Treasure Hunt Strategy

Planning a Successful Treasure Hunt

• A successful treasure hunt should be planned in advance. Think backward from the desired outcome to construct the clues and the route for the treasure hunt. That way it's possible to determine the steps involved for each stage of the treasure hunt and ensure that the steps are in the right order to produce the desired result. A special occasion or specific event can be an easy theme around which to organize a treasure hunt. Keep the participants of a treasure hunt in mind: shorter routes are suitable for small children and participants with limited mobility, while active teenagers and adults might appreciate a longer, more challenging route.

  Developing the clues is one of the most important elements of a treasure hunt. Using photos can provide visual clues for each point of the hunt as well as serve as a means to guide the participants from one point in the treasure hunt to the next. The photos can draw their content from the theme of the particular scavenger hunt. For instance, a Valentine's Day treasure hunt can use photos of cherubim statues and parks planted with rose gardens as clues.

  The clues for a treasure hunt should be easy to find while still providing a challenge. Familiar landmarks or significant landscape elements such as a beachhead are good choices. Consider the idea of "hiding in plain sight"--once the participants figure out the clues, they might react by thinking or stating that they should have realized the nature of a particular clue all along. This is an area where photo clues can be especially useful. Provide the participants with photos that represent different locations along the treasure hunt route. Once the participants have reached the correct location, more photos can be posted or concealed that represent an item they should look for at the location, such as a photo of a decorative box. The next photo clue can be placed inside the item, leading the participants to the next stage of the hunt.

  The ultimate goal is the discovery of the prize or solving of the puzzle. The treasure hunt can be competitive, with the team that completes the route first being rewarded by finding the prize at the end. The treasure hunt also can provide all the participants with the satisfaction of completing the route and celebrating together at the conclusion of the scavenger adventure.