Free Pirate Treasure Maps for a Pirate Birthday Party Treasure Hunt

Take your kids on a creative adventure with this collection of free pirate printables. In particular, these printables will be great for parents looking for pirate birthday party ideas for boys. Ideal for children age five and up, this original set of activities and crafts includes pirate treasure maps, a word searches puzzle, and a maze puzzle. Also included is a set of blank treasure maps, that you can use to create your own map for a treasure hunt for a pirate birthday party, or to use as a background for treasure hunt clues.

Pirate Treasure Maps

My pirate treasure maps have become one of most popular printables. Here is a brand new treasure map that’s being published for the first time. This map features a cartoon character of my own creation, named Chartwell. Chartwell is a young nineteenth century explorer who solved supernatural mysteries. You may find Chartwell in other printables on this site.

In addition to Chartwell, this printable treasure map showcases a wide variety of characters including a t. rex, a ghost skeleton pirate, a turquoise yeti, a sea serpent, an ice fisherman, a shark on holiday, rafting buccaneer, and a treasure-hoarding grizzly bear.

Please click on the image below to see a larger version of the treasure map.

 

Here is another treasure map printable I made a little while ago. This one features a pirate boy, a shipwreck, a rock that looks like a skull, a pirate fighting a snake, and more.

 

Blank Treasure Maps

If you want to draw a map for your treasure hunt, here is a blank treasure maps you can use. If you’re throwing a pirate birthday party, turn gift giving into a treasure hunt by using this map. Draw a few landmarks on the map, such as a sofa or a lamp, and then place X’s at the locations where kids have hidden their presents. Present the treasure map to the birthday boy or girl, and let the treasure hunt begin! You can also print multiple copies of the map, and write treasure hunt clues on the islands.

If you’re hosting a pirate birthday party, you can also use these blank treasure maps as birthday party invitations. Simple write your message on the front, followed by the party time, date, and location.

 

 

Pirate Treasure Maps Coloring Pages

If you kids like to color, download these printable treasure map coloring pages. If you’re throwing a pirate party, add these to the goody bags.

 

How These Treasure Maps Are Made

Creating one of these treasure map printables is a pretty time intensive process. I start the drawing with a simple sketch of the islands. I scan this image and ink it on the computer using a program called Manga Studio. I color the map in Photoshop, separating the flat colors and shadows by layers.  Then I return to my drawing desk and sketch each of the characters and objects you see in the drawing. I scan these in, and ink and color them like I did the map. Then in Photoshop, I place each image where I want it to go on the map. I play around with their positions until I feel that the image is well balanced, but not too cluttered. When I feel that the image is finally complete, I convert it to a PNG or JPEG file and post it here online for my readers to see.

If you enjoy these treasure maps and were able to use them for your pirate birthday party or other creative craft, please leave a comment. I’d be delighted to hear any thoughts or suggestions you have. Finally, at the bottom of the page I’ve included a few more pirate birthday party ideas for boys, from posts I made a while back.

-Till next time,

Tim

Word Search Puzzles for Kids

If your kids enjoy word search puzzles, print out these pirate word searches. The puzzle features word related to pirates and adventure. If your children don’t know some of these words, this is a great opportunity for them to expand their vocabulary.

Mazes for Kids

Here’s a neat adventure maze featuring Chartwell, the young explorer from the first treasure map. This maze has been drawn on an isometric grid, giving it a 3-dimensional look. Guide Chartwell through the maze labyrinth to the treasure at the bottom of the page.

Each of these activities was created by Tim van de Vall, for your child’s enjoyment. Feel free to share them with your friends and family! If you’re sharing any of this content online, please include a link back to this webpage.