Monday, October 22, 2007
Fun Children’s Game
| by Agatha Curtis One of the most enjoyable children’s games we ever played was a pirate’s treasure hunt. I did this one year for my granddaughter as a special treat for no special occasion. It would be hard to say who had the most fun, my granddaughter or me. It’s always nice to have a good excuse to act like a kid again and this type of game gives you lots of chances to do just that. I began by making a “treasure map.” This was a rolled up “scroll” tied with a ribbon. Using pirate speak (aye, matey!) and little sing-song lines of nonsense, it got the hunt started and sent her looking for clue number one. When she found the hidden location of the first clue, there was another little riddle to help find clue number two. And so on until clue number 10, where she found the “treasure”, in this case a movie dvd that was high on her wish list. You can take as much trouble as you like with the clues, use little treats at each location, and use your imagination for the final “booty” in the treasure chest. You can dress up like Cap’n Kidd and provide a pirate outfit for each treasure seeker--an eye patch, a tricorn hat made from newspaper or construction paper, a bandanna to tie around the head — dress up as much or as little as you like. The best part is, nothing in the costumes or the treasure chest has to cost any or a lot of money. The treasure could be a delicious batch of pirate brownies with your special chocolate icing, Long John’s ice cream cones, or whatever your child enjoys as a special treat. Don’t wait for a party to try out this game. Use it as a surprise treat on a rainy, stay-at-home day, or as a reward for extra special good behavior. Or maybe just for the fun of it. Be prepared, though. My granddaughter enjoyed hunting for treasure so much that she made me play the game again and again. I had to create more clues for her to hunt for the same treasure several times. It didn’t really matter what the treasure was, she just enjoyed figuring out the clues and discovering the final hiding place at the end of the hunt! Labels: children, frugal game, pirate, treasure hunt |
posted by Krista at 12:18 PM
