Creative Activity for Families:
Scavenger Hunts
by Melissa @ The Inspired Room
Want a creative idea for a fun family activity at home or around the neighborhood? Why not have a scavenger hunt? That is what our family did a few weeks ago. My husband has always loved making a fun list of creative clues for the kids in the form of a treasure hunt. And with a wide range of kids’ ages in our family, this is an activity everyone can participate in. Those all family activities can be hard to come by, especially on a limited budget.
This time, the theme was a pirate adventure for my son. All it took was some advance planning, creativity and a few dollar store surprises! Here are the highlights of the hunt for the treasure!
Creating a memorable life isn’t about the money you spend,
it is about what creativity you put into living!
If you have a moment, could you check out those buttons in the MOMS UNITE area of my sidebar? I’d love it if you could pay those small businesses a visit for me. They are wonderful sites and worth a look. I want them all to feel loved by The Inspired Room readers! You guys are the best, I appreciate each of you! Thanks for supporting Moms Unite participants for the holidays! We are all better together, non?
PS. While my coins were not chocolate, please be aware that in Canada some foil covered chocolate coins have been found to contain dangerous substances! Please be careful, and check www.snopes.com for more information!
Tagged as:
family,
making memories,
pirates,
Traditions & Memory Making
{ 57 comments… read them below or add one }
Monica 10.31.08 at 3:31 am
Great idea! I recently thought of doing this for my little ones - we haven’t done it yet, but I found some gold coin wrapped chocolates on clearance this week so now I’m ready with my treasure!
Monicas inspiring blog post..Something Old…Something New
anne 10.31.08 at 4:11 am
What a great idea..must try that with Grand children one day!!
annes inspiring blog post..Museum of the History of Science Oxford
Kristen 10.31.08 at 4:57 am
Such a fun idea. My parents used to hide oddly shaped birthday presents and send us on treasure hunts to find them. Sometimes the process is as much fun as actually receiving a gift!
Kristens inspiring blog post..Jack Frost Nipping at My Toes
Jinx 10.31.08 at 5:01 am
That is just THE neatest thing! The smile on his face tells the whole story!
Jinxs inspiring blog post..A Little Autumn Decorating
LuLu 10.31.08 at 5:58 am
isn’t it the truth. children love the simple and creative ideas with their parents! what fun..very motivational to set aside the laundry and plan something fun…I love the moms unite ( I am new to the blog world and have planned all my purchases to be from all these creative moms)
LuLus inspiring blog post..Happy Halloween
Becky K. 10.31.08 at 6:01 am
That is way too cool!
Love it!
Becky K.
Becky K.s inspiring blog post..Keep Your Chin Up!
Nikki 10.31.08 at 6:43 am
oh my gosh! this is such an awesome idea! I am definatly going to be trying this with my little one too!!
Nikkis inspiring blog post..{Thats a Deal Thursday, Baking, Baking Baking}
Jennifer 10.31.08 at 6:45 am
What a fun idea. I bet he loved it!
Jennifers inspiring blog post..Kat Boo-ed me!
Joan 10.31.08 at 6:52 am
A few years ago a church in our neighborhood had a scavenger hunt for their teen youth group. Each group of two people was given a toothpick and told to come back with something larger that someone had given them. Two girls rang our bell, they had traded in their toothpick for a pencil and the pencil for a ruler.
They hit the jackpot at our house. We had just remodeled the basement and had….ta dah… a railing! They won
Kara 10.31.08 at 7:05 am
This is awesome! I wish I was going on that scavengar hunt!!!
Karas inspiring blog post..Get your Flower on…
Meghan 10.31.08 at 7:20 am
This is the best idea EVER!
Meghans inspiring blog post..Happy Halloween!!!!!!
Rhoda 10.31.08 at 7:21 am
Melissa, what a fun thing to do for your son! I’m sure they had a blast. I’d love to get a blog button to you & I’m working on getting mine tweaked, so hopefully I can get on your blogroll.
Have a happy Halloween weekend!
Rhoda
Rhodas inspiring blog post..It’s a Giveaway!!
jennykate 10.31.08 at 7:28 am
What a FUN idea! My ds would LOVE this!
jennykates inspiring blog post..Friday Confessions
Mrs. Q 10.31.08 at 7:41 am
How fun! We were going to do a pirate treasure hunt for my oldest’s birthday party, but our budget wouldn’t even support a Dollar Tree treasure…sigh. So we just had a family birthday rather than all his friends over. He didn’t seem to mind too much, as long as he got presents!
I love your saying…it gives one pause to consider what a memorable life is truly made of…
Mrs. Qs inspiring blog post..Cry Out
Pam 10.31.08 at 7:45 am
what a fun idea, I love it!
Pams inspiring blog post..Trick or Treat!
Mama Bj 10.31.08 at 7:52 am
I actually did a scavenger/treasure hunt for my husband in our early years of dating. We went camping at the beach and I was there ahead of him, preparing the hunt. It was great fun hiding surf wax and matches for the fire, etc.
