How to create a fun scavenger hunt for kids

This weekend marks the halfway point in our summer holidays. On one hand, it feels like the time is flying by and I am running out of summer-memory-making days. On the other, I wake up some mornings wondering what new things I can come up with to satisfy these energetic and curious minds I have at home with me.

We’ve been to gardens, science centers, movies, zoos, pools, play grounds, Calgary, spray parks. We’ve had family visits, movie days, pool parties and play dates. And we’ve done crafts, games, hide and seek, science experiments and baked all kinds of experimental meals and desserts.

And we are half way through. What have you done so far this summer? Really, I need to know. Leave a comment so I can add to my arsenal of fun-to-be-had-activities.

I don’t like asking for ideas without sharing ideas, so here is a fun one that can take as little or as much time as you would like.

How to create a fun Scavenger Hunt

What you need

Paper
Pen or other colourful markers
Other Accessories based on the hints
TREASURE (we used the Minions Kinder Eggs, the kids loved them)

Directions

1. Write out all of your hints on a piece of paper.Your first hint should explain the hunt a bit and invite your kids to play.
2. Remember to hold on to the first hint (you can number them to make sure they are found in order). When you hide your hints, hide the second hint where your first hint told you to go, and repeat.
3. Hide your treasure where the last hint points.
4. Either give the first hint to your child(ren), or set it somewhere they will find it, and then the fun starts until the final clue is solved and the treasure (in this case, the Kinder eggs) have been claimed.

Scavenger hunt hint ideas

Scavenger hints can be an action. For example, ‘Roses are red, an X means you’re wrong, find your mom and sing the alphabet song’ or ‘Roses are red, violets are blue, find your dad and say I love you’, then put the next clue in your pocket because you just became part of the game.

They can also do a physical action like blowing so many bubbles through a hula hoop, jumping rope on one foot, jump across the yard using old pillow cases like potato sacks, or decorating each other’s faces with wet chalk (makes a great face paint, use Crayola).

You can also offer options on your hints. For example, you might write ‘the sun sets in the: 1) for East, look in the shed 2) for West, look near the fire pit’. This extends the game a bit more because of wrong answers.

Additionally, you can incorporate teamwork tasks in the game such as building a tower out of blocks (which takes some time), making an inukshuk with stones in the yard (educational and cultural experience) or use summer memories as the hints such as ‘I’m hiding in the place where we found our first daddy long legs of the summer’.

Tip: if you are hiding Kinder Eggs, remember to hide them inside or somewhere cool on a hot day.

Disclosure: I am working with Kinder as an ambassador and this is my final post through their current program. I would like to thank Kinder for choosing to work with me. Opinions are not influenced.

Sheri Landry

Sheri publishes, and writes at This Bird’s Day where she shares all of the thoughts in her head without the voices. Sticking mainly with content for Canadians, Sheri shares family stories, product information and anything that fits into her (and her family’s) daily activities.

www.thisbirdsday.com