Part 1: Making Clues & A Map
A few summers ago when vacationing with family in Rhode Island we had a pirate treasure hunt for the kids. I set up a series of clues around the house that eventually led them to a map. The map led them to buried treasure on the beach. It was a hit so I decided to do it again on vacation in South Carolina this year. But this time, I stepped up my game.
This post is all about making the clues and the map. Here’s what I used:
-Cream colored resume paper
-Tea bags
-Red tape (ribbon would have been even cooler!)
-Colored pencils
-A little knowledge about where we stayed (I stalked the realty website pictures to find out a bit about our house)
To start let’s talk about the resume paper & tea bags. My goal was to make paper for the clues that looked weathered and aged. You know, like it had been on a real pirate ship. I chose resume paper because it’s got a little more to it than regular printer paper. That way it didn’t tear when I used the tea bags to stain it.
For those of you new to tea staining, it’s easy! I laid a few pieces of resume paper out on cookie sheets. Then I steeped a tea bag in a small amount of warm water and smooshed it all over the paper. I even crumpled up the paper while it was wet to give it more of an aged look. I poured off the excess tea and gave the paper some time to dry. It took about an hour.
When it was dry I wanted to print the clues onto the paper. However, my printer had different ideas. Apparently printers don’t like thick, wrinkly ol’ paper. They tend to chew it up and spit it out and make lots of noise while doing it. Whoops! That’s why you’ll notice that I ended up hand-writing the clues in my best pirate script.
The clues came from Captain Zeke. He’s the “pirate” who buried the treasure long ago. He wrote a letter to the kids that Aunt Kristin read before bed on our first night.
It went like this (and by the way – it rolls of the tongue best with a seafaring brogue):
M’name’s Captain Zeke, and I sailed the high seas
On board a ship called the Stinky Pete
Though I’m a pirate from long ago
My treasure’s still hidden down below
Now that you’ve finally started vacation
It’s time to go search; for that treasure’s been waitin’
Come morning tomorrow, choose to seek
My pirate booty on the beach
More clues will come once you’ve slept safe & sound
With your cousins you’ll look for this treasure-be-found
First you’ll eat breakfast with your Mum & Dad
Then follow the clues to my pirate map
The next morning after breakfast came part two – more clues to search for the map! My mom-in-law found these awesome foam pirate hats at Joann Fabrics for the kids to wear while searching.
Off on the hunt! Before hiding them, I rolled up the clues and sealed them with red tape but ribbon or twine would work nicely too. 
Here’s what I wrote. You can tweak things here & there to make it work for whatever treasure hunt location you’ve chosen.
CLUE ONE
If you’re readin’ this clue then you’re on the path
To findin’ me hidden treasure at last
I hid it near here many years ago
When without my booty I had to go
Them Buccos, they chased me, never cutting me slack
But the treasure I robbed they’ll never get back
It’s yours for the taking, no doubt about that
But to find it you’ll be needin’ me treasure map.
Here’s your first clue – look where you eat
Near a window you’ll find there’s a seat
Under that seat, I’m happy to say,
You’ll find clue number two to point out the way
CLUE TWO
Here’s clue number two – go climb a stair
Walk down a long hall – that is, if you dare
You’ll see many a bunk to go to bed
One holds clue three where you lay your head
CLUE THREE
You’ve found clue number three, you’re proving quite clever
But you’ll need clue four if you’re looking for treasure
A set of black chairs makes this deck complete
Now get there right quick on your two little feet
CLUE FOUR
Aha, you are smart ones, you’ve found number four
Now look for two rockers through a white windowed door
Walk up to that door and swing it wide open
When you do that, my map you’ll be holdin’
Once the kids had gleefully found the map we were off to the beach to look for “X” marks the spot!
I used a blank piece of the tea stained paper and some colored pencils to make a map once we knew where the treasure would be buried.
A special thanks to my hubby & brother-in-law Eric for playing along (albeit begrudgingly) and burying the chest. And don’t worry – they didn’t disturb the dunes like my map suggests. I’m just a dummy who can’t draw. 🙂
And here’s an update on Part 2 – the making and finding of the treasure chest!
