Some animals enjoy chasing tennis balls and chasing mice, while others like belly rubs and scavenging for treats. And for a rare few, the thing that makes them happiest is joining their fellow buccaneers on the poop deck as they sail the mighty seas.
These 11 animals are singing “yo ho yo ho a pirate’s life for me!” as they pillage the seas and hoisten the mizzen!
1. If raccoons could jump aboard a Pirate ship, this hornswaller would be great at looting chests thanks to his stealthily moves.
2. Sir Stuffington is an old salt who was born on the streets and suffered a pillage from a racoon, resulting in him becoming the world’s cutest Pirate kitten, ready to sail the seas.
3. Jackson, this stoic Australian Sheppard, stares blankly at his landlocked lubbers as he remembers his days eating his dog food out of the bung hole.
4. The only thing Max loves more than cuddling with his landlubber human is scraping the barnacles off of his rudder and firing cannons through the porthole of his ship, SS Purina.
5. Don’t let his cute looks fool you! Fluffy to Pomeranian is one of the meanest sea monsters on the ship! His swashbucklin’ attitude fights of the enemies every time.
6. Tyler the Pug plans to go off leash tonight to catch the evenin’ tide. When the sun rises, he will comely wench his treasure: a bag o’ bacon treats.
7. Ralphie be an extra good boy today as he blew the man down and battened down the hatches on his walk ‘round the block. Shiver me timbers! No one messes with this lad.
8. These three wild Corgis were ready to heave ho and hang their enemies from the yardarm. Dead men tell no tales against these Pirates! Blow the man down!
9. This little lassie may look like a landlubber, but she’s definitely a woman-o-war. She’s ready to hop on the ship, weigh the anchor, and hoist the mizzen! Meow!
10. Darla the seadog kitty was made for the sea. From her crow’s nest she likes to meow, “Blow the man down!” as she counts her doubloons and booty.
11. Milo the squirrel misses the ‘ole Pirate days. Even though he is now a landlubber, he still finds the most unexpected places to bury his hidden bounty.
Yarrr! We have a ton of talented Pirates in the way of the arrrrts in the Spiral! Each month we like to feature Pirate101 fan art and fan photo submissions through or official social media like Facebook and Pinterest. There are so many great creative works from all the amazing Pirate players. For July, we picked out some of our sizzling summer favorites to feature on the blog.
Want to submit something creative of your very own? If you are under 13 years of age, ask your parent or guardian for permission to send us your screenshot or work of fan art. If you would like to submit something, send the picture and your character name in an email to community@pirate101.com! Please attach no more than three images per email, and please limit total submissions to no more than nine screenshots or drawings in a month. Try to only submit your very best images!
Summer is coming up, and to celebrate, Headmaster Ambrose has recommended some crafts to make at home! These fun Wizard crafts for kids were hand-picked by the faculty at Ravenwood School of Magical Arts and are guaranteed to make your summer all the more magical.
Spellbooks
In order to be an extraordinary Wizard, one must have a personal spellbook to read and use to jot down magical spells. A spellbook is vital to learning the art of spell-casting and Wizardry, and is something every young Wizard should own. This easy craft requires only a few items you have at home. In no time, you’ll have the perfect book to write your enchanting spells in!
Reagents:
- A composition notebook
- Colored construction paper
- Glue
- Glitter
- Markers
- Sequins, beads or feathers (optional)
Instructions:
- First things first, gather all of your book-building supplies.
- Next, select your favorite color of construction paper. Use it to cover the entire surface of the notebook or cut it into whatever design waves your wand.
- Then, glue the paper down and let your creativity take over. Using markers, glitter, other pieces of decor and glue, add on your own Wizarding flair. This is your spellbook, after all.
- After your designs have dried, open up your spellbook to begin filling it in with your favorite Wizard101 spells!
Edible Wands
Next is a craft you can eat: edible wands! All Wizards know their wands are the most powerful tool in their arsenal of magic. After you’re done casting spells on your friends and family, you can use your wand to fill your tummy.
Reagents:
- 10 long pretzel rods
- 6 ounces white or milk chocolate chips
- Edible glitter
- Rainbow candy sprinkles
- Wax paper
Instructions:
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt your preferred flavor of chocolate chips for 30 seconds in the microwave. Take the bowl out, give its contents a stir and put it back in the microwave for 10 seconds more until the chips are fully melted.
