Little treasures

Sometimes we run out of ideas to keep the kids entertained throughout the summer. A good old-fashioned treasure hunt may fit the bill

Planned well, with the right 'treasure' and entertaining clues, treasure hunts can be educational as well as enjoyable for little ones. Our tips below are aimed at five to seven-year-olds, but the basic idea can be adapted for any age.

You will need

  • A list of clues (see below), for outdoor and indoor hiding places, in case it rains.
  • Treasure: foil-wrapped chocolate coins are brilliant, or small presents such as bottles of bubbles or crayons also work well. Pack them in little boxes if you want to bury in different places, or in a big box, so they can find a 'treasure chest' stuffed with goodies that they can share.
  • A drink and snack for the little hunters after all their hard work.
  • A camera to capture special moments.

On the day

Most kids will already know that finding and solving the clues will lead them to the treasure, but it may be wise to give them a few guidelines and suggest simple rules.

The clues

Write these on brightly coloured paper. Very young children can find objects from picture clues with short messages – items starting with different letters, or in distinctive colours. If too young to read a map, they may need help to stay on track.
Put clues with each treasure to lead to the next.

Sample clues

  • Walk up the garden path. What lies at the end?
  • Which pot on the patio holds more than a plant?
  • Look inside where these live (draw a picture of green wellies or umbrellas).
  • On the sofa, what lies beneath one of the cushions?
  • Look in the fruit bowl, the fruit may be hiding something.
  • Inside the porch is a large rock. Leave no stone unturned to find this clue.

Here are more clues exclusive to www.tescomagazine.com

You may need to tailor these slightly to work in with where you live.

  • Try opening the door of the machine in the kitchen that cleans our clothes.
  • We wear these when we do the washing up. They are yellow and hand-shaped. What's inside one of them?
  • When the postman delivers a letter through your door, where does it land?
  • You can find the next clue in a place where you close your eyes at night.
  • What are wet clothes hung on in the garden? Is something else pegged on there?
  • Walk down to the garden wall – is there something sitting on it?
  • Look very closely at the biggest bush in the garden.
  • The apple tree provides a lovely shady spot for this.
  • You will find the next clue behind the shed door.
  • Look up high into the big umbrella that sits over the garden table to find the next clue.
  • Now look back to the swing. Is there something hanging around?
  • Dig with your bucket and spade to see what's buried in the sandpit.

For older kids

  • Children wanting more of a challenge may enjoy having a go at unscrambling words, or even solving riddles or filling in missing words in rhymes to lead them onto the next clue.
  • If they're in teams, you could give older kids clues that require different talents, eg you could try writing clues in musical notes that they have to spell out.
  • To keep things orderly, and as long you're not putting individual names on the clues, each team needs to choose a leader who reads the clues out, but suggest that they wait till everyone is gathered round.
  • It may be a good idea to think about having a 'walk, don't run to the clue' rule, if you're worried about anything getting knocked over or trampled.
  • You may want to design a complete treasure map and photocopy it if the children are covering a quite a large area – the idea here would be a series of clues leading to the big treasure or prize, with a few bits of treasure they can pick up along the way.
  • Another way of organising things is to have teams collecting letters that spell out clues to the next location.
  • The treasure can be symbolic for certain prizes, such as picture cards for movie passes or tickets.
  • When one team finds the treasure, make sure it's in a box that has to be opened once everyone's gathered round at a chosen spot – with enough treasure inside for the winners – but save some for the losers too!
Treasure hunt

Some good rules

  1. It's great if everyone takes a turn solving a clue. If some children are going to be faster than others, try writing each child's name on a clue. Then, whoever finds it first gives it to that person to solve.
  2. If you have any no-go areas, show them the hunting ground they need
    to keep to.
  3. Make it clear they should read the clue first before looking for the treasure.
  4. Ask them to avoid treading on
    any plants.
  5. Remind them not to eat any garden berries, seeds or leaves.

More top tips

If you have a mix of ages playing,
it's a good idea to colour code clues, for instance red clues to be read by older children, yellow clues for younger children.

Another way to add an element of surprise is by making some of the treasure pieces of pasta or rather
un-treasure-like, and then you can surprise those who found them after the hunt is over – they've actually won a great prize!

Hiding clues works best with two adults, as one person may forget where they are. If you are the sole organiser preparing the hunt, make an extra copy of the clues and directions.