How to do treasure hunt puzzles

So you are ready to launch a great treasure hunt. Now all you need are the clues/riddles. Great, let’s get started.

Coming up with the puzzles can be the hardest part. Yes, there’s the planning, getting all the kids together, and sometimes making snacks, but what you’ll remember from the hunt will be the puzzles.

I have a certain way that I go about finding funny clues. First, I think about the place where I want to hide the next clue. For this example, let’s say I want the hint to be in a tree; the big tree in the front yard (it’s climbable). Then I focus on the puzzle: what can I say on the clue card that will point the children to this particular tree? Is there a memory associated with this tree? Let’s assume there’s a tire spin on it, and we’ll go from there. I could say “about the tire spin” but that’s too easy and not really a “brain teaser”. So instead I choose to use the riddle form and say something from the tire point of view: “I don’t really belong here. I’m looking at a track, but something tells me I’m supposed to be looking at the brake.” pads”.

You know, things like that. Maybe that’s too hard or maybe that’s too easy, but you get the idea. Depending on the age of the “hunters”, they usually enjoy tracks like that, even if they are a bit cheesy.