Host a Treasure-Hunt Party
For a birthday party that is as good as gold, consider an outdoor treasure hunt, complete with pirates, planks, and a cake filled with tasty hidden loot.
The Activities
- Make-your-own-telescope station. Let crafty types decorate cardboard paper-towel tubes with stickers and glitter, then cover one end with blue cellophane (secured with a rubber band) so kids can see how things appear “underwater.
- Go fish. Create a wave using poster board or a cardboard box (shown) and let kids fish for prizes. The person hiding behind the wave can use tape to attach the prize.
- Peg-leg race. Divide kids into pairs and tie an ankle of each pair together with a bandanna, as in a three-legged race.
- Walking the plank. Let kids take turns walking across a long wooden plank. Whoever finishes first without touching the ground wins. (If someone does touch it, yell “Shark bait!”)
- Cannonball toss. Children stand in a circle and toss around a water balloon until it bursts. The person who gets wet is out, and the circle gradually gets smaller until there’s a winner.
- Treasure hunt. Hide a bunch of plastic gold coins in the backyard and let partygoers race to find the most loot.
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