Treasure Hunts For Children

Pirates and hidden treasure fascinate children and a treasure hunt is a great party idea for kids of all age groups. This is a game, in which a group is given a clue about a particular place. They would then need to analyze the clue, and try to find out the place. Once they find the place, they will get another clue about another place. This goes on, until the final clue is found, leading to the treasure. There is no limit to the number of clues that can be given. However, it is important to remember than in a treasure hunt, there should be rules. Ensure that everyone who participates sticks to the rules. You can be innovative and use different clues. These can range from simple clues, to poetry clues, scripture clues and clues in the dark with flashlights. Make the treasure hunt more interesting by making giving full reign to your creativity. Read on to know how to design a treasure hunt for kids.

How To Design A Treasure Hunt For Kids

The first thing to do in a treasure hunt is to chart out your territory. Irrespective of where the hunt is going to be, you need to figure out which are the significant landmarks in that place, which the children will recognize. For example, if you just mention a tree as a landmark, it might be confusing. However, if you mention a tree, which is beside a rock, it will be a better clue.
You would need to consider the age of the children, who are going to participate in the treasure hunt. There might be very young children who will not be able to read. In this case, you will need to consider using pictorial clues. While you could also have an adult or an older child reading out the clues, it will spoil the fun of the game for the child.
Consider having a communal treasure hunt rather than one in which all the children compete against one another. Communal treasure hunts are generally preferred by children.
Write out the clues on a treasure map, making sure that you hide the clues well. Don’t hide the clues haphazardly. Rather, try putting them down on a particular route. You can also try incorporating them into puzzles and rhymes. Solving them adds to the fun of the entire exercise.
Make the treasure map look more authentic by artificially ageing it. You can do this by burning the edges slightly or by staining the paper to make it look old.
Set boundaries so as to ensure safety of the children. Remind them that clues will never be in dangerous places, so they would need to stay away from such places. Also, remind them to stick together so that they can be there when the treasure is unearthed.
Hide the treasure well and ensure that there is enough to be shared by all participants. Have a little extra in case you have miscalculated or accidently left out anyone. You can put the treasure in plastic bags or boxes and cover them well so that they are inconspicuous.

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