Taking your kids to the theme park or watching a movie together is an excellent way to kill boredom and develop a strong family bond. However, there’s another method that you can employ to briefly excite them. It will improve their brains, and summon their inner adventurer – treasure hunts.
Besides being an excellent way to boost their thinking ability and curiosity, treasure hunts are also a great way to keep your kids busy. This way you and your partner can attend to other issues or take a break from their constant, irresistible pleas.
This article will provide you with a few essential treasure hunt ideas to enable you to play a variety of treasure hunts and enjoy the moments.
1. Indoor Treasure Hunt
The classic treasure hunt requires you to create clues that reveal a location, then have another hint in the new area that, and that tip should also lead to a new spot, and so on until they find all the information that leads to the final destination.
At the final destination, you may place a toy, treat, or anything your kids may find interesting and have them claim it at the end. Your kids may opt to work individually or as a team and build cooperation skills. Most importantly, this game will also teach them how to follow instructions in order.
Some clues that you can incorporate in the game may include:
- I’m round and quickly get untouchably hot. In larger families, I’m used quite a lot. Answer: The Stove.
- I am a type of paper; I’m not meant for your school bag since beside your potty suits me much better. Answer: toilet paper.
- I have hands, not arms, and I’m without a face. When moving, my hands stay at a steady pace. Answer: the clock.
- The more I dry, the wetter I become. A smaller version of me is used for hands.
Answer: a towel.
These clues appear as a Riddle, which is similar to how ancient pirates and Hollywood movies present them since making them direct would make the hunt too dull. You may use the hints listed above or craft yours according to the items in your home.
2. Picture Treasure Hunt
A Picture Treasure hunt is a fun way to include modern technology into ancient play. It improves the fun with little reading. For instance, one way to play the game is to take photos of precisely placed items in your home that are in odd areas that rarely get any root traffic. Then, print the images, and put them in specific locations as a clue to help your child find the next spot.
Picture Treasure hunts follow the natural pattern of indoor Treasure hunts as the photos replace the written clues that children use as hints to find the hidden treasure. Naturally, this version of the game is ideal for children who aren’t proficient in the English language yet and may struggle with reading words off a parchment.
Another version of the picture Treasure Hunt is equipping your child with a camera. Whether it be a smartphone or standard camera; have them take photos of specific places in the house that they think hold clues to the treasure.
Upon taking the photo, they’ll return to you with their image, promoting you to open a secret list of locations that qualify. If their picture matches any area on your list, you may give them a clue that place holds and send them on their way.
Finally, this version is an excellent way to teach your kids how to use a camera and build teamwork.
3. Outdoor Treasure Hunts
When the sun is perfect in the sky and the cold, the cool air feels nice on the skin, you may take your kids out to the backyard or lawn for an outdoor Treasure Hunt. The Gameplay of this quest is similar to the indoor Treasure Hunt. The only difference is that you play the game outside of your home with nature.
Before organizing the game, prepare specific locations and create clues that lead the adventurer to each site, one after the other. Unlike being indoors, where you can use everyday items, like a fan, clock, lamp, or wardrobe, you will have to be extra creative in the clue-making department.
To get a feel of what clues in an outdoor Treasure hunt game might have, below are a few suggestions:
- I am a friend of your parents because I keep things neat. I am the item that wipes under your feet. Answer: the mat.
- Sit on me, and you’re nearer to the sky. On my two wheels, we will take off and fly.
Answer: a bicycle.
- I am usually asleep throughout the day, but at night I come alive to show you the way.
Answer: the outdoor light.
- Fill me with seeds and hang me high. With my presence, I’ll bring visitors from the sky.
Answer: bird feeder.
- Everyone who doesn’t know your home looks for me. That’s why I am placed where it is easy to see.
Answer: house number.
Note that you can extend this game to the neighborhood park or anywhere besides your house. However, your child needs to be old enough to navigate his surroundings and shouldn’t be obstructed by too much traffic.
4. Nature Treasure Hunts
The Nature Treasure Hunt is a more extensive version of the outdoor treasure hunt because it doesn’t happen in the confines of your lawn; it’s done in the great outdoors. However, before taking your family to any cool spot with a view, first research about dedicated nature Treasure Hunt locations.
If your city has no spot for such an activity, you may want to go camping, use the park, zoo, or any place that mimics nature. Afterward, begin your planning by either purchasing an already made treasure hunt list or making your own.
You may place clues in different places in the area. Using photos or riddles written on paper, or you may give each child a color and ask them to look for an object that shares the same shade.
5. Color Treasure Hunt
The color Treasure Hunt is easy to compose at the last moment. It will also give your children as much fun as an indoor and outdoor Treasure hunt. The game works by you smearing different colors on paper, having your kids Pic a color, and search for items in the house that share the hue.
The child that returns with an agreed number of items will earn the treasure. For the quick version or can be given a Riddle that reveals a location in the house. In that location, the child will find a clue written on a piece of paper.
The written clue will lead to three more clues until they finally get to the treasure.
Conclusion
Ensure not to overwhelm your children with clues that are too difficult during the treasure hunt. The problematic and extreme mental effort may cause fatigue, resulting in them giving up. Nevertheless, pick one of the treasure hunt ideas, and have fun with your family.