Pirate Night

The Hutchings Museum in Lehi sponsored a Pirate Night this weekend and Aaron and I decided to take the kids. We invited our friends, the Shaws, to come along too. I wasn't sure what to expect, because admission was only $4, but the people at the Hutchings Museum really outdid themselves. There was a lot to see and a lot to do, and we all had a blast.

We dressed up (of course), and at the first station the kids were given a treasure map and a little bag to hold treasure and a new pirate name. Adelia was Sally of the Sea, Lincoln was Charley the Captain's Shadow, and Ivan was something equally good that I can't remember. At every station, after we completed the activity, the kids were given some sort of cool little treasure to go in their bags. Beads, shells, feathers, stickers, a piece of obsidian, pirate ring, eye patch, dodo bird egg, jewels, spices (packets of sugar), and gold doubloons.

In the next room the kids got to shoot paper brigands with wooden rubber band pistols. And in the next room, we were all assigned to a ship, depending on what month of the year we were born in. Then we were taught about different pirate weapons, and Lincoln got put in the stocks.

There was a room with live animals where we saw birds, and petted lizards and snakes, and learned about the dodo birds and how the pirates killed them all off for food. In another room were live bugs, spiders and scorpions. And a woman pirate told us the legend of the Fountain of Youth.

Then we listened to a pirate band. And sang and danced with them to famous pirate tunes. Adelia liked this one the best I think. The boys were too shy to dance. In the next room we met Indians who taught us a rain dance, and showed the kids how to beat on a drum. They told us a few Indian legends as well.

After that we got to grind spices, and see some of the things pirates thought were valuable. And we met a talking parrot. Then we walked into a room and all the kids had to pick a piece of paper out of a hat. Each one had a crime on it, such as wearing your eye patch on the wrong eye. The kids were hand-cuffed together, and taken to jail, where they had to answer a question about pirates. All our kids were released and got a balloon sword for their troubles.

Then we went outside for the launching of the candy cannon. That was probably Lincoln's favorite part, because it involved candy.

Anyways, it was awesome. We will definitely go again next year if they do it.