The gift of play is such a valuable part of childhood and an exceptional medium towards authentic learning. Children who entertain themselves keep their imagination and creative juices flowing, all while having a ball.

Kids LOVE hunts..especially when treasure is involved. I remember being so enthralled by the logic that went into creating a hunt and the mystery, anticipation, and surprise element of the hunt itself. Here's my version of the do it at home hunt that may be fun to share with little ones looking for a new game to play.
You'll need: A stack of postits, cluecards, treasure
1. Use post-its to label different rooms in the house with fun names (e.g., the kitchen could be "restaurant", and the family room could be "movie theater"). This adds a certain imaginary element to the game.
2. Think of clues that will lead the hunters to the treasure. Clues will be hidden through the household, but mom, dad, or other family members can be clue givers as well. Try to make clues tricky. ie: Clue #1: "go to the room where fabulous tastes are enjoyed and find your next clue beneath sweet things" (clue would be hidden near Oreos in the kitchen).
3. Walk through the hunt with the clues and put them in the correct place (or give them to people if they are part of the clue). Place the treasure in the last destination.
Great for: weekend fun with family and friends
Try it with: the creative student, students into mystery
A Channel to: practice creative clue writing , logic and organization of putting a hunt together, reading and code breaking
Grades: 2-5