Treasure Hunts

As the days are now warmer and the nights stay light longer, I remember the great times as a kid in the summer.

Coloring with chalk, riding my bike, playing in the sprinkler, playing card games with my neighbor, and one of my favorites, treasure hunts.

My neighbor's mom would take the time to create a wonderful treasure hunt around the neighborhood for us. Alyssa and I could not wait for the first clue. We had to amuse ourselves as her mom was creating the clues. The clues were generally 1-3 sentences and made us think hard. Some of them made us downright burst into laughter :

"Go to the lair of the hairyback monster. The dragon's enemy holds your next clue."

Well this was funny as the 'hairyback monster' refers to one of the neighbors (now moved) who always went shirtless and had a very hairy back. The dragon's enemy would be water and a fire hydrant is located in their yard.

We had lots of clues and around the neighborhood, a great time for sure. The last clue would lead us to the 'treasure'. It was generally in box, and it would be either candy, little trinkets, or other little prizes.

We had fun, but what we didn't realize was that we were reading, thinking, and moving around outside. This is great for so many reasons. Even if you have little ones that can't read, you could do a picture treasure hunt or pair them up with an older buddy that can read. Happy hunting!