How the idea for the quest was born
To be honest, children’s birthdays are the most difficult and most exciting events for me.
I always start preparing for them in advance and always rack my brains about how to make them interesting and not get too tired.
And what - this is my holiday! And if I’m left without strength, then there won’t be any fun!
So I started thinking about the idea of the quest long before my birthday.
And I was sure that we would celebrate in our new home and bury the gifts on the site.
Those. It turned out to be a version of a pirate quest with a search for a treasure chest.
But!
We assume, but God has it, and we did not have time to finish the finishing work before September 1, and celebrating at a construction site is a very dubious pleasure.
Therefore, I had to fit my imagination into the framework of a two-room apartment and a staircase.
Quest for a child 11-15 years old
It is quite difficult to surprise a modern teenager with gifts, so parents try to organize an interesting surprise presentation. A teenage quest can be arranged in an apartment, in a country house, or in a country house.
The birthday boy receives an SMS message:
“Darling, your parents wish you a happy birthday! We have prepared a gift for you, but you need to find it. With love, your mom and dad. Go quickly to where the water is always rustling.”
Task No. 1
The birthday boy goes to the bathroom, where an envelope with a message awaits him:
"You won't be able to live without him,
You play it, practice it,
Create with it,
Our dear son, you are trying.”
Task No. 2
The child goes to the computer, where a sticker is attached to the keyboard with the inscription: “Turn me on!” When the computer turns on, a congratulatory fireworks display and a new riddle appear on the screensaver:
“We put plates of food in it,
One or two, and everything is heated up with interest.”
The message is in the microwave.
Task No. 3
There is an envelope with a crossword puzzle in the microwave.
- What do we bake for Easter? (Kulich)
- Sweet, chocolate, waiting for you tonight (Cake).
- Multi-colored, sprinkled with sugar, your favorite (Marmalade).
- It comes in bitter, milky, with nuts, with caramel, and white (chocolate).
- Multi-colored round candies (Dragées).
It turns out the word “chest of drawers”.
Task No. 4
There is an envelope with a puzzle on the chest of drawers. When the birthday boy collects the picture, he will get an image of a ficus.
Task No. 5
Near the houseplant there is an envelope with an incomprehensible clue. There are many letters written in the boxes, and the birthday boy will have to work hard to see the word “backpack”.
Task No. 6
The child finds an encrypted message in the backpack. You can use any font, for example, the famous dancing men. The hint you get is “saucepan”.
Task No. 7
Examining all the pots, the birthday boy finds the next envelope with a rebus. The answer is the washing machine. Inside it is an envelope with tickets to a water park or a trip to the sea.
You can place a key in the washing machine and a hint where to look for a chest with a lock, written in invisible ink. The birthday boy needs to warm up the piece of paper so that the inscription appears.
Quest script for a child's birthday
So, this is perhaps the most important part of my article.
But this does not mean that you do not need to read further. On the contrary, the most interesting part comes next!
The quest consisted of three main stages.
- According to the riddles, it was necessary to collect parts of the map hidden in different places in the apartment.
- Having collected all the parts of the map, it was necessary to put together the puzzle and understand where we are and where the gifts are hidden.
- Find all the gifts on the map.
- To receive one of the gifts, it was necessary to solve a problem consisting of several arithmetic examples.
- Share the joy of successfully completing the quest and receiving gifts among all participants.
And, despite such a simple scenario, each stage had to be carefully thought through and the necessary tools had to be prepared.
Tools for conducting a home quest
There were several of them.
- Eight balloons (I’ll explain why eight later);
- Drawing board;
- 6 notes with riddles;
- 1 note with arithmetic examples;
- A map of the apartment, cut into several parts (so that you could understand the diagram only by collecting all the parts);
- 4 gifts, packed in boxes and bags with red crosses painted on them and hidden in different parts of the apartment.
- Good mood and a little excitement.
Where to hide notes?
The most difficult thing for me was to logically build a diagram of the steps of the quest.
And find “unusual” places to hide notes.
The first note was pinned on the drawing board, where it was written that our Denis is 7 years old.
And it was with her that we began our quest.
There was a riddle on the note, which the birthday boy immediately solved.
And the same 8 balls that I wrote about above were swaying above the board.
And I specifically drew your and Deniska’s attention to the fact that there are more of them than necessary.
And why?
Yes, it’s just that the following note was hidden in one of the balloons, and our brave newborn 7-year-old boy had to get it from there.
Not only was this test given to him, but he passed it with dignity.
And having punctured the ball, he received a new riddle.
