Thinkabara

🏫 Classroom treasure hunt

Google Classroom

An easy team-building activity you can set up during recess: hide eight notes around the room, split the class into teams and let them loose.

Before you start

  • Print the clues, fold each one, and hide it in the spot the clue before it points to. Hand the first clue to the kids to start.
  • In a big class, print several copies of each clue in different colors, one color per team.
  • Golden rule: walk, don't run, and put everything back where it was after searching.

The clues (cut along the dashed lines)

  1. Clue 1
    The teacher writes on me, then wipes me clean, Look just below me for a clue to be seen!
  2. Clue 2
    The one who teaches you sits here each day, Check on this desk, but politely, okay?
  3. Clue 3
    I'm full of dragons and kings and queens, Look in my corner, the clue's in between!
  4. Clue 4
    Through me you can see the sky and the trees, Look on my ledge and you'll find it with ease!
  5. Clue 5
    You come in through me and leave when bells ring, Look just behind me to find the next thing!
  6. Clue 6
    Everyone's coats hang here in a row, Look by the hooks, the clue's down below!
  7. Clue 7
    Puzzles and blocks and games galore, The games corner's hiding just one clue more!
  8. Clue 8
    You're nearly there, it's the very last stop, Look under the seat where your teacher will plop!
Show the answers (for the grown-up)
  1. Under the whiteboard
  2. On the teacher's desk
  3. In the reading corner (on the low shelf)
  4. On the windowsill
  5. Behind the classroom door
  6. By the coat hooks
  7. In the games corner
  8. Under the teacher's chair

Answer key (for the grown-up)

  1. Under the whiteboard
  2. On the teacher's desk
  3. In the reading corner (on the low shelf)
  4. On the windowsill
  5. Behind the classroom door
  6. By the coat hooks
  7. In the games corner
  8. Under the teacher's chair

The treasure

A jar of treats for the whole class, or an "outdoor lesson" pass and 10 minutes of free play.

Questions and answers

How do I run a treasure hunt with a whole class?

Split the class into teams of four or five and give each team its own color of clues. Start each team at a different clue so they don't all crowd the same spot.

How long does it take?

About 15 to 20 minutes, which fits nicely into the end of a lesson or a special activity period.

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