Special Gift? Do a Treasure Hunt!

Fun Alert: This idea would be perfect for a special Christmas gift. Or Father's Day. Or Easter. Or any other time you want to be Totally Awesome.

My dad is a Master Treasure Hunt Giver. His very clever brain works overtime coming up with some fun treasure hunt clues for his grandkids. Unfortunately I did NOT inherit my treasure hunting skilz from him. I'm more of a "Go to the dryer" kind of clue writer.

I was in charge of ordering his gift this year for his birthday from my siblings and mom. We went in all together on a big gift and I was super excited for it. But darn it, my excitement didn't translate into ordering it in time to open on his big day. I felt horrible. So I decided to return the Treasure Hunt favor and do one for him so he had something for his birthday. But I had to really step it up so I shot out a text and a couple of my siblings sponsored a few clues.

Crazy Treasure Hunt Ideas:

- I went all nuts with the treasure hunt and had him use technology in order to get the next clue. One clue he had to send me a selfie and one clue he had to record himself saying a tongue twister in the correct location.

- At the beginning I gave him 3 Lifelines- Call a Joy, Text a Joy, and Picture Clue from Joy in case he really got stuck.

- I took pics of all the clues closeup in their hiding spots when I hid them so I could send them. Not that he needed it. He is very clever, after all.

- Google 'treasure hunt clues' and plagiarize.

Dad's prize was a bag of some of his favorite cookies in the freezer.

Couple Treasure Hunt Tips:

- make a master list of the clues on one page for when you get confused.

- write on the back of each clue where it goes.

- number each clue.

- make sure you don't forget to put the prize in it's hiding place and leave it in your car and then not realize it until you're at a friends' house 20 minutes away.

- When you're done hiding all the clues, go through the hunt yourself. Double check you put the clues in the right place so you don't have to drive over an hour both ways when you realize that you forgot to put one clue in place and you don't know where you left it and your parents are out of town so you can't just have your mom check for you. (yes, that is TWO times I had to come back for those of you keeping track, thankyouverymuch.) It really isn't that complicated. But somehow it is. For me.

Here is my master list. The italicized lines were texted to him.