What about this time? Were you able to solve this riddle?
Right. This is a riddle about a clock.
And we had several of them in our apartment. And I had to go around everything before Denis found the envelope with the first part of the map and the next riddle.
This time everything pointed to what? Did you guess it?
Yes, it was a refrigerator.
It was there, on the door shelf, that there was another part of the map and again a note with a riddle.
And the answer to this riddle made everyone giggle.
Do you already understand what we're talking about?
I had to go to a place of solitude and look for clues there.
Denis coped with this successfully too.
The next riddle made him run around the apartment a little, because there were several similar objects.
What do you think this is?
Yes, this is a chest of drawers. We have three of them in our apartment.
And in both rooms and in the bathroom.
But in the end, he found another part of the map and the last riddle.
She was pointing at... Did you guess it?
Absolutely right. Gas stove in the kitchen!
Quest for a child 8-10 years old
What to pay attention to when preparing entertainment for a child 8-10 years old:
- It is necessary to take into account the age of the children who will participate in the entertainment. If you are planning to organize a quest to find a gift just for the birthday boy, it will be easier for you to come up with tasks, because you know your child well. The task becomes more complicated if the game is intended as entertainment at a party. But one thing is important: all participants should be involved in finding a gift, and no one should be bored.
- If there are more than 8 participants, it is better to divide them into teams. By the way, you can also involve adults, who will certainly enjoy completing tasks and solving riddles.
- Prepare your apartment or house in advance. Decorate the premises for the holiday, and at the same time remove all breakable objects away, because in the excitement adventurers can break something and get hurt.
- If the tasks are difficult, 5-7 caches will be enough. If you come up with easy tips, you can use 10-12 pieces.
- Hiding places can be placed in several rooms, as well as in the bathroom, kitchen, and balcony. Use any hidden places: bookshelves, soft toys, sofa cushions, household appliances, shelves, window sills.
- At the end of the game, all participants should receive gifts, not just the birthday boy. You can also additionally come up with small souvenirs or sweets in the form of intermediate prizes.
Quest for girls “Find the princess”
A helium balloon with a letter attached to it flies into the room where guests are sitting at the festive table:
“Dear guys, my name is Snow White. The evil stepmother hid me in her castle so that I wouldn’t come to you for my birthday. Help me get out of captivity, and I will give you amazing gifts, and at the same time have fun at the holiday! To do this you need to pass tests, at the end of which a surprise awaits you. But I need to hurry so that the evil stepmother does not return to the castle, otherwise she will poison me with an apple, as it happened in the fairy tale that you have probably read. I hope for your help, friends!”
Task No. 1
The envelope contains things that form a pair: a hat and a scarf, two boots, two mittens. You need to find a thing that will remain without a pair. For example, this will be a closet. So the clue is in the closet.0
Task No. 2
There is an encrypted message in the envelope. The code can be emoticons, candies, donuts, or hairpins. The guys need to guess what is written in the letter (they get the word “refrigerator”).
Task No. 3
In the refrigerator there is an ice ball containing a message. Participants can melt the ball or crack it to reveal the clue:
“2 bellies, 4 ears. What is this?"
(Pillow)
Task No. 4
Under the sofa cushion is another message in which the players find a rebus.
Answer: Mirror.
Task No. 5
An envelope with an inscription in a mirror version is attached to the mirror. When the guys figure out how to read it, they get the word “pie.” So, the next message is in the kitchen.
Task No. 6
The players find a plate of pies on the kitchen table. They all need to be eaten, and in one the guys find a message:
“Look on the shelf for a book that has a flower in the title. Then you need to open page 150, find line 7 and word 5. This will be a hint."
Participants run to the bookshelf and find, for example, the book “The Master and Margarita” (adults need to suggest the name of the work). When players find the right word, the result is “closet.”
Task No. 7
In the closet there is an envelope with the task:
"Go to the princess's room,
Everything there is magical and wonderful.
Mysterious sand awaits you,
He will bring you a hint."
The guys go to the birthday girl’s room and see a large container with kinetic sand there. Containers from Kinder Surprises are buried in it, each of which contains a letter. When all the letters are collected, you get the word - dishes. The clue is in the cupboard with dishes.
Task No. 8
There is a riddle in the envelope:
“This is not an apartment, but it’s not a street either,
That’s where mom hangs the laundry.”
On the balcony, children find balloons that need to be burst. Each ball contains a puzzle piece, and when they are all collected, you get a picture of an oven.
