Pirate Treasure 🏴☠️
🏴☠️ Story Intro:
“Ahoy there, mateys! 🏴☠️ You’ve all been chosen as brave young pirates to join a treasure hunt! Deep in the middle of the sea lies a mountain of golden treasure (tennis balls)! 💰 But be quick — only the fastest, smartest pirates will collect the most treasure for their team. Ready to plunder, crew? Let’s hear your best pirate AARRRRGH! 🗣️⚓”
⚙️ Set-Up
Place a large tub or pile of tennis balls (or beanbags) in the centre of the court/hall — this is the treasure chest.
Divide children into three teams and assign an assistant coach or adult to each as their Captain.
Line teams up on opposite sides of the court or triangle around the treasure.
Mark team “bases” using cones or hoops.
🕹️ How to Play
1. On the coach’s signal, all players from each team runs to the centre and collects one tennis ball (treasure) at the same time.
2. They must return it to their team’s base before the next player goes.
3. Repeat until all the treasure is gone.
4. Teams count their treasure. The team with the most loot wins! 🎉
🔁 Progression: Reverse Treasure
Now the treasure must be returned to the chest!
One player at a time returns a ball from their base to the centre.
The first team to return all their treasure and sit down in their base wins Round 2.
🪶 Feathers – Simplifications
Allow running with two balls or more at a time if there are lots of kids.
Replace balls with beanbags for easier grip.
Let parents assist younger tots with holding and collecting.
For walking tots, allow carrying treasure in small buckets or with help.
⚡ Progressions – For Older Kids
Add obstacles between base and treasure (cones to weave, hurdles to jump).
Add a time limit — which team collects most treasure in 60 seconds?
“Sneaky Pirates” mode: once all treasure is gone, teams can steal one treasure at a time from other team bases.
Penalty Rule: stepping over lines means one ball must be returned.
🎃 Seasonal Variants
🎅 Christmas:
🎁 “Santa’s Sack” – presents instead of treasure. Elves collect them for Santa’s sleigh.
🐣 Easter:
🥚 “Easter Egg Hunt” – scatter plastic eggs (or yellow beanbags) across the court. Tots return them to their “nest”.
🎃 Halloween:
👻 “Pumpkin Snatch” – collect “pumpkins” (orange cones or balls). Watch out for the ghost (coach) trying to tag you!
❤️ Valentine’s Day:
💌 “Love Letter Dash” – collect foam hearts or envelopes and deliver to your team’s mailbox.
👩👧👦 Mother’s/Father’s Day:
💐 “Flower Run” – run to collect paper flowers and deliver them to mum/dad’s “garden patch”.