Oh boy, what a year we’re having! 2020 continues to be super strange, confusing, and totally unnerving. In the battle against Covid-19 life has become unpredictable: guidelines are given, guidelines are amended; plans are set, plans change. We’re made aware each day of information that’s way too overwhelming to process, but far too important to ignore. And each day we monitor statistics that head in directions that were unimaginable only six months ago.

If we parents find all of this overwhelming, one can only imagine how exhausting it is for our children. Like us, they probably feel like a break, some distraction, or an escape from it all. But it’s very hard to take a break from the everyday when you’re living under restrictions, lying low or even in lockdown. It’s so easy to use screens as a default distraction, but we parents are way more resourceful than that, and can keep all sorts of other tricks up our sleeves. In fact, dreary days confined at home can be the perfect time to give screens a rest and draw upon your imaginations to ignite some pretend play. Pretend play is not only a fun distraction for children, but an activity than helps them learn, explore, create and think - it can even help them work through confusing, scary, or new life issues.

Ahoy there… need an example of pretend play? Let the kids set sail on the high seas!

Pirates have been sparking children’s imaginations for centuries, through swashbuckling storybooks and land-lubbing legends. You can help your children launch some piratey play by guiding them through the creation of a few fun props, each made very easily from things around the house.

Dress ups: layers are the key to a pirately outfit. Offer stripey t-shirts, shirts belted at the waist, scarves and beads. Got some tatty torn jeans in the rag bag? Aaar, that sounds like piratey perfection!

Pirate hat: Bandannas are an easy option, or you can whip up an ‘old-school'‘ pirate hat from paper. One sheet of your daily newspaper is the perfect size for this, and you’ll find easy folding instructions below.

Telescope: the kids can gaze far into the distance though a spyglass assembled with pieces from your recycling bin. Our sample was made from a takeaway coffee cup taped onto a cardboard tube from a kitchen roll, with a clear lens cut from a strawberry container. You might offer paints to decorate, suggest some kitchen foil details, or leave it bare.

Map: draw a simple map using pencil, pen or permanent marker, something that doesn’t smudge when wet. Scrunch it, and tear around the edges of the paper to make a wonky edge, then flatten and soak the page in a tray of strong black coffee or tea until it turns brown. Let it dry in the sun or in front of the heater, and your treasure map will look ancient. Rolled up and taken on their adventure, it may well lead the kids to the treasure.

Treasure: any old costume jewellery can seem like it’s worth searching for. Got a box you can use as a treasure chest?

Pirate ship: through the magic of a child’s imagination anything can become a pirate ship - indoors it could be a couch or bed. Outside try the cubby, decking or even a tree. A washing basket or big box is perfect for a ship on the move. A bedsheet can become a sail or a patch of ocean. In addition you can make sweet little paper boats that actually float using the instructions below.

Yo ho ho… once you get immersed in the theme you will probably come up with lots of other ideas for homemade piratey props. Make a message in a milk bottle. A cardboard cutlass cut from a cornflakes box. Or an eye-patch made from a fabric scrap attached to piece of string. The possibilities are endless.

Shiver me timbers! I see fun on the horizon!
Enjoy x