Task No. 9
In the oven, the guys find an envelope with a QR code. Parents need to download a special program to the birthday girl’s mobile phone in advance, which can be used to read the codes. A picture of the entrance will appear on the screen. The players go down to the entrance and find an envelope with a photo there. You need to photograph the hiding place in advance from some unusual angle or with a blurry effect. The guys must guess that this is a picture of a sofa.
Task No. 10
Behind the sofa, players find another envelope with a rebus, the answer to which is a lamp.
Task No. 11
Behind the lamp is an envelope with a new task. Opposite each picture is an empty cell. You need to enter the first letter of the animal's name in the box:
- wolf - B;
- raccoon - E;
- fox - L;
- monkey - O;
- elephant - C;
- iguana – I;
- pig - P;
- echidna – E;
- woodpecker - D.
It turns out the word “bicycle”, which means there is a new clue there.
Task No. 12
You need to draw a picture by dots, and you will get a teddy bear. Children find a bear holding a box of gifts in its paws. At this moment, an animator dressed as Snow White enters the room. The princess offers to dance, play outdoor games, and sing funny songs. At the end of the holiday, of course, Snow White brings out a cake with lit candles.
To make the quest more interesting, print out cards with tasks in advance, which can be decorated with images of Snow White, gnomes, and forest animals.
Small tests for home quest
And so, sitting in the kitchen, having collected all the parts of the map, Denis had to solve several arithmetic examples in order to get a 6-digit code for one of his gifts!
These are the serious gifts parents have prepared for their big son!
That a secret code is needed to receive them!
But I will write about what we gave our boy in another article.
It was not easy to assemble the map diagram of our apartment, cut into 6 parts.
Mom tried her best!
But after several hints and help from relatives, the map was safely assembled, and the last and already quite simple stage remained.
It was necessary to understand what was shown on the map, where we were, and where the gifts were hidden.
And again, it could not have happened without the help of adults.
Although Denis knew the layout of our apartment quite well, having his own little experience.
He already had experience finding treasures hidden by pirates last year, finding artifacts for his father's birthday.
Both were my machinations!
And just games with a search for something, which we sometimes organize.
Result - the map is collected and the search for gifts
And now, the cherished stage of the quest!
Search for long-awaited gifts.
I hid one gift in my mother’s room under the table, wrapped in a bag with a red cross drawn on it (so as not to be confused with other bags).
And this was the first and best, according to Denis, gift.
Although, according to my scenario, he should have been the last to find.
After the joyful emotions subsided slightly, Deniska ran to the balcony, where he found a large box with a red cross.
It was a gift from my grandmother, very cool and I will definitely write about it.
Awesome thing for school age children!
Then we puzzled together about where ficus trees grow and why we need to go up the stairs.
To do this, I had to leave the apartment and go out onto the staircase.
Well, go up one flight of stairs.
Our flowers live there, and another box with a red mark was hidden in the cabinet at night.
And it also contained a very interesting gift.
And the last place where the gift was hidden was a shelf in the hallway of the apartment.
There was also a package with a characteristic mark there.
Description of tasks
(key places where you can hide hints and surprises are indicated in brackets)
- Mirror reflection (picture, notepad, notebook, your option). A fun mindfulness challenge.
- Logical series (newspaper, chair, poster, your option). A tricky puzzle for logic and intelligence. To read the keyword, players need to place the donuts in their places.
- Extra item (umbrella, hat/headpiece, neckerchief/scarf). You need to find the extra object in one of the pictures.
- Handbags (door, book, pencil case, your choice). Shadow cipher. You need to find the right handbag shadows.
- The main ingredients of the dishes (magazine, album, fruit, your choice). An interesting task on knowledge of culinary dishes.
- Arithmetic of beauty (mirror, candy, presenter, your option). Arithmetic problems.
To find out the next search location, players will have to count - Alphabetical encryption (desk, algebra textbook, geometry textbook, geography textbook). A task for quick thinking, an unusual colorful type of cipher.
- Puzzle (computer, calculator, window sill, your option). To find out the keyword, you need to make a picture from cut strips.
- Butterfly wings (cabinet, drawer, box, your option). To read the hint, you need to find the key to the cipher. Intelligence challenge.
- What are the girls' names? (bag, package, shelf). Original logic task.
Attention! The set includes task templates “Mirror reflection”, “Logical series”, “Handbags”, “Main ingredients of dishes”, “Beauty Arithmetic”, “Puzzle”, “Butterfly wings”: if the keywords do not suit you, you can replace them yourself their.
The kit is offered in electronic form - you need to print everything you need on a printer yourself (the postcard and tasks look great on regular office paper).
