towel tubes and a variety of art supplies such as paint, markers, stickers, pom poms, stick on jewels and let them decorate their own pirate telescope. These would be great to keep on hand and use in the dramatic play center!
Coconut Tree SnackUse pretzels, apples, and cut grapes to create your own Coconut Tree inspired snack. Add some shaved coconut "sand" as a fun added treat.
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Paper Plate Parrots
Cut a paper plate in half. Have children decorate each half with colorful pieces of tissue paper. When dry, put one plate horizontal to create the beak of the parrot and another vertical to create the body and attach today. Have children draw on a face and add streamers to the bottom as a colorful tail.
Chameleon Craft
Use recyclables and craft supplies to make a chameleon
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Pineapple Craft
Stuff a brown paper lunch bag with balled up paper scraps. Tie the bag closed. Have the students paint the bottom with a mixture of yellow paint & glue. While wet, press brown tissue squares onto the paper bag "pineapple". Lastly paint the top green and cut the pineapple "leaves".
Tropical Island Music and Hula Dancing
Listen to Tropical Music, and Practice Hula Dancing.
Coconut Shell Clip Clops
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Coconut Shells have been used to make a variety of instruments, share these images with your preschoolers then invite them to get creative to make their own coconut inspired instruments.
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Kalimba
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Coconut Maracas
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Palm Tree-Group Art Project
Provide each student with a large green construction paper frond.
Using scissors have them cut the leaf to create fringe edges. Secure the leaves to the top of a palm tree trunk.
Using scissors have them cut the leaf to create fringe edges. Secure the leaves to the top of a palm tree trunk.
Make Your Own Pirate Ship
Gather a large box and some craft supplies to create a pirate ship that can also be used in dramatic play!
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Breakfast Treasure Map
Invite preschoolers to dress-up their oatmeal by adding fruit and nuts to create a tasty treasure map.
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Pirate Dress Up
Put pirate clothes, hats, eye patches, etc. in your dramatic play area
and let children dress up and pretend to be pirates. |
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Tropical Island
Set up a large blue tablecloth/fabric Ocean on the floor (if you have a kiddie pool and plastic balls you can create an "ocean" ball pit), add a large piece of sand colored fabric (or a beach shower curtain), and inflatable palm trees on top of the blue cloth. Add a variety of Tropical Island accessories and sand toys!
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Take a Tropical Vacation
Provide students with a variety of brochures to tropical islands, suitcases, and a box of "summer" clothes and accessories. They can plan to pack for their vacation! You can also include Hawaiian shirts, sunhats, sunglasses, beach towels, swim goggles/fins, and play cameras. Set up our Airport Dramatic Play set for some extra travel fun!
Digging for Treasure
Add a kiddie pool with sand to the dramatic play center along with shovels. Bury various pieces of treasure and have children pretend they are pirates searching for their buried treasure.
Pirate Ship
Using large boxes, pieces of cardboard and a tablecloth or old sheet, create a pirate ship in the dramatic play area. Leave one side of the box open so that children can easily get in and out of the ship. Invite children to pretend they are pirates on the open sea.
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Tropical Island Dress-Up
Add leis, grass skirts and other accessories for some fun tropical island dress-up
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Build a Pirate Ship
Set out a variety of blocks in the building center and challenge children to build their own pirate ship.
Pirate Small World Play
Adventure awaits! Add a variety of items to your small world space this week such as wooden pirate figurines, ships, small treasure chests, blue felt for the ocean , brown felt to use an island/sand, plastic palm trees, etc. Invite children to set up a pirate scene.
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Build a Palm Tree
Set out a variety of recycled materials like paper towel tubes, newspaper, etc. along with tape and glue. Invite children to create palm trees. You can even challenge them to try to make the tallest palm tree and measure each tree together as a class!
Pirate Puppets
Put out pirate puppets (can include pirates, ship, treasure chest, etc.) and invite children to put on their own pirate plays.
Pirate Vocabulary Cards!Preschoolers can learn some interesting new vocabulary with this fun hands-on activity.
Pair these cards from our Pirates & Tropical Islands pack with play dough! |
Included in our Pirates & Tropical Islands Pack!
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Sand Letter Tray
Set up a sand tray with pirate themed letter cards in your literacy center.
Have students practice forming the letters by using their finger to draw the letter in the sand.
Have students practice forming the letters by using their finger to draw the letter in the sand.
Walk the Plank LettersLearn ye letters or walk the plank matey!
Okay maybe it isn't that extreme but learning to identify upper and lowercase letters is important for preschoolers! They will love this pirate themed letter sorting activity from our Pirates & Tropical Islands activity pack. *This would be a fun activity to do in a sensory bin! Fill the sensory bin with fake gold coins or sand for your preschoolers to sift through, as they find each letter they can sort it into the right treasure chest. |
Included in our Pirates & Tropical Islands Pack!