I think my kids are at a good age to bring it back. Thanks for the fun reminder.
Mama Bjs inspiring blog post..Happy Halloween
Denise 10.31.08 at 7:57 am
What a fabulous job you did. I have done a much more scaled back version. I LOVE yours though. I bet your son LOVED. BTW, Monica, make sure those coins you found on clearance, aren’t the ones from China, KWIM.
Liz@VioletPosy 10.31.08 at 8:49 am
Love this! Thanks for sharing
Liz@VioletPosys inspiring blog post..Happy Halloween
Jaime 10.31.08 at 9:47 am
I love it. It’s so creative and totally not something you see every day! I love that you shared the pictures with us as well.
Happy Halloween to you and your family!
Liz 10.31.08 at 10:21 am
Happy Halloween!
Hugs,
Liz & Mabel
leonetlola (Valerie) 10.31.08 at 10:25 am
what a great idea !
you’re right, it is not the money we depense, it is what we want to do with our kids !
happy halloween ! (did you see the cake I made ?)
have a great day (and a great evening!)
Valerie
leonetlola (Valerie)s inspiring blog post..Halloween (part 2) : Un bien bon gâteau !
leonetlola (Valerie) 10.31.08 at 10:26 am
thanks for the little tag LEON & LOLA !
leonetlola (Valerie)s inspiring blog post..Halloween (part 2) : Un bien bon gâteau !
Gidget 10.31.08 at 11:38 am
very cute! I love your pirate scroll!
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Loralee - No Fuss Fabulous 10.31.08 at 11:39 am
Oh my goodness! This is the cutest scavenger hunt I’ve ever seen!!! You are so right. It’s not about the money. The love you put into things and the care is what is most important! I am definitely sharing this with friends. Thanks!!
Loralee - No Fuss Fabulouss inspiring blog post..Happy Halloween!
Melissa 10.31.08 at 12:05 pm
What a fun time! I once did a scavenger hunt for my daughters birthday party and had a chest filled with mardi gras beads at the end! They had such a fun time.
Melissas inspiring blog post..Boo! House Update and Weekend Plans
laurie miller 10.31.08 at 12:10 pm
What a perfect scavenger hunt. It looks like your son was having a great time! Good job!!! Laurie
laurie millers inspiring blog post..Apples
teresa 10.31.08 at 1:21 pm
Holy Shipmate- too cute. I will have to save that idea and do with my grandchildren- we did someone a little like that with our children when they were small, at the beach. :} Happy memories! Talk about scavenger hunts…we must be thinking alike
I have a little picture scavenger hunt contest going on over at my blog started last week, ends Nov 7th. :}
Love how you told the story with pictures :}
Sandy 10.31.08 at 2:02 pm
Scavenger Hunts are the best! So fun for the kids!!
Happy Day - I’ll wave as I drive by this weekend
Sandys inspiring blog post..If You Think Apples Were Good - Try Pears!
Amy from Texas 10.31.08 at 2:42 pm
How fun is that? Cute little pirate you have there!
Amber 10.31.08 at 3:37 pm
This is a reeallly fantastic idea, I am so pleased you posted it, I think we should try it with our family too! Thanks so muchfor sharing this idea!
~Amber
sarah @ a beach cottage 10.31.08 at 4:41 pm
oh yes just a great idea and budget friendly, my kids love this, in fact adults love it too…
Sarah
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Reginia 10.31.08 at 4:54 pm
What a fabulous idea! I am going to be trying this with our family and friends soon!! YAY just the idea I have been looking for!
Thanks for the great post!
Reginias inspiring blog post..~~Happy Halloween~~
Darla 10.31.08 at 8:35 pm
Funny you should mention this, we are going to do a little geocaching this weekend.
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Catherine 11.01.08 at 4:59 am
What a great idea Melissa. What a cute son! Makes me wish I had little kids again or some grandkids would be even better!
Hugs,
Cathie
Catherines inspiring blog post..Kreativ Blogger Award and a New Little Painting
Kathy 11.01.08 at 6:18 am
What fun! I loved the skull under the branches and the creative things you did with the clues:>)
Kat 11.01.08 at 8:37 am
This is such a cool idea. Good for any age, just change up the theme if needed.
I am so definitely going to do this for a family adoption party. We don’t do the individual grand scale birthday parties but we do a once a year large adoption party. How much fun this will be once our crew is too old for the children’s museum.
Love it!! ~Kat
Kats inspiring blog post..A Good Season for Missions
Kristin 11.01.08 at 10:30 am
Your site is a new favorite of mine. I love all the great ideas. I’ll be checking back often.
Jackie Von Tobel 11.01.08 at 11:42 am
I love this post it reminds of my early birthdays. My mother would use string and wind it through the house over chairs under tables and you had to follow it to the end to find your gift. Simple but fun.
Laura Ingalls Gunn 11.01.08 at 11:50 am
When my son turned 7 last month we had a pirate party complete with treasure hunt. The boys who attended are STILL talking about it.
