Indoor Treasure Hunt

Since the weather has easily been reaching the mid to high 90's, I haven't really pushed the kids to go outside to play. However, it has been hard to make sure the kids are getting some exercise instead of just spending all day in front of a screen.

So....I took some inspiration from my parents. Indoor Treasure Hunt. This game requires a little time to create and setup, but the results are great. The kids get the first clue and which leads to the next clue and so on.

To keep their brains working as well as their bodies, I made each clue a puzzle, riddle, rhyme or secret code. This part took the most time to create and then hide the clues. I grabbed some inspiration online and then created my own hunt that engaged both our children. I also tried to order the clues to maximize the amount of running and searching.

Rhymes:

Don’t be a slouch, look under the _______________

Secret Code:

(I kept it simple due to the ages of the kids) Each letter stands for the one above or ORYBJ:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M
-------------------------------

N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Riddles:

1. I am cold in the summer and hot in the winter. Watch me burn! (Fireplace)

2. Can you find something which has keys that open no locks, with space but no room and allows you to enter but no go in? (Computer Keyboard)

It was fun and definitely was a boredom buster. There were a few things that I would change in the future. Due to the ages of the kids, the younger one became bored during harder clues and the older one thought the rhymes were too easy. Next time I may do two separate hunts; one for each child. I can use simple rhyming picture clues for the preschool age and much harder riddles for the elementary age.