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Who Took the Gold from the Pirate's Chest-Sing
Use the set up of the popular preschool song "Who Took the Cookie from the Cookie Jar" to sing "Who Took the Gold from the Pirate's Chest" during circle or group time.
Pirate Beginning SoundsPractice first sounds with this fun activity from our Pirates & Tropical Islands Activity Pack.
Use with the included printable gold letter coins or with your own fun manipulatives like magnetic letters! |
Included in our Pirates & Tropical Islands Pack!
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Polly Wants a Cracker RhymingRhyming with preschoolers often results in lots of giggling along the way. Add to the fun with this pirate themed rhyming activity from our Pirates & Tropical Island activity pack.
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Included in our Pirates & Tropical Islands Pack!
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I Spy With My Little Spyglass
At group pass around a spy glass, and challenge your students to describe something they see (without naming it). This is a good opportunity to practice using describing words that relate to what the object looks like (Color, Size, etc). Prompt your students using 5W questions. Where can you usually find it, What does it look like, When would you use it? Etc. Once the group guesses the correct object, the next student can take a turn.
How to Be a Pirate by Sue Fliess
Portside Pirates by Oscar Seaworthy
The Pirates on the Ship by Ann Bonnie
The Grumpy Pirate by Corinne Demas
Shiver Me Letters: A Pirate ABC by June Sobel
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin
How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long
Portside Pirates by Oscar Seaworthy
The Pirates on the Ship by Ann Bonnie
The Grumpy Pirate by Corinne Demas
Shiver Me Letters: A Pirate ABC by June Sobel
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin
How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long
Member Read Aloud Links & Story Time Activities
Treasure Counting Mats*
Use the treasure counting mats to practice matching quantity to number. Identify the number on the mat, then preschoolers will count out that number of plastic jewels or coins and add them to the treasure chest.
These mats are included in our Pirates and Tropical Islands activity pack. |
Included in our Pirates & Tropical Islands Pack!
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Measuring with Doubloons *
Have children practice non-standard measurement by giving them plastic doubloons and a variety of items to measure. Children line up the doubloons next to the feather and then circle the number at the top that matches the quantity. This activity is included in our Pirates and Tropical Island activity pack.
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Included in our Pirates & Tropical Islands Pack!
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Treasure Sort
Fill a small bin or treasure chest with different colors and sizes of plastic jewels. Have children sort the jewels by color, size, or color and size. Add some fine motor practice by having the students use tweezers to pick up and sort the jewels into the correct bins.
Treasure Chest Color Keys
Spray Paint your locks and keys. Have children match the Color of the key to the matching colored lock, and practice opening them.
Pirate Patterns*Set out the pirate pattern strips to practice AB, AAB, ABB, ABC, AABB patterns.
Have students complete the patterns, extend and create their own! This patterning activity is included in our Pirates and Tropical Island activity pack. |
Included in our Pirates & Tropical Islands Pack!
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Weighing Treasure
Set up small treasure boxes with different amounts of items in them. Have children weigh each treasure box to find out which one is the heaviest. Before beginning, you can have students make predictions about which treasure box will be the lightest and which will be the heaviest.
Tropical Fruit Data Collection
Organizing Data: Give students to try tropical fruit (Pineapple, Kiwi, and Mangoes). Give them a clothespin. Set out images of each fruit and have students "vote" on which fruit they liked the best by clipping their clothespin to it. Count the clothespins as a group.
Sand Timer
Use a sand timer to take turns. Learn about the passing of time.
Investigating PineappleInvestigating pineapple is the perfect addition to your Pirates & Tropical island theme!
Our Investigating Pineapple activity pack has all you need to guide your investigation, just add fruit! |
Available in our Shop!
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Buried Treasure Sensory Bin
To a bin add sand, plastic jewels/jewelry, plastic doubloons, and other items to make up treasure. Include some plastic palm trees and small treasure chests. Have children find the buried treasure using small shovels, scoops, tweezers, etc. Children can also re-bury the treasures for others to find! See the Magnetic Treasure option below!
Magnetic Treasure
Have students go looking for buried treasure using magnets. Place magnetic items under the sand in a bin. Give children magnet wands and have them search until they get a piece of treasure.
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Pirate Sink or Float
Explore science by giving children a variety of items to test if they sink or float. These can be everyday objects you have around the classroom or home, or you can use some pirate specific objects that you have gathered for your unit. Give the children a tub of water and have them predict what they think will float and what they think will sink. Have them test their ideas.
Pirate Ship Experiment
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Have children make pirate ships out of tin foil. Test each boat to see how much weight it can hold and still float by adding coins, rocks, or other small objects to it.
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Tropical Animals
Investigate Living Things: Identify animals that live in the Tropical Jungle
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Coconut Coir
Coconut Coir bricks are fascinating! These can be purchased in large bricks or small discs. Put them in water, watch them expand and take them apart.
