Scavenger Hunt Ideas for 9 Year Old Boy's Party

Updated on September 09, 2011
S.L. asks from Sachse, TX
7 answers

My 9 year old has decided to have a sleepover this year for his birthday. His birthday is in October, so he wants a Halloween theme. I know the 9 year olds will be content hanging out, playing video games, foosball, etc but would like to incorporate some kind of game for them. I was thinking a scavenger hunt at night might be fun to do on our street. Any ideas would be appreciated!

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So What Happened?

Thanks Everyone for these great ideas! I definitely will be using a few of them. We of course will have pizza (their favorite) but I will also be putting together some "creepy snacks"!

More Answers

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Y.C.

answers from Washington DC on

Scavenger hunts are great, and with a party in October, you really have time to plan and execute a scavenger hunt that will get them out all over the neighborhood, if you want to. It's worth every bit of effort, and using creativity to get kids interacting and thinking always works better than spending extra money!

When you're out on your street, start making mental notes about the landmarks, special trees, etc. as well as the crotchety/creepy neighbors you will want your kids to avoid. Write a riddle leading the kids to each clue, and think about a nice prize for the winner and runner-up. I can't wait till my little ones are old enough for scavenger hunts. :)

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J.K.

answers from Kansas City on

How about a pinata? We had one once, and since the boys were getting older, they thought they were "tough" and watching them beat on that thing was hilarious!! Is it too cold in TX in October to have a water balloon fight? We did that too, they all loved it.

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M.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

-You could do a scavenger hunt in your house: garage, front step, backyard
etc.
-You could also fill a wagon w/sad bought @ HomeDepot and fill it w/treasures, gold coins etc that they have to dig for: put wagon in garage
or on back patio so you don't get sand EVERYWHERE. :)

A.W.

answers from Kalamazoo on

I bought these little plastic pumpkins - they look just like the ones you would use to Trick or Treat only smaller. They were cheap and came in packs/bags of like 6? Anyway, I put stickers, spider rings and some candy in each one then hid them in the yard. The boys could go look for them with flashlights. I've also done a treasure hunt came with them with clues hidden inside.....each new clue leads to the next etc until they find the treasure at the end!

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D.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Have you ever tried geocaching with him?
That might be a nice adventure for the group.

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B.M.

answers from Dallas on

For my daughter's 8th birthday, I did a treasure hunt around the neighborhood. I wrote clues that took them from place to place. I had a small treasure chest that I had filled with candy and cheap trinkets and hidden in the back yard for the final stop. When they found the treasure, I gave them each a loot bag and they got to fill it with goodies. They liked the "treasure" but they enjoyed the hunt more. All the places we went were just up and down the street so we could walk there. Actually, they mostly ran!

R.D.

answers from Richmond on

Oooh fun!! My daughter is the 13th of October, I might steal your idea :)

I love scavenger hunts!!

Start with the group at a table, and make your list. Kick your kiddo out and hide stuff ahead of time... and let the group know which rooms are off limits!

First clue... something easy maybe, like 'Where we keep food cold'... leave a note in the fridge that says 'This is what takes you to your friends houses'... note in the car 'If I was a letter, where would I be?' In the mailbox, well, you get the point. As the kids are running around, set out the cake, and make sure the last clue leads there!

HAVE FUN!!

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