Learn Through Play with Educational Treasure Hunts

Nothing is quite as motivating as a quest!

Navigate the orienteering course using compass directions to make the next checkpoint.

Help the infamous robot pirate Captain Binary find his treasure using code!

Find your way off of an island full of magical creatures by reading graphs.

Become a detective to solve the case of the missing manuscript.

Learn earth science by traveling back through geologic time.

Sail the seven seas with a host of pirates using cardinal directions.

Parse code to interpret for a community of robots.

Use beginner math concepts with rascally pirates to complete the quest.

Explore a fairy's magical garden full of her carefully curated shapes.

Venture forth on a quest for STEM!

Our educational, children's treasure hunts are designed for indoor or outdoor use and they are perfect for busy parents, as all of the resources are provided. They are quick to print off and set up  and you can choose from a wide range of topics, to suit your child's interests. Just ten minutes of preparation, for an hour or two of screen-free fun that will stimulate your child's natural curiosity and imagination!

One day they could be a pirate, sailing the seen seas, practicing their navigation skills, while another day, they could be a mad scientist traveling back through geologic time!

At The Treasure Hunt Builder, we are firm believers in learning through fun because play improves attention and retention. Our ready-to-print, engaging treasure hunts focus on STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) so your child can engage in screen-free play, while developing their conceptual understanding of STEM at the same time.

These educational, adventure quests are great for home-ed parents, for after-school clubs and camps, and as exciting activities for children to do on the weekends too. They can be completed indoors or outdoors. You can even use the Treasure Hunt Builder to create your own treasure hunts, tailored to your child's interests and customized to their learning goals.

How is play important for development?

  • “Play usually enhances curiosity, which facilitates memory and learning. [sic] Children who were in active play for 1 hour per day were better able to think creatively and multitask. Randomized trials of physical play in 7- to 9-year-olds revealed enhanced attentional inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and brain functioning that were indicative of enhanced executive control [sic]. Children have been shown to discover causal mechanisms more quickly when they drive their learning as opposed to when adults display solutions for them,” according to The American Academy of Pediatrics. 1

 

  • “The ingredients of play are precisely the ones that fuel learning: in addition to promoting low anxiety, play provides opportunities for novel experiences, active engagement, and learning from peers and adults,” according to the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. 2

1Yogman, Michael, et al. “The Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Development in Young Children.” Publications.aap.org, American Academy of Pediatrics, Volume 142, Issue 3, page. 6, Sept. 2018, https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2018-2058.
2 “Early Childhood Innovation Spotlight: Learning through Play.” Learning Through Play: Using Games and Play Coaching to Improve Executive Function, Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, 1 June 2018, https://developingchild.harvard.edu/innovation-application/innovation-in-action/learning-through-play/

What parents and teachers are saying about it...

Ingrid
Ingrid
Parent - February 2022

I printed this out for my 6 year old and we had a pirate-themed blast!  Thank you for an evening of educational fun!

Alisha
Alisha
Parent - December 2020

My daughter absolutely loved the treasure hunt!!!! This is such a clever way to encourage math in young kids. It captivated her for the whole morning, and when she finished it, she thanked me for setting it up (I repeat - she thanked me for setting up this math activity!!) and asked me if we could do it again. Wow!

Nicole
Nicole
Parent - August 2021

Thanks so much! The kids are so excited to try these out. We did the preschool math treasure hunt from the Winter Hygge bundle, and they LOVED it. They've been begging me to make another hunt ever since. I'll let you know how they go!

Annette
Annette
Teacher - September 2021

My students enjoyed using this resource it helped them to have a better understanding.

Abigail
Abigail
Parent - February 2022

Great treasure hunt for a variety of ages!

Alicia
Alicia
Teacher - May 2022

I used this with in conjunction with other puzzles and the students had a blast. Thanks!

Debbie
Debbie
Parent - January 2022

Lovely kit can't wait to do this with my boys at weekend. Thank You

Jennifer
Jennifer
Aunt - July 2020

Fun! Bought for a visit with my niece. Loved it.

Eric
Eric
Parent - May 2020

Great activities for kids! These will be great for entertaining our daughter on hikes.

Need it right now?

Download a STEM treasure hunt immediately after check-out, print and set up for your students in under 10 minutes. No cutting, gluing, or other prep is required. And easy instructions for quickly hiding the clues are included.

Need some time?

Each treasure hunt takes about 1 to 2 hours to complete. That's 8 hours of STEM adventuring for your student while you focus on other things!

Device-free?

No problem! These educational treasure hunts get students off of their devices and moving around as they solve STEM challenges and hunt for their next clue.

Is it hard to get your student interested?

Play enhances curiosity. Our adventure storylines draw students in, applying gamification to STEM concepts, because nothing is quite as motivating as a quest!

Looking for educational games?

We've got you covered with Math, Science, and Coding educational treasure hunts. Or customize our hunts to your student's learning goals with The Builder!

Want to set up a quest anywhere?

Set up inside or outside for an active, educational activity so students can practice their STEM and problem solving skills at home or school, no matter the weather.

Our Promise to You

Black Lives Matter

Representation Matters. Being Valued Matters.

We are dedicated to being a safe space for students to learn.
Students need to feel safe and supported to have fun, and they need to be able to have fun to absorb knowledge.

A Secular Academic Resource

The Treasure Hunt Builder provides secular academic material, which does not incorporate religious philosophies in any way. Secular academic material uses empirical evidence-based information from peer reviewed research, presenting accepted facts, principles, models, and theories.