- While your chips are melting, lay out a sheet of wax paper in your cooking area.
- Dip your pretzel rod into the melted chocolate chips. To better cover your pretzel rod, use a butter knife to spread the warm goo.
- While the chocolate is on the pretzel and still warm, use sprinkles or edible glitter to create your perfect design.
- Finally, place the newly forged wand on wax paper to dry. Once dried, your wand is complete. Go cast some spells!
Photo by Carrie Olivia
A Hat of Wizardry
Ever wanted a hat just like Headmaster Ambrose? You’re in luck! Though it takes many, many years to become a great Headmaster Wizard, this unique hat helps you forge that path.
Reagents:
- Compass (this kind)
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Big sheet of blue construction paper or cardboard
- Glue
- Stapler
- Aluminum foil
- Black marker
Instructions:
- Before you begin your magic, set your compass to 15 centimeters—that’s from the metal tip to the tip of the pencil.
- Next, draw a semicircle on your construction paper or cardboard using your properly configured compass. You are now a mathematician and a wizard!
- Cut out your semicircle, making sure to keep the flat edge straight (the part between the beginning and end of the curve of the semicircle).
- Now that your paper is cut out, roll it into a cone. Keep trying different rolls until the bottom edge of the hat, the brim, is as flat as possible. You don’t want your hat to be crooked!
- Glue the hat together at the sweet spot you found. Use the stapler to staple the hat in place so you don’t have to hold it while it dries.
- This is the best part! Unroll a big sheet of aluminum foil and draw whatever shapes you want on it (moons and stars if you want to be like the Headmaster). Then, cut the shapes out and glue them onto your hat. You now have a superb and shiny hat of immense power!
And there you have it! Three unique crafts, perfect for a magical summer at home. What other crafted items would you add to your spellbook, wand or hat?
Everyone has certain things they love that others just don’t get. Here are 21 things only gamers get excited about:
1) Filling up your inventory with cool things
No one else but a gamer would see the importance of seeds, charms, or mounts—you never know when you might need them in a battle!
2) Finding a new world to explore
Nothing beats discovering a new part of a game. There’s lots to see and do. You know where the next few days of your life will go.
3) Peeks at new content
Whether online or in a game shop, getting a sneak peak at an upcoming new quests, card decks, or even pets for your favorite game makes you feel like the happiest person on the planet.
4) Glitches getting fixed
When the game’s designers release a free patch to fix bugs, you’ll finally get to enjoy your game again without weird invisible barriers or tools working the wrong way.
5) Getting ungrounded and playing again
Nothing’s sweeter than breaking free from being grounded. It can feel exactly like Christmas morning when your mom or dad lets you play your game again after what feels like a lifetime.
6) Seasonal items and quests
Some people get excited about the weather turning cold or school finally being out for the summer. For you, a new season generally means a cool new seasonal quest that brings special rewards and tools.
7) Mini games
Winning a mini game can almost feel like winning the lottery. The mini games in Wizard101 allow you to recharge your energy and potentially earn more gold! Other fun side quests, like Grub Guardian or the fun trivia games at FreeKIGames.com, offer rewards you can’t get anywhere else.
8) Free Crowns
Some people would say getting real free money would be better than getting imaginary money or Crowns. But gamers know that sometimes, Crowns are real money!
9) When the Wi-Fi goes down and then comes back on
It’s like you’ve gone days without water! You need your game! Your brothers and sisters are annoyed they can’t use Facebook but you’re itching to battle. Coming back to your game after a while away means spending extra time building inventory, battling and collecting gold. What’s wrong with that?!
10) Achievements
Like getting all A’s or winning a soccer game, there’s no greater feeling than getting past a certain point in the game. You’ve worked hard to get where you are, so be proud!
11) Leveling up
Leveling up can take days, weeks or even months. It’s a sign of hard work and dedication, and it doesn’t hurt that you sometimes get a pretty little reward for making it to the next level.
12) Getting game gift cards for your birthday
While the other kids in your class are eyeing the next iPhone or a puppy, you have a birthday list of zones and gear that you can’t wait to buy with prepaid game gift cards.
