Buried Treasure Game Instructions

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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

  1. Fill each sandbox or box with sand. Make sure there is enough sand to cover the treasures well.
  2. Bury the “treasure” items in each sandbox. Spread them out so they are not all in one place.
  3. Place a “treasure chest” (bucket or shoebox) next to each sandbox. This is where each team will store their found treasures.
  4. Set up a timer to keep track of the game time.
  5. Divide players into teams and assign each team to a sandbox.

Game Play Instructions

  1. Explain that each team’s goal is to find as much treasure as possible in their sandbox before time runs out.
  2. When you say “Go!” each team can start digging through the sand to find treasures.
  3. As team members find treasures, they should place them in their team’s treasure chest.
  4. After a set amount of time, call “Time’s up!” and have all teams stop digging.
  5. Count each team’s treasures to see which team found the most.
  6. 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/