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Preschool Pirate and Tropical Island Fine Motor Ideas
Frozen Treasure
Freeze plastic doubloons and jewels in an ice cube tray.
Have students use salt and/or water to melt the ice and get to the treasure!
Have students use salt and/or water to melt the ice and get to the treasure!
Balancing Pirate Toy
In addition to learning about balance, students will use their fingers and hands to carefully stack the pirates when they use this fun pirate balancing toy!
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Pirate's Beard Coloring Matching *
Print off the pirate head pom pom mats. Each pirate has a different colored beard and places to put pom poms. Have children use tweezers to put the correct color pom poms on each pirate's beard.
Fill the Treasure Chest
Make a treasure chest from a cardboard box that has a small opening at the top. Either using their fingers or tweezers, have the children fill up the pirate ship with jewels or plastic doubloons to practice their fine motor skills.
Pirate Pre-writing Activities*
Use these Pirate Pre-writing Mats to have children practice following different types of lines.
You can also have students practice tracing the lines using their fingers, markers/crayons, wiki sticks, small jewels, etc. These pirate themed tracing strips are included in our Pirates & Tropical Island activity pack. |
Included in our Pirates & Tropical Islands Pack!
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Message in a Bottle
Have children draw on small pieces of paper, roll up the paper and then put them in a variety of different empty bottles and then seal the bottles. Children will practice a variety of fine motor skills as they color, roll, put the paper into the hole, and twist the caps to shut the bottle.
Pirate Play dough Mats*
Use Pirate Play dough Mats to help children with fine motor skills.
For each mat, the child uses play dough to create the object.
For each mat, the child uses play dough to create the object.
Preschool Pirate and Tropical Island Gross Motor Ideas
Captain Hook Ring Toss
Make a ring toss game out of cardboard and plastic hooks for some gross motor fun!
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Get to the Gold
Use plastic stepping stones or circles and have children hop along the stones to get to the treasure chest at the other end. Have them grab a piece of treasure and bring it back with them.
We're Going on a Treasure Hunt
Using the preschool chant "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" as a guide, adapt the words to simulate children going on a treasure hunt. Sing together and have children do the actions.
Play Captain's Coming
Explain to children that you are heading out on a pirate ship to the ocean. Give them different commands that the captain might tell them and have them practice these actions. Call out an action and have the students complete an action. You can play a version where the last person doing the action is out or you can focus on just practicing listening skills and have everyone do the actions each time.
Cannonball Targets
Place out several hulu hoops and plastic balls to use as cannon balls. Have children practice trying to hit the target by getting their cannon balls inside the hulu hoops
Sponge Targets
Make your own Sponge Target and pair with sponges to act as cannon balls.
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Try this!
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Pirate Obstacle Course
"Set up a pirate obstacle course for children to go through. Some ideas for the course include:
-Balance beams as planks
-Scooter boards as dinghies
-Ramps as ship gangplanks
-Rubber circles as stepping stones
-sandbox as quick sand "
-Balance beams as planks
-Scooter boards as dinghies
-Ramps as ship gangplanks
-Rubber circles as stepping stones
-sandbox as quick sand "
Captain Says
After reviewing the sides of a ship, draw a chalk outline of a large ship on the pavement. Have your students stand in the middle. As you (the Captain) call out the different sides (bow-front, stern-back, port-left, starboard-right) of a ship and have them move to the correct spot.
Shake the Coconuts-Parachute Play
Cut out several coconuts from brown foam sheets.
Place them on top of the parachute and have the children "shake" the coconuts off the sheet.
Place them on top of the parachute and have the children "shake" the coconuts off the sheet.
Map Reading
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Teach children how to read a map. You can use a treasure map as an example. Point out different elements used to read a map. You can extend this activity by having the students follow a treasure map to find a treat in the classroom!
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Read Aloud: Even Pirates Need to Listen
Read the story Even Pirates Need to Listen by Mike Carnes and Carry Goddard,
and talk about the importance of teamwork and cooperation.
and talk about the importance of teamwork and cooperation.
Play Pop Up Pirate
As a group, play the game Pop Up Pirate. Children will practice taking turns and following rules of a game. You can also incorporate other skills such as color identification with the swords, counting the swords to see how many each player has, and communication skills by modeling how children can tell one another it is someone else's turn.
Pirate Scavenger Hunt
Have children work as a team to complete a pirate themed scavenger hunt. You can give them a pirate's map that shows where doubloons are hidden and lead them to a treasure chest that has fun toys or treats. This activity would work well after the Map Reading lesson!
Talk like a Pirate Day-Holiday
Have some fun at home by using all of the new pirate lingo your child has learned! Try a talk like a pirate day by incorporating as many new terms into your activities for the day as possible. You can even add in a funny pirate accent to make the day extra fun!
Classroom Management and Parent Engagement Ideas for your Program
Activity Title
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