If you don’t have parchment paper, you could also use heavy duty stock paper or a brown paper bag.
Even if you just cut out 1 or 2 small semicircles from each side of the paper, that’ll help it to look torn up.
Crumpling the paper makes it look old and weak, which is how you would imagine an old pirates’ treasure map to look.
If you don’t have paint at home, make a really strong cup of tea or use cold coffee to blot the paper.
If you’re nervous about this step, take your map to the kitchen sink and burn the edges there so that you can easily turn on the faucet in case things get a little too smoky. You could also sponge black paint onto the edges of the map to create a “burned” look if you don’t want to mess around with an open flame.
It’s best to avoid public places for a treasure hunt because you never know who else might stumble upon your buried treasure.
Monster mountain = laundry pile Skeleton jungle = front bushes Serpent pass = hallway leading to the next room Bloody beach = outdoor patio area[5] X Research source
You could always create several mini-islands to designate different rooms or areas of home, like an island for the indoor hunt and a separate island for the outdoor hunt.
If you can, align your compass and map so that your kids can actually use those directions to find the hidden treasure! Most phones have compasses on them, so you can check it to see in which directions the different landmarks are.
You can also take inspiration from pirate movies and include other fun details on your map.
If you don’t have a red marker, you could also use paint or another darkly colored marker. You just want to make sure the path is clearly visible.
If you’re really artistic, you could even draw a pirate holding the treasure chest next to the “X. ”
If you didn’t want to write actual clues on the map, you could use separate scraps of paper to write out clues you can hand out as the kids progress along the hunt.
If you’re a babysitter, make sure that the kids are allowed to have snacks or sweets before including them in the treasure chest. If you have time, you could even make your own treasure chest.
After you roll up the map, you could burn the edges one more time to increase the authenticity.
The goal is to have fun, so don’t make the treasure hunt so hard that it becomes frustrating for anyone! Give hints, travel along, and you could even dress up and talk like a pirate!
