This activity requires two steps which can be done by two different age groups of kids.  If your chapter has an age range break them into older and younger.

Older kids

• Make a treasure hunt map
  • Look at maps to get an idea of how to interpret them
  • Some maps show everything in an area others show landmarks to navigate by
  • Watch the provided video (or another) about how to make a treasure map
  • Find an area to hold your exploration
  • Identify some landmarks to include in your map
  • Draw your area on paper including your landmarks
    • Look up ways to make the paper look old if you like (tea bags, burning edges…)
  • Identify footsteps or some indication of how to get from landmark to landmark
  • Tie a ribbon on each landmark and hide a prize

Younger kids

• Read a book on Lewis and Clark or another explorer and focus on the importance of maps during their discoveries
• Discuss maps and what they do and how they work
• As a group identify good practices when going exploring
  • never go alone
  • take safety items with you
  • bring water/food
  • bring a map
  • know how to get back
  • …
• Start your treasure hunt
  • Consider making rules about finding the prize.  Maybe send them in small groups or tell them to step away from the prize and raise their hands.  Something so each kids gets the thrill of finding it before someone shouts out “it’s right here.”
  • Provide the map made by the other group and let them start trying to follow it.
  • When all kids have found all the prizes regroup to discuss (and possibly eat the prizes if they are eatable/edible)
• Was the map easy/hard to follow?  Was it accurate?  Would you have found the prizes without it?