Archive for the ‘Children’ Category
Thursday, January 5th, 2012Hi Nikki!
Our treasure hunts were lots of fun! We modified the plan for our daughter to have a treasure hunt based on a Nancy Drew theme. I renamed the stations with titles for Nancy Drew Mysteries and named the teams different desserts based on the Nancy Drew movie that came out last summer. We used your party idea for developing two person teams by letting them pick and shoe andshoestring, spoon and fork, etc. All of the girls ages 10-11 seemed to really enjoy all of what we did. They were even very excited to find the treasure under our porch at twilight which our son had hidden. We also used some of your ideas for our son’s party. He had an Indiana Jones themed party and only three friends so we really couldn’t form teams, we just let them move through kind of an obstacle hunt to find their treasure.
Thank you for all of your great ideas! They really helped to make our children’s parties an exciting success!
Most grateful,
Amy Brown, North Carolina, USA
Thursday, January 5th, 2012The Kids enjoyed The treasure hunt and has a big hit. The venue was changed the day before from a woodland to a farm . I had 12 teams of 4 ranging in age from 6 - 15 with a total of 48 all on horse
back. The oldest kids were the leaders and had to wait for the younger kids. It taught the kids leadership, teamwork and took the fear away from the nervous kids and made them competent riders, They had cross country fences to jump. I had 8 paid instructors who I used as helpers and safety officers.
I set the game out as in the book but added a challenge per station and each instructor had to judge the challenge and give then a piece of the puzzle and added the Guard and the gate keeper.
The challenges were
1.- The mummy game
2 -the tight rope
3. -4 x Hula hoops hanging from the trees and they passed a baton through from one end to the other using all members of the team. They remained on horse back
4 - 12 plastic ducks on a fence post and they had 4 water pistols and had to knock 4 down ,
5- I tied an inflatable boat in a flowing river and put 25 plastic balls in the boat and gave them 4 fishing nets . they had to remove all the balls and place them in bucket on the bank
6 - Answer the backward questions and fishing for 4 jelly snakes from a plate of sugar using only their mouth
2 teams found the treasure chest in under 2.5 hours while the rest did not complete until 4 .
We hide the chest again and all teams got a bag of candy.
They want to have again next year
Thanks again
Gordon Clarke, Ireland
Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012We had a Mall Scavenger Hunt for my daughters 12th birthday last Friday. It was a blast. I used some of your ideas and then added some of my own. They divided up into two teams by pulling a color out of a basket. Each team was given a gift bag with $2, a digital camera (we have keepsake photos), a pen and the list of items they needed to obtain. I gave them one hour. Some of the items were pictures of different things with the group. They were very cute and the girls had a blast. Each team came back with stories and as the evening went on at our home, the stories got funnier and funnier. Thanks for the help. It was a really good time. We are going away this weekend and there are 3 families traveling in 3 different cars. We are thinking of doing the interstate scavenger hunt. Just not sure if I will have the time to get it together before we leave.
LouEllen Michel, Maryland, USA
Saturday, December 31st, 2011Our treasure hunt is in Kansas, a birthday party with guests ranging from 4 - 14 yrs. We will be having a pirate theme
Selena Varady, Kansas USA
Friday, December 30th, 2011Our treasure hunt was a success! Thank you! The kids had a great time. It got a little crazy once the red team told the helper they had all 6 pieces of the clue because another team was very
close. They all ran to the area where the treasure was buried and there was some heated debating about who actually won the right to dig! It was a very competitive frenzy at one point, but we got
through it! The red team dug up the treasure only to find that it was a ‘fake’ treasure full of fake money and candy! The map was in the treasure box and on the other side of their clue pieces was the code to decipher the map to find the real treasure…which was a pinata hidden in the house. Of course, all the kids received the candy from the pinata!
If I were to do anything differently, I would have made sure every kid was very clear about the rules of the game and I would have bought better toliet paper for the mummy game! The cheap rolls broke really easily and wouldn’t stay on the kids! Thank you so much for your ideas! I thought it was a great fun and different thing to do with the kids.
Kathy Fowler, New Jersey, USA
Thursday, December 29th, 2011Hi Nikki
It was a big hit at my son’s 7th Birthday party. It was a pirate themed b-day and I used some of the riddles and I made a treasure map that at each station had gold coins to collect and then ended at a real treasure chest that my son had ask for filled with treasures and gifts for him and his friends….he loved it and they all wanted to play again…..thanks for the help!
Jennifer Troutman, Pennsylvania USA
Thursday, December 29th, 2011The Kids enjoyed The treasure hunt and has a big hit. The venue was changed the day before from a woodland to a farm . I had 12 teams of 4 ranging in age from 6 - 15 with a total of 48 all on horse
back. The oldest kids were the leaders and had to wait for the younger kids. It taught the kids leadership, teamwork and took the fear away from the nervous kids and made them competent riders, They had cross country fences to jump. I had 8 paid instructors who I used as helpers and safety officers.
