YO! HO! HO! AND A BACKYARD TREASURE HUNT

Elementary school students Kelsi and Rachel Okun created a national treasure hunt in 2005 which evolved into a national charity program awarding several million dollars worth of scholarships to spouses and dependents of American troops serving overseas. "We thought, if people get so excited about finding treasure, could we get them to focus their energy on something useful to help someone else? Treasure hunts get people excited. They're really fun and everybody loves a good treasure hunt." Rachel Okun

The fourth of July at our Sandy Point beach cabin is a memorable experience for anyone who stops by, but I think kids love it the most. The house is humble, but a mile long beach, looking out at the US and Canadian San Juan Islands, offers endless hours of beach combing, crabbing in season, and, when night falls, bon fires for s'mores, and spectacular fireworks all along the water. There are many treasures on the beach, including shells, small pieces of smooth driftwood and logs for walking. But when you look down and see an agate winking at you - Ahhhh! What a great feeling!

One year, during the hours after people arrived for the day long party, and before the night time extravaganza, I organized a treasure hunt for all the kids. It proved to be so popular that it is now a tradition and I need to create new places to search for pirate gold every year. Actually kids like candy better, so the cardboard box-treasure chest contains an abundance of different kinds plus some cool stuff from the dollar store. Here is a step-by-step plan for your own pirate adventure.

1. Find a cardboard box, decorate it like a treasure chest, place candy and trinkets inside, and wrap it in a black plastic yard sack. Decide where to hide it, then take a digital picture of the location. The picture becomes the map.

2. Paste the picture on a piece of tag board or old cereal box, and mark a red X where the treasure is. Decide how many clues you want the children to find, then turn the map into a puzzle, cutting it up into that many pieces. Make sure to draw lines through the X so that it can't be identified until all the pieces are found.

3. Have at least ten clues. Place a clue and map piece in separate envelopes and hide them so that they direct the treasure seekers to the next location.

4. When the last clue and map piece is found, the children sit down and assemble the map to find the treasure chest location. Like any good pirates, they divvy up the booty, and began to gorge themselves on all the goodies.

I should note here that the hunt is by the entire group of children who run collectively like the wind to find the hidden missive. Whoever finds it gets to hold the map piece until all are collected.

Obviously I like to write, and making rhyming clues is fun for me. Here are some places you could hide the notes and some examples of clues you could adapt for your own backyard hunt.

Location examples: Fireplace, oven, microwave, or bar-b-que, mailbox, garden gnome or statue, fence, outdoor faucet, hose, birdbath, TV, bathtub or hot tub, refrigerator or ice chest, kitchen table, tree, flower pot, lamp, computer, etc.

1. Hand the first envelope to the oldest child in the group to read aloud to the others.

It's the fourth of July and time for a hunt. It's our annual search for gold. This treasure is real and very cool, by a map the story is told. Each clue has a piece of this very old map, and X marks the spot that you seek. Now go to a place where you sometimes get mail, to get your very first peek.

2. Place the next clue in the mailbox.

Rub a dub dub, go look in a tub, to find a watery clue Look high, then look low, look out, then look in. This clue will be waiting for you.

3. Sink a waterproof jar containing the clue in a hot tub.

The next clue is hard and will take some deep thought. Go where hamburgers often get fried. From there turn around, see a lid on a fence, then look at the lid inside.


4. Tape the clue inside a lid and place it next to a nearby fence.

Find a place where bears might go and see if one is there. Not in the zoo, not in the woods, but in a toy bear's lair.

5. Place a teddy bear in a play room or child's room with the note pinned on it.

There are baths for kids and baths for tots and baths for birds who are dusty and hot. So if such a bath exists in this place, it may hold a clue for this treasure hunt chase.

6. Place the clue in a bird bath if available, otherwise a regular tub.

To water a garden you need a long hose and the hose may be in the back yard. Now look for the place where the water comes out to see if you find a bard card.

7. Tape a note to the outdoor water faucet.

Everyone knows that candy tastes good, although it is bad for your teeth but there's one thing that can help keep your smile white, and save you a lot of grief.

8. Wrap the clue around a tube of tooth paste on a bathroom counter.

If you like to watch Hanna Montana, you'd need to find a TV, so try to find one that is down some stairs and beneath it a clue you will see.

9. Place the clue so it peeks out from under or behind the TV. Adjust the clue to the TV's location.

If you're thirsty or hot and want a cold drink, you might try the kitchen or the bathroom sink, or better yet a nice cold spot that's made for food and cubes that clink.

10. Place the clue in the freezer section of your refrigerator, or even an ice chest for drinks.

(This last clue is given to the oldest person at the party before the hunt.)

Go find someone who is really quite nice, but also really quite old. He'll/She'll give you a clue - the very last one - that will help in your quest for gold. When you get this last clue find a nice flat place, to learn this treasure map's secret. Then open the chest and share what is there, with all those who helped to locate it.

Once the treasure chest is located pandemonium will result without adult supervision. We find it works best to place a blanket on the ground or floor, have the kids sit in a circle, and dump the contents in the middle. Starting from youngest to oldest each child choses something until all treasure is taken. Having paper bags with names on them helps to keep confusion and lost treasure at a minimum.

If you want to add some further candy overload, include a pinata in the festivities. It makes for a memorable party for adults and children alike.
No one will be watching TV or playing video games this afternoon!