How to do it...
This game can be played with all levels of readers. The instructions should be written according to the child's reading level. On a piece of paper, write the first place in the house the child should go. For example:

"Go to the oven and open the door".

When the child follows the prompt, they will find a new piece of paper with the next place to go, written on it. You can have as many places as you are willing to write and hide. At the end, I would always put a "treasure" such as a small toy from the dollar store or a piece of candy. This game can also be played by "pre-readers" as young as 2. Just replace the "words" with pictures of where they are to go. For a beginning reader, the clues can be single words (such as oven) instead of sentences.

Example of what you might write...

• Go to top bunk bed and look under the pillow.
• Open cookie jar and look inside.
• Go to the bathtub.
• Look under the kitchen rug.
• Look inside your toy box.
• What is under the welcome mat?
• What would you use to call for help?
• Look on the second shelf in the refrigerator, under the mayonnaise.
• Where does mommy keep her sewing thread?

Have Fun with it!

This type of activity takes the focus away from the pressure of reading and turns everything into an adventure. As your child gets older you can make these clues as complicated as they need to be. Your three year old may need a picture of the bathtub, but your nine year old can have a riddle pointing them to the same place. Be creative and use your child's interests to keep them excited. Every little boys loves to go on a pirate's treasure hunt and what little girl doesn't want to find the fairy's pot of gold?

Good Luck & Thanks,

Jennie von Eggers

Jennie von Eggers is creator and co-author of Times Tales and owns Trigger Memory Systems which publishes Creative Learning Products.