Equipment / Materials
- One sandbox, kiddie pool, or shallow cardboard box for each team (filled with sand)
- One treasure chest, bucket, or shoebox for each team
- Assorted “treasure” items (wrapped candy, fake gold coins, fake jewels, small trinkets, etc.)
- Small shovels or scoops (optional)
Setup Instructions
- Fill each sandbox or box with sand. Make sure there is enough sand to cover the treasures well.
- Bury the “treasure” items in each sandbox. Spread them out so they are not all in one place.
- Place a “treasure chest” (bucket or shoebox) next to each sandbox. This is where each team will store their found treasures.
- Set up a timer to keep track of the game time.
- Divide players into teams and assign each team to a sandbox.
Game Play Instructions
- Explain that each team’s goal is to find as much treasure as possible in their sandbox before time runs out.
- When you say “Go!” each team can start digging through the sand to find treasures.
- As team members find treasures, they should place them in their team’s treasure chest.
- After a set amount of time, call “Time’s up!” and have all teams stop digging.
- Count each team’s treasures to see which team found the most.
- Let each team divide their treasure equally among themselves.
Additional Notes
- Game Variation: For younger children, place some treasures on the surface of the sand to make them easier to find.
- Safety Note: Make sure players are gentle when digging to avoid sand flying into eyes. Remind them to be careful if using shovels or scoops.
- Fairness Tip: Have a few extra treasures on hand to make sure each player ends up with an equal share at the end.
For more information, see https://young-catholics.com/1046/buried-treasure-game/