Scavenger Hunt Clue Ideas

Archive for the ‘Independence Day Treasure Hunt Ideas’ Category

Many families celebrate the 4th of July together.
Print the same list for each family from the Scavenger Hunt selection. Choose “patriotic” items like something red, white, and blue or cemetery, support our troops ribbon, or city hall. You can even add your own ideas.
Each family brings/is given a camera and travels together throughout town to take a picture of each thing on the list. Set a time for everyone to return and see who has found the most.

Using the object list hunt feature on Riddle Me, print a list of US history related items, for example; cherry tree leaf, something with a star, candlestick, book on history, or you can put your own ideas on the list. Divide the children into red, white and blue teams. See how fast each team can find all the items.

Put clues to the each location inside red, white, and blue balloons. On the outside of the balloon, once it is inflated, write a simple question about Independence Day on it with a permanent marker or print them out and tape them to the balloon. Then hide them in the locations you generated with Riddle Me.
When the players come to each location, they must read the question first. When they answer it correctly, they may pop the balloon to get the next clue.  The players should be allowed some help or be able to access the internet to look up some of the answers that stump them.
Possible questions:
What is the name of the paper that was signed declaring independence?
In what year was the Declaration of Independence signed?
How many colonies united to declare independence?
Name one person who signed the Declaration of Independence.
Who was the first president of the United States?
What country did the colonies declare their independence from?
How many stripes are on the flag and why?
What do the stars on the flag represent?
What is the name of the national anthem?
What is one way people celebrate Independence Day?

Have a paper representing the Declaration of Independence. Select locations you want the children to go to from Riddle Me’s hunt inventory.
On the back of your declaration paper put the first clue and only half of the clue for each of the other locations. Then hide the other half of the clues with an item in each of the other locations. The items with the clues could be something like sunglasses, paper money, a piece of carved wood – items similar to the movie. Give the children the map and have them read the first clue. It will send them to the first location and the rest of the second clue.
The final clue would lead them to the “treasure”.  It could be a cake decorated like the flag or gold coin candies.

Have the children pretend they are the messengers telling each of the thirteen colonies of their independence!
Select thirteen locations from the Riddle Me inventory. Give each location the name of one of the thirteen colonies (Virginia, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware, North Carolina, South Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Georgia.) Place a copy of each states flag in the location.
Start your hunt by giving the children a clue to send them to the first “state”. When they find it, they should say, “Happy Independence Day (and the states name)!” Then read the next clue to the next location or “state”. Have them bring each flag with them so in the end all the the thirteen colonies flags will be together – becoming the original United States.
You could make a parade with sparklers and the flags while everyone sings “America the Beautiful”.