Treasure Hunt
My grandchildren love a treasure hunt! If one participant hasn’t learned to read yet, the other child reads the clues and the kids take turns finding the clues.
For Young Children
- Purchase a prize or treat for each child, or make a ticket to their favorite restaurant.
- Write 10 or 12 clues on squares of paper for the kids to follow. The first clue lists the location of the next one, and so on. Place the clues around the house, in the right order. I like to spread the clues from one end of the house to the other so the hunt lasts longer. The final clue leads the children to the hidden prize.
*We play this game so often that I save the clues to use again, mixing up the order.
*My grandchildren enjoy a birthday treasure hunt to find their gifts at the end.
For Older Children
- Choose 10 or more places in the house to hide the clues.
- Write a description or poem that directs the children where to look for the next clue, without telling them exactly where the clue is located. Children take turns reading the clues out loud and work together to determine its location.
- The treasure at the end might be a gift card, treat, or tickets to a movie, miniature golf, restaurant, water park, etc.
Example #1: “Violets are blue and roses are red, find a place where Molly lays her head.
Example #2: Upon it we sit, three or four will fit. We’ll need the remote. On a program we’ll vote.
Example #3: “Ketchup and mustard are red and gold, but they need to stay very cold. Drive over water, go over a bridge, when you want something cold, you go to the _ _ _ _ _ _.”