Invite the Neighborhood Treasure Hunt

Create a neighborhood treasure hunt with sidewalk chalk clues. It’s a great activity for those spring and summer evenings when everyone is outside. The neighbor kids will love the surprise at the end.

Invite the Neighborhood Treasure Hunt

Start by thinking of clues for your treasure hunt. What landmarks are in your neighborhood? Do you have a playground? Is there a cool tree that everyone will notice?

We used a basketball hoop and a fire hydrant (there are more than one so everyone will have to think a minute to find the correct one.)

Clue #1: Play hoops by many mail boxes.

Clue #4: Firefighters use this.

Make one (or more) of the clues a house number. Create a math problem with the house number for the answer. We made up the clue: “house number of this year.” The next clue will be in front of house number 2015.

Create a rebus with picture clues. The next clue is by a coneflower.

Our last clue leads to the end of the street “where the sidewalk ends at an empty lot.”

At the end, leave chalk so everyone can draw a picture to celebrate finishing.

Aiden was excited to share the scavenger hunt we created with one of his friends in the neighborhood. She wasn’t available to play right away so we had to wait until later to show it to her.

Meanwhile other kids in the neighborhood discovered the clues. They made it to the end and added notes and drawings.

Some of them were inspired to write their own clues like the one below. How cool is that?

If you’re writing clues for the entire neighborhood, be sure everyone can figure them out. If you’re writing for just a few people you know, you can make more personal clues.

Have you ever made a neighborhood scavenger hunt?

More Scavenger Hunt Ideas

• Go on a Sight and Sound Nature Scavenger Hunt – Download the printable list of items to find.
• Look for signs of birds with the All About Birds Scavenger Hunt.
• Try one of these 15 Rainbow Scavenger Hunts.
• See all of our scavenger hunts and treasure hunts here.

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This post was originally published on May 13, 2015.