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The Treasure of Captain Jack Sparrow

Play stations, role play

The unscrupulous pirate Jack Sparrow does not know where he has hidden his treasure. (A mental blackout…)

Because of his forgetfulness he made a map to find the treasure. Jack Sparrow has cut the map into pieces, and has distributed the pieces to his seafaring mates. (…) But Jack Sparrow does not feel like doing the search. He travels to Tortuga and asks the people there, to search for the pieces. As a reward they will get something from his treasure. The children search in groups, and try their luck at the several game stations. But they fail many games, because of their bad achievements. And as a result of this the friends of Jack Sparrow do not believe that he has sent them.

1. Beginning of the game:

   The pirates wake up the children. They have breakfast on board of the “Black Pearl”. After the breakfast the children go to Tortuga (leisure time). When they come back they hear pirate’s music (to create the right mood). At this moment Jack Sparrow arrives; everybody is silent. He explains his situation, and warns the children: If they are not able to bring him a piece of his map they become slaves on his ship. He chooses some guards, which choose their crew. The crews dress up, invent a group name and choose a leader. Afterwards they are brought to their first station

2. The map distribution system:

   At each play station there are 2 pieces of the map. One piece is for accompanying group (E.g. the “fisher group” gets a piece of the map at the “fisher station”. The guard of this station has to be gentle to this group) and the other piece of the map is for a very good group. Both maps are marked in different colours.

3. Stations:

   Each guard is able to decide on his own what game he wants to let the children play if there are sufficient possibilities.

   • Fisherman:

     1. Fishing (catch the pegs)

     2. Fishing with the mouth (The rusk is on a rope; the children try to eat it without crumbling)

     3. Fishing-magnet game

     4. Pull the net out of the water = Tug-of-war

   • Pirates:

     The most important quality: wild, bold, cunning, smart, attacking, fast and skilful. There are some good tasks for being dangerous:

     1. Shouting, roaring

     2. Roaring contest

     3. Walk like a drunken pirate

     4. The pirates sit between two people (a distance of 5-8 meters). Person A tries to tell person B a message. The pirates have to prevent it by shouting loudly. Which message does person B hear?

     5. Pirates have to walk on the rigging, too. Therefore a rope is tensed between two trees, at a height of 50- 100 cm – high enough, but so that no one can hurt themselves.

     6. Boarding: A rope is fixed at a tree. He has to balance along this rope. The goal is the other tree.

     7. Afterwards the pirates celebrate their victory. The children dance on the table like pirates would do it.

     8. Lots of pirates are drunk after the celebration. Of course the children should not be drunk. Therefore we will have a drinking contest with water instead of alcohol. Who is can drink up a bottle first? They are allowed to belch.

     9. In many pirate films you see very often one- legged pirates with wooden legs. It is no easy to walk with just one leg. There are a few relay games. Jump on one leg

     10. Two people are bounded with their feet together. They walk on three feet. Material: tape.

     11. Pirate’s song:

         15 men on a dead man’s chest
         Hohoho and a bottle of rum
         Schnapps was always on devil’s list
         Hohoho and a bottle of rum
         15 men on a dead man’s chest
         Hohoho and a bottle of rum
         15 men on the devil’s list
         Schnapps and the devil killed them all
         Schnapps and the devil killed them all
         Bang!

   • Seller:

     Commerce has made him become one of the richest men south of the equator.

     1. Tea bag: Sell it as expensive as possible. (Be gentle, tactical and smart)

     2. The small ship of the seller wobbles a lot. It is not as easy to eat a soup on such a ship. We try it: A person gets a plate with water and has to spoon it up. Make it more difficult: everyone lightly pushes the player (do not shake the person)

     3. While the seller exchanges goods (gold, food, jewels, furs…) he has often problems with language. Is the group able to find out what the natives mean? (A group member mime the words): anchor, eye-patch, lookout, port, prey, seaman, cutlass, barrel, telescope, net, figurehead, gold coin, shark, hammock, artilleryman, captain, knot, galley, pilot, mast, crow’s nest, sailor, mutiny, musket, pearls, pirate, pirate hat, Prise, Quartermaster, rum, sabre, treasure, ship, sea urchin, sailor’s kitbag, sail, starboard, dried cod, skull, skull and crossbones, rusk.

   • Royal Navy:

     1. Appeal, obstacle course, drill

     2. When the weather is good: Have a water battle and use water pistols.

     3. Which team has the best shot? Shoot at candles, from a distance about three metres. If the wick is wet, there is no chance of getting the candles to burn again. So have some other candles ready for the game. If you haven’t got some candles you can use a measuring cup, too. Put it in a bottle and try to shoot water in it. Use your water pistols. How much water is in the bottle at the end?

     4. Put some paper ships in the water tub. From a distance about three meters you have to sink them. How long does that take?

     5. Throwing water bombs.

   • Ship’s cook:

     1. Rusks are non-perishable. The seamen have not to worry about it rotting or going stale. We arrange an eating contest with the rusks. (Whistle at the end)

     2. To heal scurvy, they needed lemon fruits. Therefore each pirate has to eat fruit regularly. The players must eat a lemon together.

     3. Help in the kitchen.

   • Shipwright:

     1. Build ships and let them swim

     2. The shipwright has to have a head for heights: He has to balance over a tree- trunk and/or he has to balance blindfolded over a wooden board on the ground.

     3. The shipwright has to be strong: arm-wrestling

   • Seamen:

     1. Clean and scrub, to makes things shine!

     2. In heavy seas or if the boat has a leak, the children have to bale out the boat. This game is a relay: They use a sponge to bale the water from a tub, and to put it in another container. Instead of a sponge you can use a yoghurt pot, a ladle or your hands.

     3. Load up the ship. Throw goods from A to B.

   • Gold hunters:

     1. Search for the gold in special area (pebbles that are painted with golden colour)

     2. Besides they have to duck for jelly bears – save them from the water with their mouths.

4. End:

   One group leader after the other brings their pieces of the map, and joins them together. Afterwards the pirate announce where the treasure is. The children search for it, and are allowed to take one golden coin.

5. List of material:

   • Treasure
   • Map
   • Pirate’s music CD’s / Songs
   • Disguises
   • Pegs
   • Rusk
   • Cord
   • Fishing-magnet game
   • Rope
   • Table
   • Water
   • Tape
   • Tea bag
   • Candles
   • Water pistols
   • Funnel
   • Bottle
   • Measuring cup
   • Tub
   • Plate
   • Paper
   • Water bombs
   • Lemon
   • Board
   • Sponge
   • Scrubbing brush and floor cloth
   • Golden coins (gold stones)
   • Jelly bears

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