Going on a Treasure Hunt

Have you ever sent your kids on a back yard nature treasure hunt? This is a game which my kids really liked when they were younger. It’s really easy, and can be adapted for all different ages. If you don’t have a back yard you can do this at a park, but only pick flowers and collect items if you know it’s permitted. Give it a try – here’s how.

#1 – Get Organized?
If you’re the organized sort you can make a list of treasure items to hunt for. For a 6-9 year old who is reading you can write the list out for them. Some kids are overwhelmed by lists – instead you can put items on scraps of paper and let them pick one at a time out of a hat, sock, or jar. For little kids, or if you just like being spontaneous, make it up as you go along. If you’re going to be walking about while doing this give your child a paper bag or a small basket for their treasure.

#2 – Hunt for the Treasure
Before you start hunting for the treasure, be aware of your child’s safety, their level of observation, and their perseverance. Little ones don’t know which flowers they are allowed to pick. They’re just as likely to grab poison ivy as a dandelion! If your child is easily frustrated make sure the items are easy to find so that they’ll be successful. You can be the one hunting if that works better. Here are the items I had on my mental list:

• something green
• a flower with 4 petals
• a flower
• a three-leaf plant
• a dead piece of plant material
• something brown
• a pebble
• a seed

#3 – Display and Record
At this point it’s up to you what you do, based on interest. You can simply display the items, or you can take a photograph, draw in a sketchbook or journal, or write notes. You can try to describe the item – talk about the texture, color and shape. To make this into a game one of you can describe and the other guesses which item is being talked about.

Please use common sense safety when out hunting for nature – be aware of natural hazards. Have you done a nature treasure hunt? What did you find?

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