Treasure Hunts

Treasure hunts are a blast, we all know that, right?  Theyíre a great way to have fun with our kids.  But how about getting the neighbors involved and helping you and your children develop new relationships and stronger ties in the community?  Letís talk a little about ways to do this through treasure hunts

Pass out a few fliers in your neighborhood.  Even if you know your neighbors well enough, it helps to have something on paper that they can look at; easier to remember that way.  Going door-to-door is probably the best route.  Talk to them and see if they want to get involved with some of the planning.  From my experience, Iíve always been surprised to find that many neighbors actually DO want to get involved in community activities; they just need someone to lead the way, it seems.  You may find a few really creative friends on your street that will astonish you.

So the fliers are out and you have parents and neighbors involved.  Invite them over to your house on a nice summer night and just hang out with a piece of paper, soda, wine, and beer.  Just have a good time with them and watch the ideas flow.  Some of them probably played games like this when they were kids as well, so thinking of ideas may come naturally to them.  Try to get everyone involved doing at least SOMEthing, if itís clear that you are to be the leader of the endeavor.

If it works and the parents and kids have fun, do it again.  Use the entire neighborhood and make it seem like a sprawling landscape of mystery for your children.  Theyíll love it!

The year my daughter turned eight was a magical year for us.  She was finally old enough to have sleepovers, and I finally got to know the other parents enough to build strong relationships in the community.  But Iím not sure anybody was ready for the Birthday Party To End All Birthday Parties.

I wanted to do something different, something that hadnít been done before; I donít mean ever, but at least in recent times, or at least in our community.

We loved Seattle, and we loved the sea.  How could I take advantage of the lovely city?  Then I had it.I sent out invitations to all the kids and parents (my daughter helped, of course), and the day came.  I should probably tell you that I used a very peculiar writing style within the invitations.Well, there at the meeting place ñ the local park – , was a big, beautifully ugly, run-down pirate ship that had previously been the site of tours, but had recently been reduced to simply part of the park.  My daughter and I handed out eye patches, hats, and swords, and we were ìunderwayî!

Before everyone got there, and while my daughter was distracted by mom, I hid ìtreasureî all over the park, with directions to said treasure on maps; the maps were also hidden INSIDE the pirate ship, amidst friends and certain parents.  What were they doing?  They were inside the ship, in full costume, acting like real pirates.

The kids had a blast, and they felt like they were part of something magical, just like in the old pirate movies.  And the parents had a great time getting to know each other better, creating even stronger bonds.  What a day, matey!

Cool thread!  I’ve been doing scavenger hunts since I was a kid.  That custom was passed on to my younger sisters, and now Iím doing them with MY daughter.  Iíve always found that doing them for birthdays ñ with the final clue leading to her present (the “treasure”) is the most fun time to arrange them.

The one that I remember the clearest was when my sister turned 14.  She got home from school, and all that was waiting for her was an index card on the door with the words ìI am full of dirt.  What should I do?î written on it.  She didnít get it at first, and I certainly wasnít about to give her ANY hints.  None.  Ever.  That may have been a bit harsh, but to me, thatís one of the highlights of scavenger hunts that make them so appealing: frustration leading to realization and success!

Anyway, she finally caught on that when youíre full of dirt, you might want to take a shower.  Well, there waiting in the shower was Clue #2 with the word ìBarkî on it.  So, like any normal person, she checked all the trees in the frontÖnothing.  In the backÖnothing still.  I donít remember if it was my other sister who thought of it or one of my brothers, but I think someone mentioned the word ìhomonymî, which she knew.  You see, a dog barks.  I had strapped an index card to the dog!

I wonít go through every clue (maybe in a future article!), and I should probably make a point here soon, and it is this:  BE CREATIVE.  BREAK RULES.  And make them work for it: theyíll remember the time spent together.