Did you know that September 19th is International Talk Like a Pirate Day? I have loved this day as long as I have been a speech therapist because Pirates are such a fun theme for a therapy session. Not only is ARRR their favorite sound (and one that a lot of people struggle with), hunting for treasure is one of the most fun games you can play. My students LOVE treasure hunt games where they have to find anything – dinosaurs, farm animals, battleships, mummies – you name it, it can be hidden for a treasure hunt. Actual treasure chests are always a favorite to hunt for, though. We talk about treasure and what we would do if we found treasure and what we would put in a treasure chest and where we think there might be treasure – it is a fun way to use our imaginations while we practice speech and language.
This week’s craft is a treasure chest full of colorful beads and sequins – although you could definitely fill it with pictures of whatever you treasure most. And I have a wonderful Treasure Chest Hunt game where you try to find treasure under initial CH words. More about that later, as usual.
Supply List
- Dark brown, light brown, black, and yellow paper
- Zip-top plastic sandwich bag
- Colorful beads and sequins (or treasure of your choice)
- Black marker
- Scissors
- Glue
- Stapler
Step-by-Step Directions
The first thing I like to do is put all my “treasure” in the baggie. I used a combination of emeralds, sapphires, pearls, and gold today – all courtesy of the Dollar Tree. 😉
Next, I fold the lighter brown paper in half and nest the baggie inside the fold.
I cut off any extra paper – I like to size my chest to each baggie. Today I had a square snack-sized one, but I have done it with a sandwich-sized bag many times.
Next I trace the edges of the baggie with my marker. I keep away from the top and bottom edges, though, to allow for overlap with the paper so I can staple the baggie in place. I allow for at least 1/2 an inch on each side. You may want to draw a rectangle to cut in the next step – I usually just wing it, but that might not be a comfortable way for you to do things.
Now I fold the paper enough to get a cut started in the center of the flap I traced the edges on. I cut to the lines I traced to make a rectangle opening for the treasure to peep through.
Now it is time to staple the top and bottom parts of the baggie to the top and bottom edges of your treasure chest. Make sure the baggie is centered – it is okay if the side edges aren’t covered, we will be covering them with the black paper anyway.
Speaking of black paper, it is time to cut some black strips as decoration for our treasure chest. This will help keep the edges of the baggie hidden and gives the chest a more authentic look. My strips were about 3/4 of an inch thick and I cut them to be the same height as the current treasure chest.
Now we need to glue the black strips on. Make sure they cover any exposed baggie edges.
Every treasure chest needs a tall, rounded lid. We cut ours out of the darker brown paper. We also cut a small strip that will be used when we attach our lock later.
Speaking of locks, we need to cut one out of yellow paper. We start by cutting the lock shape, then we fold the paper a little to hollow out the top. This will allow it to “hang” on the small strap we cut out.
To finish the lock, we need to make a key hole. Make a small circle, fill it in, and then draw a short line straight down from the bottom with your black marker.
To attach the lid, we put glue on just the bottom part and attach it to the bottom of the chest, making sure to cover any zipper strips that might be showing.
Finally, it is time to attach the lock and the strap that it is hanging from. They just attach to the bottom center of the lid.
There you have it, a finished treasure chest!
You can see in this photo that every chest will turn out a little different – variety is worth embracing. You will be much happier if you make each project your own instead of trying to make a version of someone else’s.
As I say every week, my goal with this blog is to make sure that people leave each of my posts feeling equipped to practice articulation or phonics with their learner. So, I always have a game from my Teachers Pay Teachers store (Autumn Emigh Creative Communication Solutions) on special sale for you. This week, it is a game called “Treasure Chest Hunt.” The product includes instructions with a link to a digital Google Slides game. You also receive printable game boards in color and black and white. The digital and printable versions of the game contain the same Initial CH words for your learner to practice. Get it until October 9th for half price – just $1.00!
Just click on the photo above or HERE to get your copy today! And be sure to fill out the form below to get on my email list. Not only are my email subscribers the first to know when each of my blog posts goes live, they also get information about products, events, and summits each week. I’ll always do my best to make it worthwhile for you to stick around, but it is super easy to unsubscribe if you ever wish to.
I hope that you have some treasure in your life and that it isn’t hard to find! Also, have a very Happy International Talk Like a Pirate Day next week – I plan to spend it working with all my usual Scallywags. I will be back in two weeks with a Paper Plate Apple craft and an Apple Picking Final L game – I am so ready for fall and all things apple! Yum!
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