Limerick Treasure Hunts for Kids

Scavenger Hunt Basics

• A scavenger hunt can be completed by an individual, by small groups competing to find the final clue first, or as a large group activity. The clues are hidden in various locations around a set search area. The search area is up to you and what is available to you. On a rainy day, a scavenger hunt in the house provides fun away from the weather. On the other hand, a scavenger hunt at a day camp can cover the entire camp grounds.

Limerick Basics

• A limerick is a structure of poem which consists of five lines. The first two lines rhyme with each other, followed by two lines which do not rhyme with the first two, but rhyme with each other, and a final line which rhymes with the first line. In a proper limerick, the first, second and fifth lines contain nine or 10 syllables, while the third and fourth contain five or six each; however you can adjust these to make your limericks work, as long as the poem still has rhythm.

Difficulty Level

• When working with limericks as clues, it is important to remember who the intended players are and how hard you want them to work, so your clues are sufficiently cryptic. When creating a hunt for small children, your limericks should be self explanatory, giving a clear representation of where to go next. For older players, the clues can be more cryptic, if desired, forcing the players to deduce what the clue means.

Clue Location

• When selecting clue locations, select those which are important enough to be known, and precise enough to make finding the clue possible. For example; if writing for a camp hunt, simply crafting a poem that leads to the main cabin may not be specific enough for the teams to find one clue. The poems should be placed in a spot at the location that is easy to find while searching, but not so easy to find that teams might accidentally see a poem for later in the hunt.

Hints

• Providing hints for the hunt, either by giving them in advance to a hunt monitor who travels with the group, but doesn't help decipher clues, or by providing them in an envelope with the poems to be read if stumped, allows teams to find help on difficult poems. There is no limit of what a hint can be, ranging from simply naming a specific area of the game zone, to a picture of where the clue is hidden.