Читать книгу Dadventures: Amazing Outdoor Adventures for Daring Dads and Fearless Kids - Alex Gregory, Alex Gregory - Страница 10

A treasure hunt is something very special and memorable. With a bit of planning it’s easy to set up, whether in the garden, a local park or even along the street on the walk home from school. A little detour to do something interesting can really make the difference to a young person’s day. This activity can be scaled up and turned into a long full-day adventure over a weekend or during the summer holidays. The longer it is, the more time is needed for planning, but the effort is certainly worth it. Don’t forget a torch if you’re planning a treasure hunt at night!

What you need

 Pen and paper

 Some planning time

What to do

1 Think about the route you’ll take, either on the way back from school or once you get back home. As an example, give yourself 45 minutes to go around the block before dinner time. On your route there will be at least one of the following: a tree, a post box, a phone box, a loose rock and an old fence. Any noticeable features such as these are useful points towards which you can direct the budding treasure hunter.

2 Devise a clue for each location. An example might be: ‘Leave the front door, take a turn to the east, find the next clue where nature’s bombs hit the ground and grow.’

3 Your child can figure out which way is east by using a compass or the position of the setting sun, and once they work out what ‘nature’s bombs’ are they’ll lead you to the conker tree at the corner of the street. There they’ll search around excitedly under a pile of leaves or in the hollow of the tree where they’ll find the next clue you hid earlier in the day: ‘Thirteen steps to the left and straight ahead, Postman Pat mustn’t take the letter that’s in the flower bed.’

4 In the flower bed next to Postman Pat’s letter box they’ll find the next clue.

A treasure map of our village, by Jasper. X marks the spot – can you see it?

These are of course simple little clues I’ve thought up for the purposes of demonstration here. You’ll have to adjust the clues depending on your children’s age, interests and where you’re holding the treasure hunt. There don’t have to be many clues, and the hunt doesn’t have to take a long time for it to become a fun outdoors activity that you do together. As a parent, it’s fantastic to watch your child work things out, get frustrated and then enjoy the fruits of their efforts by discovering the route and eventual goal. It’s also a wonderfully bonding experience … but be prepared. Once you’ve created your first treasure hunt, your child will demand many more. So get thinking about those clues!