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How to Make a Home Scavenger Hunt

The next time you're looking at your kids' faces, gazing at you for a fun activity to while away a dull Sunday afternoon, you can pull this scavenger hunt game out of your bag of tricks, and surprise them. Kids love a treasure hunt, and this one encourages reading, problem solving, running from place to place, and having fun. It's easy to set up, you need about ten minutes of prep time, and the more intricate you make the clues, the longer the scavenger hunt will take. Watch out, though, because they'll enjoy it so much, they'll want you to do another one right after they're done. Enjoy!

Things You'll Need

Scraps of paper
Pen
Treat

Instructions

- 1
  Cut up about 15 to 20 scraps of paper.
- 2
  Write your scavenger hunt clues on each piece of paper. Fold the papers over. They can be simple, like "look under the bunkbed," or more challenging, like "I am furry and yellow and sleep on the floor" (this would be the family dog). Be creative. Try to use diverse and far-flung areas of the house and yard, to get your kids running like crazy people from clue to clue. The more spread out, the more fun the hunt. The last clue should read "YOU WIN!!"
- 3
  Stack up your clues, and save the first one. To set up the scavenger hunt, read the first one to yourself, and then follow the clue to know where to place the next scrap of paper. You get to do a dry-run of the scavenger hunt first, when placing your clues.
- 4
  At the end of the hunt, make sure the last "You Win!" clue is attached to a piece of candy or little prize.
- 5
  Hand your kids the first scrap of paper. Watch them run happily from clue to clue! If you have more than one kid, make them take turns reading the clue and finding the next clue, to keep it fair.

Kids Games