Pirate Treasure Hunt Clues

No pirate treasure hunt game can begin without a proper map. A detailed map provides with trail of clues, that lead players from one hint to the next, till they reach the treasure. You can hide your pirate treasure hunt clues around the house, your backyard, or around town, depending on who is participating in the game. Give your clues and riddles some extraordinary hints, that will make the game that much challenging. So, what are we waiting for? Let's get down to business, look at some fun pirate party ideas, and hunt for some treasure.

Treasure Clues

Get large sheets of paper (each player gets one map of their own) and draw an outline of the game's vicinity. For unique pirate party games, all you need is greedy pirates, a map, and the mysterious treasure.

1. Decide the location for your game and count how many people are actually going to be doing the hunt. Check the entire vicinity to hide your clues. If you're organizing the game at your house, the options are endless. You can hide the clues under couch cushions, cabinets, bathroom, trash bins, behind books, etc. Or perhaps, it's going to be an outdoor hunt, then you might want to look out for rocks, trees, park benches, inside the fountains, etc.
2. Prepare the list in chronological order of where the clues will be hidden. You will give the first clue to the players and they will have to figure out where the other clues are. You can use numbers or different colors to determine various clues. These numbers or colors can be added into your map, so the players know they are going in the correct order.
3. For the actual messages, you can either have poems, phrases, and/or puzzles. You can also describe the area where the clues are in your messages. Be creative and think outside the box about what the message will say. Make it as challenging as possible, but not unsolvable.
4. Plan ahead of time and don't let anyone see where these clues are hidden. For the final "treasure chest" clue, keep the chest open, so they can see it from the distance.

Treasure Hunt Clues for Kids

Surprise your kid(s) when they come home from school with an authentic treasure map. Tempt them with their favorite treats as the treasure and watch them solve each clue. Take a look at these fantastic ideas that kids will definitely enjoy.

1. Depending on how old the kids are, choose a safe location and draw the maps. If the kids can't read yet, picture clues are the way to go. Kids between the ages of 7-12 can have a mix of pictures and simple word puzzles to solve. And for the teenagers, it all depends how tough you want the treasure clues to be.
2. Hide all your clues ahead of time and ensure that they are not hidden in such a way, that it can't be found at all. The challenge isn't finding the clue at the location, but solving the puzzles that lead to the next clues. As these clues are for kids, you can put them in rhymes and puzzles that they have solved in school. This way, they can have a revision of what they already learned while playing the game.
3. It is obvious that you will accompany the kids while they are running here and there to find the missing clues. However, instruct them that there won't be any clues beyond a safe boundary and/or near the dumpsters. Ask them to stay as close to each other or formulate a buddy system.
4. The treasure chest can be filled with candies, plastic gems, marbles, gold coins, colorful rocks, and cookies.

Resist the feeling of helping the players solve the clues, but don't leave them thinking for too long as well. If that happens, the participants might loose interest. You can hint them by saying getting warmer or getting cooler clues. And there is one more important thing you need to be aware of; the second your game ends, everyone is going to storm you for another pirate treasure hunt challenge.