Budget Crafts for Children’s Entertainment – A True to Life Treasure Map
You can use any basic white paper you have around the house. Next your going to crinkle the paper then smooth it back out. Place this paper into a cookie sheet that has sides to it as you will be pouring tea or coffee over the paper to give it an old fashioned looked. Once you have poured your coffee or tea over the paper let it sit for awhile till it darkens the paper nicely. After your paper is the proper color remove and let sit on a wire rack to dry. Once your paper has dried you are going to want to take a lighter to the edges of the paper, just lightly burn them to give off a very old look. You can even put a small burn hole somewhere inside the paper.
Now the fun begins. You are going to have to pick a landmark around your yard may it be a big tree or even the smallest of bushes. You will have to outlay your map in away so that your children can follow it around the yard. Come up with witty sayings to match the yard. For example to mark a tree you may want to write “Ye olde twisty that bends in the wind.” And draw a very crude looking tree. Stick to black ink for most of your work and a sloppy red X that looks like it was written in paint. You will want to put dashes and dots for them to follow. Be as crypt as you want and then play scholar as you decipher this hidden map with your children. Your creative mind is what will keep your kids entertained. Think of the movie “Goonies”.
You will have your children scouting the yard in no time. You can even leave little notes in areas of interest on the map stating things like “Alligator Swamp take 6 steps back” Make your treasure hunt interesting as your children will beg you to play again.
You can even design little pirate hats out of newspaper and let your children decorate them to include them in on the fun but remember to keep the map a secret as you want them to think you found it in the attic or basement. You can even put on a whole display of finding the map and acting like you are surprised and haven’t a clue what the treasure map will lead too. Then start to prepare by making the hats and pirate gear.
Get the kids excited to want to play pump them up for the treasure. You can design eye patches too. Let your imagination run free and wild with the possibilities of a real life treasure hunt with your “little pirates”. Make sure those yummy cupcakes or whatever other type of surprise you make your treasure, is waiting at the X with a note that mommy loves her little pirates.