I set the game out as in the book but added a challenge per station and each instructor had to judge the challenge and give then a piece of the puzzle and added the Guard and the gate keeper.
The challenges were
1.- The mummy game
2 -the tight rope
3. -4 x Hula hoops hanging from the trees and they passed a baton through from one end to the other using all members of the team. They remained on horse back
4 - 12 plastic ducks on a fence post and they had 4 water pistols and had to knock 4 down ,
5- I tied an inflatable boat in a flowing river and put 25 plastic balls in the boat and gave them 4 fishing nets . they had to remove all the balls and place them in bucket on the bank
6 - Answer the backward questions and fishing for 4 jelly snakes from a plate of sugar using only their mouth
2 teams found the treasure chest in under 2.5 hours while the rest did not complete until 4 .
We hide the chest again and all teams got a bag of candy.
They want to have again next year
Thanks again
Gordon Clarke, Ireland
Wednesday, December 28th, 2011I want to tell you about the party we gave for our grandsons. The whole evening turned out wonderful for both the kids and adults. Everyone tells us they cant wait until we have our next party.
Winnie Jones, California, USA
Tuesday, December 27th, 2011Thanks Nikki-
This is actually the 6th one for my son who is 11 but the past have been a little on the younger side and they are ready at this age for more difficulty and I’m going to make it an hour long at my house for his pool/scavenger/manhunt party…
I have to read through your stuff and as I’m traveling up to CT for the weekend I will have more comments by Monday and maybe ask for some assistance or I will definitely let you know all the details, etc. I’m also enlisting my neighbors, using a camera, and a park behind my house…this is
more work than my real job 
This was one of the best I saw, so I look forward to this~
Thanks!
Elsa Pine, Connecticut, USA
Monday, December 26th, 2011We had a Mall Scavenger Hunt for my daughters 12th birthday last Friday. It was a blast. I used some of your ideas and then added some of my own. They divided up into two teams by pulling a color out of a basket. Each team was given a gift bag with $2, a digital camera (we have keepsake photos), a pen and the list of items they needed to obtain. I gave them one hour. Some of the items were pictures of different things with the group. They were very cute and the girls had a blast. Each team came back with stories and as the evening went on at our home, the stories got funnier and funnier. Thanks for the help. It was a really good time. We are going away this weekend and there are 3 families traveling in 3 different cars. We are thinking of doing the interstate scavenger hunt. Just not sure if I will have the time to get it together before we leave.
LouEllen Michel, Maryland, USA
Monday, December 26th, 2011I want to tell you about the party we gave for our grandsons. The whole evening turned out wonderful for both the kids and adults. Everyone tells us they cant wait until we have our next party.
Winnie Jones, California, USA
Sunday, December 25th, 2011Thanks Nikki-
This is actually the 6th one for my son who is 11 but the past have been a little on the younger side and they are ready at this age for more difficulty and I’m going to make it an hour long at my house for his pool/scavenger/manhunt party…
I have to read through your stuff and as I’m traveling up to CT for the weekend I will have more comments by Monday and maybe ask for some assistance or I will definitely let you know all the details, etc. I’m also enlisting my neighbors, using a camera, and a park behind my house…this is
more work than my real job
This was one of the best I saw, so I look forward to this~
Thanks!
Elsa Pine, Connecticut, USA
Saturday, December 24th, 2011Hi Nikki,
The treasure hunt went well. I ran 7 of them in 4 days at Girl Scout Camp with girls aged 6-11. I managed and fun was had by all. I even heard from some of them that my station was the best one at the camp.
Thanks again.
Lisa Long, Virginia, USA
Friday, December 23rd, 2011Our treasure hunt was a success! Thank you! The kids had a great time. It got a little crazy once the red team told the helper they had all 6 pieces of the clue because another team was very
close. They all ran to the area where the treasure was buried and there was some heated debating about who actually won the right to dig! It was a very competitive frenzy at one point, but we got
through it! The red team dug up the treasure only to find that it was a ‘fake’ treasure full of fake money and candy! The map was in the treasure box and on the other side of their clue pieces was the code to decipher the map to find the real treasure…which was a pinata hidden in the house. Of course, all the kids received the candy from the pinata!
If I were to do anything differently, I would have made sure every kid was very clear about the rules of the game and I would have bought better toliet paper for the mummy game! The cheap rolls broke really easily and wouldn’t stay on the kids! Thank you so much for your ideas! I thought it was a great fun and different thing to do with the kids.
Kathy Fowler, New Jersey, USA
Thursday, December 22nd, 2011Thanks so much Nikki - did a quick treasure/scavenger hunt for the kids at our Superbowl party and as always it was a super duper hit!
Leslie Suhy, California, USA
Thursday, December 22nd, 2011I want to tell you about the party we gave for our grandsons. The whole evening turned out wonderful for both the kids and adults. Everyone tells us they cant wait until we have our next party.
