7th Birthday Pirate Princess Party Treasure Hunt: Indoor Treasure Hunt (in Apartment)

As the dreaded time to plan for another birthday party approaches (monster is turning 8 next week) I dip into my resources and realise I have not written about the Treasure Hunt I had planned on monster's 7th Princess Pirate Birthday Bash!!

And I did promise to put it out there, more so because it was ingenious (if I may say so myself), held in a small apartment (in fact, perfect for a small apartment and 8-10 guests), and the kids enjoyed and remember it to this day! (Its true, on this year's invitation, one child actually asked me if I would arrange another treasure hunt like last year. God Bless you kiddo!)
The first step to creating an indoor (or outdoor) Treasure Hunt is to determine your clue hiding places. Mine went like this:
The kids were not divided into groups since there were only 8. They were to work as one team, and the TREASURE CHEST held all their goodie bag treasure!

• Here is the list of hiding places in order: Bookcase- fridge- cupboard- mirror image- sink- shoebox- microwave- bathroom- stairs- map to treasure chest hidden by the bed!
• The first clue was one half (THE RIGHT SIDE which had no real graphics to speak of) of the TREASURE MAP and a Clue Card hidden inside a book on monster's book shelf. It was only one book shelf, so I left it to them to find the right book. The book shelf was a mess afterwards but it was worth it. More time spent and less time to plan other games in.

Clue 1:

"The map is incomplete, just half

  Lets see if you are that smart

  Where it is very very cold inside, is CLUE 2

  This is only just the start."

Clue 1 from BOOK SHELF led to the FRIDGE of course!

• Inside the fridge I had kept the key to the clothes cupboard in the bedroom tied to a clue card. They had to try the key in all the locks to see which cupboard would open!

Clue 2:
"You have found the key
To the secret place
To give CLUE 3
So off you race!"

It led to the CLOTHES CUPBOARD

• The CUPBOARD had the chocolate coins for their goody bags and Clue Card 3 which was a mirror image and had to be read through a MIRROR. 

Clue 3:
"Mirror on the wall
Will give to  you
The hiding place
Of your next clue"

The text below read "under the KITCHEN SINK." (Of course the clue cards were much better made. This is just the planning page and one year old at that. Do excuse the poor photo quality due to the crumpled pages.)

• The KITCHEN SINK which also had a bag of chocolates, led to the SHOE RACK. It had a small picture puzzle.

Clue 4:

"Solve the puzzle if you dare
Your next clue is hidden there"

• The SHOE RACK had temporary pirate tattoos for their goody bags and 

Clue 5:
"To get to your next clue
You have to work a bit
Cross all the 'X' and the 'U'
And see what is left"

The clue card had a word puzzle with 'X's and 'U's to be crossed out to reveal the word MICROWAVE

• In the MICROWAVE along with bookmarks for their goodybag had a code to work out. Numbers were given to alphabets and they had to work out the word.

Clue 6:

"Use the code
Dont be slow
This is where
The waters flow"

The code spelled out BATHROOM of course, and the brighter kids got it even without working out the clue, so I should have made it a little less obvious.

• The next clue under the BATHROOM SINK led outside the apartment to the STAIRCASE

Clue 7:
"The treasure map is still incomplete
The second half has to be found
Go OUT and look in the place
Where people walk UP AND DOWN"

This clue had no graphics since it was self explanatory!

• The STAIRCASE banister had SECOND HALF of the TREASURE MAP tied to it

• The kids had to read the map and reach the hiding place of the TREASURE CHEST (a simple basket with goodies inside) on one corner of the bedroom, hidden cleverly by the bed!

There, my masterpiece of planning!! Hope you enjoyed it as much as the kids. Whew!!!