Bust out your spotting scope and eye patch, and get your hands on a parrot. September 19th is the day for all pirate lovers to play the part! Talk Like A Pirate Day is a fun and silly way to celebrate those surly characters of days gone by. Thanks to Pirates Of The Caribbean and Jake And The Neverland Pirates, it seems that the lore of pirates has captured the imaginations of the next generation.
If you’re really committed expanding your pirate vocabulary beyond Arrgghh!, matey, and aye-aye, check out the official website of the day for exhaustive details on how to talk like a pirate. (Please note, I’ve linked to the kid-firendly, Junior Pirate’s page. The rest of the website is geared towards adults). The group also provides other resources for kids, such as party invitations and posters, too.
Here are some quick vocabulary words straight from the source to help you prep for the day:
- Starboard=right
- Port = left
- Stern = back
- Bow = front
- Avast: Stop and pay attention. (I can see incorporating this one into my every day mom-vocabulary!)
- Ne’er-do-well: A scoundrel or rascal
- Pieces of Eight: Spanish silver coins that could actually be broken into eight pieces, or bits. Two of these bits were a quarter of the coin.
- Smartly: To do something quickly
- Weigh anchor: Prepare to leave.
If you are looking for ideas on how to decorate your ship for the day, visit Cardstore for free, colorful pirate-themed printables. Surprise your gang with a festive touch at the table. There are ideas for simple DIY banners, decorations, water bottle embellishments and cupcake toppers that will make your little pirates holler with delight.
Once you’ve expanded your family’s vocabulary with some pirate slang, why not show it off? Go discover uncharted territory (for your family, at least) and explore one of the pirate or ship-themed destinations from Loarlie’s post, Where Pint-Sized Pirates Play in Lake County. So embark from your suburban block with your land-lubber matey’s, and raid the parks for loot and a good time.
If searching for hidden treasure is your plan for the day, consider taking the kids geocaching. Who knows if gold coins are laying around in any of those secret geocaches.
Come back and tell us which ship (translation: park) you and your gang plundered in the comments section.
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