How to Put Together a Children's Treasure Hunt

A children's treasure hunt is sure to be the hit of any birthday party or children's gathering. Whether held indoors or outdoors, a treasure hunt is a simple activity that you can put together in any style you wish. Recommended for ages 5 to 15, this game can be fun for all involved.

Things You'll Need

• Treasure chests
• Colored paper
• Markers
• Prizes
• Rope

Instructions

Plan Your Treasure Hunt

1. Buy small toys and prizes that can easily be hidden around your house or yard.

2. Put together an easy-to-read map that allows the children to advance from one point to the next to search for treasure.

3. Cut colored paper into 4-inch by 4-inch squares. These will be used for writing clues, so cut 5 to 10 squares in different colors for each team.

4. Write out your clues on each square of colored paper in black marker for easy viewing. Fold each in half so they cannot be read by other teams.

5. Hide the clues so that one clue leads to another based on the answer. Each team's final clue should lead them to a "treasure chest." This can be a bucket of candy, a buried box or another prize of your choosing.

Let the Hunt Begin

1. Divide your guests into 1 to 4 teams.

2. Assign each children's team a color that will correspond with the team's clues.

3. Divide up the prizes among the children, according to who found the treasure first, who had the most fun and so on.

4. Create characters who can help the children if they get lost along the way. These should be adults or older children who can give the teams clues to help them find their ultimate prize.

Tips & Warnings

• When weather and space allow, try to put together a children's treasure hunt that can be conducted outside. This will give you more room and keep kids from rifling through your personal belongings in your home.

• If you hold your treasure hunt indoors, try to confine it to one level of your home or classroom. Rope off any areas that are not part of the "treasure zone."

• Don't let kids run with fake swords or other potentially dangerous objects. Instruct them that pirates are expected to be safe, too!