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Treasure hunt moves the vacations with kids to different level

Every year on Silvester and New Years we go for vacations with other families and their kids. Walking during the day, playing, working or sleeping in the evening. This year, covid changed our plans a bit. We went for the vacations in the spring instead of the New years and then we decided to go once again together for the vacations in the summer. I was a bit suspicious, if it will be fun, you know, we have all the kids 1-10 apart of 9 in our group. But it turned out to be a great time. Really, even for adults. Kids are bigger now, meaning that we can do way more with them. 

The key to the success was that we decided to make them a whole week game. The main initiator was Danka, who made the legend and the map for the treasure. Each of us then contributed by some game and letters, which enabled them to collect another piece of their needed map.

1. Map which is written in text in a spiral really works great - they did not manage to find out too early where to find a treasure




2. They loved our games, they wanted to believe our stories.

3. Every morning they woke up early and run to the heating if there is any new message from Marzibella (protector of Iron mountains), or Mr.Krušný, or anybody else who might tell them what to do next.



 

4. It is a good idea not to put into the treasure anything which is owned by any of the kids - it will spoil for them the whole treasure happiness.

5. Using transmitters is really cool. Kids loved them. To communicate among them, to communicate with them. They used it for trips, they used it when they walked alone in the surrounding to play our game.



6. Kids are amazing. You invest to them some effort and they pay it back so nicely. They were spending hours and hours creating a game for us and then we got whole evening game with 4 levels (first find parts of a message, this leads you where to find hints for next hidden tasks, then you find parts of the riddle and this leads you to a final place). I was truly amazed. 






7. The great benefit on kids of different ages is that the older can take the smaller ones to search for the treasure outside and they are really self-sustained :)

 


8. Having accommodation with a special hidden place for kids is really great!


So how was our treasure hunt? After we arrived, they got a letter from "a postman" about the hidden treasure and the first piece of the map. Next day, they had to go small riddle game outside, where they searched for riddles which lead them to 4 different ends with pieces of the map. 



The day after they were tested, if they are good enough people to deserve to search for the treasure - they had to make 3 good deads and write positive things on their parents and siblings. 


They all passed, so the day after they were blind lead to the forest, around the castle of the bad witch, over the dead bodies, hiding from the knights to the hidden garden where they had to find ingredients for the beauty elixir for Marzibella, the protector of the mountains.  



 

Marzibella was happy, but some pieces of map were still missing. So they had to make happy one fairy tale character (Eliska Zemlejnova) by creating a song for her and then fulfilling some other tasks. 





 

The last day, they had to outsmart and outrun the two bad trolls, who were protecting the last pieces of the map. The hunting game was a great success. Having all the map pieces, they could go and search for the treasure - some sweets, T-shirts and colors to color them.


 

Next time, we want to make another round. It was so much fun for both us and kids.

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