One of the great things about treasure hunts is that you can do them anytime. It doesn’t matter if the weather is rainy or sunny, cold or hot, because you can go on a treasure hunt indoors or outside. Kids love exploring and finding a treasure at the end, and there’s a lovely educational side to treasure hunts too. Maps teach about following steps and direction, while collecting objects encourages children to go slow and take in their surroundings.
Getting ready for the adventure is part of the fun and today we’re sharing with you a step by step kids treasure hunt kit craft guide so they can prepare for their next adventure. What are the essentials for a treasure hunt? You can’t hit the trail without your binoculars and a map, and a camera to capture snapshots along the way is fun too.
Let’s start with making the binoculars
What you’ll need
– two cardboard paper rolls
– decorative tape or paper (we used floral fabric tape from Daiso and MT masking tape)
– string cord / twine (we used builder’s line from the hardware store)
– a little hole punch
– scissors
What you’ll do
The first thing we do is cover the cardboard rolls outside using the decorative tape / paper
Next we’ll apply tape around both ends of each roll, folding it over and sealing it inside the roll. The reason for this is so that the ends are smooth and the main decorative paper / tape doesn’t pull back when the rolls are touched at the end during play.
It’s now time to bring the tubes together and all you need to do is wrap your string cord around both a few times then tie it off with a knot.
The last step is adding a strap so your little one can carry their binoculars around their neck. To do this, simple hole punch on the outside of each roll at one end, then feed through your string cord, tying it off with a knot.
Now, let’s build our camera
What you’ll need
– a camera sized cardboard box from the recycling
– wrapping paper
– a piece of decorative paper / card, cut as a circle (we used a large hole punch for this step)
– a piece of thick (box thickness) cardboard, cut as a circle (we traced around our decorative paper circle then cut it out)
– a button
– scissors
– sticky tape
– glue
What you’ll do
Wrap up your cardboard box as if you’re wrapping a present. As an optional extra, we added some of the decorative tape used on our binoculars around the edge to so the camera and binoculars look like a set. Glue the cardboard circle on one of the big sides of the box.
Once the cardboard circle is dry enough to not slip on the paper if you touch it, you’re ready to stick on your decorative paper circle to make the camera lens.
All that’s left to do now is glue your button to the top and wait for it to dry.
While you’re waiting for the glue to dry…
…it’s a great time to put together a map for your little one!
Little ones, especially those who aren’t reading yet, will love a picture map, which they follow to find a treasure at the end.
Another type of treasure hunt that is particularly great for bowerbirds is the challenge to complete a collection. Think of things that are in the space your little one will play and send them off to search for them. In the garden, different leaves, twigs and flowers are always a hit!
And just like that, your little one is ready to head off on a big adventure! Happy creating!