Extend Your Experience: Fun Activities Inspired by Treasure Island
Posted on September 3, 2025
Ahoy, adventurers! The excitement of Treasure Island doesn’t have to end when the curtain falls—you can keep the spirit of pirates, maps, and hidden gold alive right at home. We’ve put together a collection of playful, hands-on activities inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s legendary tale. From crafting your own treasure map to baking pirate-worthy treats and staging a family treasure hunt, these adventures will spark imagination, creativity, and plenty of laughter. So gather your crew, set your course, and extend your journey into the world of Treasure Island!
Map Making
Do you want to explore the seas and hunt for golden treasure like Long John Silver and Jim Hawkins? Start by creating your own treasure map! Create a brand-new island using the materials and instructions listed below. When you’re finished, post it and tag us @childrenstheatrecompany on Instagram!
Materials
- Paper
- Optional: Use watercolor paper
- A pen with black ink
- Rice (a handful to ½ cup depending on the size of your paper)
- Coloring tools (markers, crayons, or colored pencils work well)
- Optional: Use watercolor paints/brushes for a more realistic looking map!
Instructions
- Lay your paper down on a flat surface.
- Pour your rice over the paper. Try to pour it so that the rice falls in a central area. You can move the rice around to create new shapes or leave it however it naturally falls.
- Take your pen and trace around the rice to create the land on the map. If a few pieces of rice fall to other sections of the paper, create little islands around the big one.
- Carefully put the rice back into its container.
- Now it’s time to be creative! Use different symbols and colors to customize your island’s topography. Challenge yourself to include all of the elements below:
- Name your island
- Compass rose
- Symbols for trees, mountains, bodies of water, volcanoes, or anything else you’d like to include
- An “X” to mark where your treasure is hidden and the path to find it
Photo from How to Make a Rice Fantasy Map – the cozy art teacher blog
Cheddar Apple Hand Pies
We rarely see Long John Silver without an apple and Ben Gunn is always talking about his love for cheese … It turns out that this unlikely pairing makes the most delicious apple pie! Try out this recipe for a collision of two worlds in one dessert.
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 20-25 minutes | Total Time: 35-40 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 box of pre-made/refrigerated pie crust
- 1 can of apple pie filling
- 1 cup of finely shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 egg
Utensils
- Rolling pin
- Large cutting board or clean, flat surface
- Large, circular cookie cutter or glass
- Fork
- Baking sheet
- Can opener
Instructions
- Take the pie crust out of the refrigerator and set it aside for at least 15 minutes. The dough doesn’t have to be exactly room temperature, but it should become less chilled.
- Preheat your oven according to the instructions on the pie box.
- Unwrap your pie crust and place on a flat surface. Sprinkle your cheese evenly on the pie crust. Fold the pie crust over and over to incorporate the cheese fully into the dough. When the cheese is thoroughly incorporated, use a rolling pin to flatten out the dough again to the same thickness.
- Helpful hint: If the dough sticks to your rolling pin, sprinkle some flour on the dough to prevent it from getting too sticky!
- Using a large, circular cookie cutter or an upside-down glass, cut circles out of the dough.
- Open the can of pie filling. Add filling to each dough circle, fold them in half, and crimp the edges with a small fork to seal the pie. Place your pies on a greased baking sheet
- Helpful hint: Make sure to leave some extra room inside your pies so they don’t burst at the seams!
- In a small bowl, mix cinnamon and sugar. Set aside. In another small bowl, beat the egg. Brush each hand pie with egg and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture on top.
- Cut 2 small slices in the top of each pie to let out steam from the oven.
- Bake your pies in the oven for 20-25 minutes until they are golden brown. Let them cool for at least 10 minutes and enjoy!
Photo from Apple Hand Pies with Cheddar Cheese—Krazy Kitchen Mom
One-Word Treasure Hunt
It’s time to bring out your inner pirate and hunt for some treasure! Get the whole family together (and maybe a few friends) to create a fun treasure hunt right in your home.
Instructions
- Divide your group into two teams.
- Each group will get one “treasure” to hide somewhere in the home. This could be any object of your choosing. Let one group hide the object first while the other group closes their eyes, then switch.
- Each group must come up with one word to hint at where their treasure is hidden.
- The first team to find the other team’s treasure the fastest wins that round!
Variations
- Hide multiple treasures per team
- Put a category on your hint! All hint words must be a type of room, a color, a texture, etc.
- Put a time limit on your search to increase the suspense.
- Make it a relay race!
- Each group must hide as many treasures as there are people on each team. For example, if there are 3 players per team, each team must hide 3 treasures.
- Each team will come up with a one-word hint per item.
- One person may look for an item at a time. When the first person on your team has found a treasure, they must go back to where the team is based and tag the next player in.
- Play until one group has found all three of the other team’s treasures.
