Ahoy! TREASURE!!!

Finding the Treasure....

I heard somewhere recently (perhaps at the homeschool conference) about using a treasure hunt adventure to get a child reading more. Cody started reading the beginning of LAST year, but he'd been lacking interest and willingness.

I always thought a treasure hunt would be fun!! Who wouldn't?? ;) I just didn't know if I could get creative enough to put one together, myself!! I thought I could find some ideas online, although, if I got online, I'd wind up gettting "stuck" there, distracted by all the many things I could get done, while online... So.... I just sat down and started thinking....


I prayed for God to help me & use this to his glory, and after awhile, some pretty clever ideas came, and I even managed to teach them some great lessons, while they had to hunt for each clue to get closer to the treasure map.

1st of all, when they found the paper w/ the clue on it, Brittany was aloud to read it to herself first, then Cody had to read it out loud, before they could go on.

The 1st question/ clue was something like: "Reading is the KEY to unlocking the many things you want to learn about...." Go to the keys to find your next clue....

Some clues were answered by how much they knew about our own family. IE): "What is Mommy's favorite family game? Go there to find your next clue." I thought we'd find out if they really pay attention & care about others & remember.... and......that was fun too.



But I wanted to use this clue-finding-thing more to my advantage, in more valuable ways.

One question was something like: "Where do you go to find the answers to life? Go there to find your next clue....."

Other questions meant they had to recall past Bible memory verses, and look up their addresses.

One verse was about the "do not worry... for God even cares for the birds...." That was their clue, and they were supposed to go to the (birdfeeder) for the next clue.

Another verse was about "go to the ant, you sluggard, and consider its ways".... and they were to go to place we usually see ants, and find their next clue there! :)

God really kept wonderful ideas coming!! Wow!!



I also didn't know what on earth I was going to FILL that treasure box with!! And boy, the kids wanted to be sure they weren't going to "get jipped" either.... So I had to keep earning their trust...

I decided it would all be alot funner, more appropriate, special.... etc, if we wait 'til Daddy gets home, and include him in all this, and so we did, and he loved it too! (He also got honors of getting to "bury the treasure"!) ;)

I decided to put in the big, beautiful Bible of my Mom's & also a certificate for each of them, that I'd made, to redeem for "their very OWN Starbucks, of their choice, and a day at the park".

I figured, that at FIRST, they may get disappointed and feel "jipped" when they initially find the Bible, and ASSUME that's "all" there is. I know they DO have a love for God's Word, and love to hear us read the Bible... but stilll... they are kids....

I could have just put only the certificates in there, but I wanted to leave them w/ many lasting impressions of the things I'd hoped they'd learn from this treasure hunt, especially including that I hope they will realize the Bible truly IS the BEST and truest TREASURE OF ALL!!!
It is my constant prayer that is so.

What a fun & memorable family event! :)

(I had made MANY attempts to include the video clip of them undigging the treasure, but after several failed attempts, it's a sad "no-go".) ;(