Winnie Jones, California, USA
Wednesday, December 21st, 2011Hello Nikki,
Thanks for the e-mails and suggestions. I have enjoyed your treasure hunt ideas and games and gave them a try at my daughters birthday party. She is 9 and the girls had a ball. We had a backwards party and it was definately the hit of the party. I also run a kids program at a guest ranch in Colorado and look forward to using many of your ideas with them. I have done many "on skis" treasure hunts and look forward to incoporating many of your ideas with my own outdoor twists. It is a nice way to spark new ideas as well as using the ones you provided.
Thank you for the follow up!
Kelli, Colorado, USA
Wednesday, December 21st, 2011Thanks so much Nikki - did a quick treasure/scavenger hunt for the kids at our Superbowl party and as always it was a super duper hit!
Leslie Suhy, California, USA
Tuesday, December 20th, 2011Hello Nikki,
Thanks for the e-mails and suggestions. I have enjoyed your treasure hunt ideas and games and gave them a try at my daughters birthday party. She is 9 and the girls had a ball. We had a backwards party and it was definately the hit of the party. I also run a kids program at a guest ranch in Colorado and look forward to using many of your ideas with them. I have done many "on skis" treasure hunts and look forward to incoporating many of your ideas with my own outdoor twists. It is a nice way to spark new ideas as well as using the ones you provided.
Thank you for the follow up!
Kelli, Colorado, USA
Tuesday, December 20th, 2011Hi Nikki
It was a big hit at my son’s 7th Birthday party. It was a pirate themed b-day and I used some of the riddles and I made a treasure map that at each station had gold coins to collect and then ended at a real treasure chest that my son had ask for filled with treasures and gifts for him and his friends….he loved it and they all wanted to play again…..thanks for the help!
Jennifer Troutman, Pennsylvania USA
Monday, December 19th, 2011Thanks so much Nikki - did a quick treasure/scavenger hunt for the kids at our Superbowl party and as always it was a super duper hit!
Leslie Suhy, California, USA
Monday, December 19th, 2011The Kids enjoyed The treasure hunt and has a big hit. The venue was changed the day before from a woodland to a farm . I had 12 teams of 4 ranging in age from 6 - 15 with a total of 48 all on horse
back. The oldest kids were the leaders and had to wait for the younger kids. It taught the kids leadership, teamwork and took the fear away from the nervous kids and made them competent riders, They had cross country fences to jump. I had 8 paid instructors who I used as helpers and safety officers.
I set the game out as in the book but added a challenge per station and each instructor had to judge the challenge and give then a piece of the puzzle and added the Guard and the gate keeper.
The challenges were
1.- The mummy game
2 -the tight rope
3. -4 x Hula hoops hanging from the trees and they passed a baton through from one end to the other using all members of the team. They remained on horse back
4 - 12 plastic ducks on a fence post and they had 4 water pistols and had to knock 4 down ,
5- I tied an inflatable boat in a flowing river and put 25 plastic balls in the boat and gave them 4 fishing nets . they had to remove all the balls and place them in bucket on the bank
6 - Answer the backward questions and fishing for 4 jelly snakes from a plate of sugar using only their mouth
2 teams found the treasure chest in under 2.5 hours while the rest did not complete until 4 .
We hide the chest again and all teams got a bag of candy.
They want to have again next year
Thanks again
Gordon Clarke, Ireland
Sunday, December 18th, 2011Thanks Nikki-
This is actually the 6th one for my son who is 11 but the past have been a little on the younger side and they are ready at this age for more difficulty and I’m going to make it an hour long at my house for his pool/scavenger/manhunt party…
I have to read through your stuff and as I’m traveling up to CT for the weekend I will have more comments by Monday and maybe ask for some assistance or I will definitely let you know all the details, etc. I’m also enlisting my neighbors, using a camera, and a park behind my house…this is
more work than my real job
This was one of the best I saw, so I look forward to this~
Thanks!
Elsa Pine, Connecticut, USA
Saturday, December 17th, 2011Hi Nikki
It was a big hit at my son’s 7th Birthday party. It was a pirate themed b-day and I used some of the riddles and I made a treasure map that at each station had gold coins to collect and then ended at a real treasure chest that my son had ask for filled with treasures and gifts for him and his friends….he loved it and they all wanted to play again…..thanks for the help!
Jennifer Troutman, Pennsylvania USA
Saturday, December 17th, 2011Hi Nikki
It was a big hit at my son’s 7th Birthday party. It was a pirate themed b-day and I used some of the riddles and I made a treasure map that at each station had gold coins to collect and then ended at a real treasure chest that my son had ask for filled with treasures and gifts for him and his friends….he loved it and they all wanted to play again…..thanks for the help!
Jennifer Troutman, Pennsylvania USA