Wherein we are waylaid by pint-size brigands
Friday, July 14, 2006

When Mamakaze was a little girl, we whiled away many a summer’s day conceiving elaborate treasure hunts for our siblings. We’re not sure why, but piracy was a long-running theme in our childhood play. Perhaps it was the flamboyant costumes or the rough accents. Perhaps it was the license to freely use the words “booty” and “poop deck.” Whatever the attraction, long before Robert Louis Stevenson penned the peerless pirate novel, “Treasure Island,” privateers and pillagers have had a devoted following among the little ones.

When Mamakaze was a youngster, it was videos of “Pippi in the South Seas.” When our parents were wee things, “Peter Pan” was the marauders’ movie of choice. This decade, our wee ones are clamoring to watch “Pirates of the Caribbean” — although, like their mother before them, they will have to wait a little longer for their first Johnny Depp movie!

But however frightening the rotting skeletons and disfigured crew of Davey Jones’ locker may be for our little ones, there’s nothing scary about a good old-fashioned treasure hunt. Now that Kidakaze is learning to read, what better way to encourage that than by crafting simple clues on torn, battered pieces of paper and leaving them around the house?

To create our maps, first we soak pieces of heavyweight paper in tea to stain and weather them. Once our maps are dry, it’s time to write the clues. T’would never do to have intact parchment, so Mamakaze makes sure to tear and otherwise batter the edges. We’re a busy mama and can’t be bothered with a fountain pen, but a black rollerball will work just fine.

While the youngsters are running around the house solving riddles, we can relax with a good book or play with the baby, happy knowing this is another few hours of creative, TV-free activity.

For more mutineering fun, check out the pirate’s treasure chest Mamakaze found at Sears. Complete with doubloons and a secret compartment, it’s the perfect prop for pirate play! And for older kids, the Dread Pirate board game promises timber-shivering fun for the whole family.