13) Fancy gear
It’s always exciting when you save up enough coins to get new outfits or weapons for your characters. Adding your own custom touch is one of the reasons you play in the first place!
14) New powers
Maybe you leveled up or got a new item. Suddenly you can fly, turn into an animal or shoot fire!
15) Finding a great walkthrough
A good guide to playing is like having a friend over your shoulder to help… but less annoying.
16) Finding a new monster
They might be cute or they might be scary, but it’s so fun to find and fall in love with new creatures in your game.
17) Starting a new character
You get to experience the game all over again. But this time, everything’s different! A new person to dress, a new way of fighting… The possibilities are endless!
18) Winning a boss fight
These can be nerve-wracking, but it’s great to finally beat that enemy! You’ve literally conquered a giant!
19) Getting to a save point
Not every game lets you save whenever you want. There’s no greater relief than finding a place where you can save!
20) Rare items
Every gamer knows how exciting it is to find super-rare drops. Will you keep them or sell them?
21) Getting your real-life friends to play
Maybe this is the most fun. Sharing your game with your friends, playing in PvP battles and going on quests together make playing your game even more fun than ever!
What’s your favorite thing about gaming? Tell us in the comments below!
Do you want to be a great sorcerer outside of Wizard City? You don’t have to be in the Spiral to practice magic—there are ways to cast spells in our world without a wand or spell card. Try out these four tricks to conjure up magic with your friends and family!
A Fool’s Fortune
Before the trick: Get a quarter, then cut a piece of paper and some tin foil to be slightly bigger than the quarter. Put the tin foil over one side of the coin and around its rim, then gently rub to leave the quarter’s impression on the foil. Take the quarter out of the foil and cut off any excess—this creates a fake “quarter.”
The trick: Put your “quarter” in the palm of your hand, show it your audience and then tell them you can make it disappear. Then take the piece of paper and place it over the quarter. Say “abracadabra,” wave your other hand over the quarter and remove the paper. The audience will see it’s still there. Apologize and try again. Do this twice more and when it doesn’t work on your third try, give a final apology. Tell your audience it was a fool’s fortune anyway and crumple the paper and the “quarter” so it looks like you casually crushed the coin. Voila!
The Enchanted Salt Shaker
What you’ll need for the trick: A salt shaker, a quarter, a piece of cloth big enough to completely cover the salt shaker and a table covered with a cloth.
The trick: Announce to your audience that you can make a quarter pass through the table. Start by putting the quarter on the table, then place the salt shaker over the quarter and the cloth over the salt shaker.
Tell your audience that you’ve failed to make the quarter go through every time and move the covered salt shaker with one hand to show the quarter is still on the table. While everyone’s eyes are on the quarter, quietly drop the salt shaker into your lap. Make sure the cloth holds the shape of the salt shaker and don’t lift it too high for your audience to see it’s gone, keeping your other hand in your lap.
This part is a little tricky and will take practice. Tell your audience you know the quarter will go through this time. Take your unseen hand and bang the top of the salt shaker under the table while pretending to bang it with your visible hand on top of the table. Pretend to push the “salt shaker” through the table. Remove the cloth and say sadly that only the salt shaker went through again, then reveal the “enchanted salt shaker” from beneath the table.
The Sliding Paper Clip
What you’ll need: A metal paper clip, a small magnet and a newspaper
The trick: Fold the magnet inside the newspaper and place the paper clip on top. Pick a volunteer from the audience and tell him or her to take an invisible string you have attached to the paper clip. As the volunteer pulls the “string,” slide the magnet forward to move the paper clip and watch jaws drop in awe!
Sweet Numbers
What you’ll need: Sugar cubes, a pencil and a glass of water.
The trick: Ask a volunteer to pick a number from one to 10. Write that number on a sugar cube with a pencil, pressing as hard as you can. Say you’re going to place the cube into the cup of water and press the cube between your thumb and index finger so the number on it imprints on your thumb. Put the cube in the water and hold the volunteer’s hand over it, making sure your thumb is in the other person’s palm. When you turn over his or her hand, the number should be there.
While you’re out of the Spiral, spend some time learning these neat magic tricks to enchant all of your friends and family! With magic tricks like these, they will definitely think you’re some sort of a Wizard.
KingsIsle Blog 