Laura Ingalls Gunns inspiring blog post..Happy Halloween!
PamperingBeki 11.01.08 at 1:04 pm
This is such a fun idea!
I love doing things (especially at the holidays) that create big memories like this, rather than spending lots of money.
Amy Elder 11.01.08 at 5:59 pm
So sweet to see your little guy. It’s been a while. My little one would love that!
Jenn V. 11.02.08 at 4:24 am
Melissa,
Thanks for visiting my blog and for your very kind comments.
I love the idea of a scavenger hunt. We used to do that during my boys’ birthday parties and it was always a HUGE hit. I have never done it “just because,” but I am going to have to try this! I am always looking for creative, fun ideas for my boys.
Melissa Lewis - Off The Wall 11.02.08 at 3:33 pm
Ah, Melissa, this looks like such fun! What great memories too:)
Jen@Balancing Beauty and Bedlam 11.02.08 at 7:25 pm
We have done this, and it’s always a blast. I haven’t done a pirate theme though…what great fun!
I do them for different holidays. I even did one when I was at my wits end….it tied fun things and chores together. They would have to clean the toilet before they found the clue etc….great for me, and encouraged them to do a better job.
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Christi from Charm & Grace 11.02.08 at 8:31 pm
Melissa, what a beautiful post. I love seeing the excitement in your son’s eyes in each of your pictures of the hunt for buried treasure. My middle son is now 14, but a couple of years ago his birthday party was all pirate-themed, even down to a pirate ship cake that I made (from a recipe found on the internet.) Your pictures really took me back … those are some wonderful memories. You are so right… it’s not about how much you spend, but about what kind of memories you make as a family.
Blessings,
Christi
Christi from Charm & Graces inspiring blog post..Grace for the Journey… Happy "Falling Forward"!
Lisa from celebrate CREATIVITY 11.03.08 at 5:18 am
Adorable photos. My parents used to conduct scavenger hunts and I did a few too many years ago. What a fun reminder to pull this idea out again, dust it off and play all over again.
P.S. Your photos would make a great scrapbook page-lol.
Have a great week!
Lisa from celebrate CREATIVITYs inspiring blog post..A Bursting Star
Lisa @ Stop and Smell the Chocolates 11.03.08 at 1:23 pm
What fun! You did a great job! And I love that Winston helped! I will have to get top work on a hunt for my son to find Christmas gifts, I think.
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Carrie 11.03.08 at 9:33 pm
Oh, my boys would love this! And my girl too!
::Sylvia:: 11.04.08 at 7:25 am
What fun! It looks like he had quite an adventure! My big boy would go crazy for this! Hope all is well!!
::Sylvia::s inspiring blog post..Blissfully Domestic Inspiration Book
A Frugal Housewife - Jody 11.04.08 at 9:18 am
We haven’t done a scavenger hunt in a long time. Maybe I will have to put one together for our Thanksgiving gathering.
Jill Hamilton (NCJill) 11.04.08 at 10:18 am
If you love the idea but don’t want to plan it, go to http://www.letterboxing.com. Our family LOVES this!
Cute adventure for your little guy!
Jill Hamilton (NCJill) 11.04.08 at 10:19 am
whoops….it’s http://www.letterboxing.org. Sorry.
meg duerksen 11.05.08 at 7:20 am
i LOVE this melissa! i am inspired. we have done this kind of thing for easter baskets to make them go on a hunt to find them. but it’s been YEARS since i did that. life gets in the way an you forget to be creative ON your kids not just for your kids. making something for them to participate in. i love this. he looks so happy.
meg duerksens inspiring blog post..FOUR
Jennifer 11.14.08 at 9:55 am
Your scavenger hunt was really well done! This may have already been done, but our favorite scavenger-hunt-type-activity is Letterboxing! You get the clue from the website and then off we all go to find it. So much fun!
Jen
http://www.ListPlanIt.com
Jennifers inspiring blog post..List of Ways to Curb Spending through the Holidays
Lisa 11.15.08 at 6:46 am
We’ve done this several times, only on a very large scale. We have ten children and several drivers, so our hunts range all over our home state of Colorado. We use hand drawn maps and creative clues, with a range of prizes from milk shake certificates at McDonalds to golf club passes. It’s way fun and wonderful bonding! GPS geocaching is for sissies! (Your photos are adorable!)
Lisas inspiring blog post..Snowing…
se7en 11.15.08 at 3:15 pm
Hi there - who doesn’t love a true treasure hunt! I love this post - it is wonderful. I recently blogged about: Se7en Mini and Se7en Major Treasure Hunts.
If you are interested take a look here is the link:
http://www.se7en.org.za/2008/09/03/se7en-mini-and-se7en-major-treasure-hunts
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Terri 11.17.08 at 5:53 am
Oh my gosh, your son is adorable! What a wonderful day (and great photos for the record books!). Lovely!! xo Terri
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