To set the scene for a perfect scavenger hunt party, you’ll need some props that play into your theme.
Here are some easy-to-find props to create a fun-filled day.
Digging for Dinosaurs
If your little one is intrigued by all things dinosaur, a dinosaur-themed party certainly provides plenty of opportunities for easy props. Make frozen dinosaur eggs by taking inexpensive plastic figures and placing them carefully inside balloons. Fill the balloons with water, making sure you have at least one egg per guest. Place all of the balloons in the freezer overnight. In the morning, cut off the balloons’ knots and free the eggs. At the party, the kids can either play with their eggs in warm water to slowly free the baby dinosaurs or you can set up the eggs on display so your guests see them when they first arrive, then allow the ice to continue to melt for the duration of the party, so that after the grand hunt, the baby dinos will have hatched.
Now for the hunt, if you can find a small wooden 3-D replica puzzle of a dinosaur, you can disassemble the puzzle and use the pieces in the hunt. If you have a good outdoor space, wrap the pieces in some plastic wrap, then bury a handful of pieces in various locations around the yard. Create dinosaur-themed riddles that the children must solve in order to find the correct excavation site. Armed with plastic shovels, send the little paleontologists to dig for the dinosaur bones. At each site, the children will unearth the bones, and at the end of the hunt, they must successfully reconstruct their dinosaur, before being rewarded with a special treat.
A Bug’s Life
Maybe you’ve got little ones that are into bug watching and collecting. A bug-themed party certainly has easy props for decorating and using in the party hunt. First, you can set the scene using various colored balloons decorated to look like bugs. Add eight legs to a black balloon and you’ve got yourself a floating spider. String a chain of green balloons together to create a caterpillar. Let your bug inspired balloons set the scene for the party.
You can easily make bug related treats, such as dirt cups, butterfly snack bags or bug gelatins. Suspend plastic bug figures inside lemon or lime gelatin to add a bit of the gross-out factor.
Using these same small bug figures, you can set up the best scavenger hunt and send the little bug collectors out to find the perfect specimen. Put different bugs in unique locations around the house or yard. Equip the kids with simple bug nets, and then provide them with their first clue. Using bug-related riddles, the children will solve them to determine what bug they are searching for and in what location they need to search for it in. Once they have found the correct bug, they can catch it in their net to carry it to the end. At the end of the hunt, they can organize and display their findings while enjoying a special treat.
Some of the best scavenger hunt ideas and props can be simple, easy-to-get and perfect for your little one’s party.