Bury Treasure
Make a treasure map, hide small toys in shallow backyard spots with an adult, mark locations, then use the map to dig them up.
Step-by-step guide to bury treasure
Kids' Treasure Hunt | Digging for Buried Treasure with Brecky Breck
Step 1
Gather all Materials Needed and bring them to the backyard.
Step 2
On the paper draw the outline of your yard to make the base of your treasure map.
Step 3
Walk around the backyard with an adult and choose at least four easy landmarks to use on your map.
Step 4
Draw each chosen landmark onto the map in the spot that matches the yard.
Step 5
Write a short label next to each landmark so you know what it is.
Step 6
With the adult pick 3 to 6 shallow hiding spots for treasures.
Step 7
Put a numbered X on the map where each hiding spot is located.
Step 8
Put each small toy into a little bag or wrap it so it stays clean and easy to hide.
Step 9
With the adult dig very shallow holes at each chosen spot and hide one treasure in each hole then lightly cover and pat the ground.
Step 10
Draw a simple compass arrow and a legend on the map that lists each numbered X and a clue or the treasure name.
Step 11
Use your map to visit each numbered X and with the adult dig up the treasures using the shovel or spoon.
Step 12
Share a photo or story of your finished treasure hunt and map on DIY.org
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use if we don't have the little bags or a shovel listed in the materials?
If you don't have little bags, wrap toys in clean sandwich or resealable snack bags or use plastic wrap, and substitute the shovel with a garden trowel, a large metal spoon, or a sturdy plastic spatula with adult help.
What should we do if the Xs on the map don't seem to match where we dig?
Walk the backyard again with an adult and the paper map, re-place each numbered X directly over the matching landmark position and test by standing at the X to sight the landmark before digging shallow holes.
How can we change the activity for younger children or older kids?
For toddlers use 2–3 very obvious landmarks, larger toys, and have the adult place the numbered Xs and do the digging, while older kids can create 4–6 spots, add riddles in the legend, draw a compass arrow, and dig with the shovel or spoon themselves.
How can we make the treasure hunt more creative or special?
Decorate and 'age' the paper map with tea or crayon rubbings, laminate it with clear tape or plastic wrap, hide a decorated shoebox as a treasure chest, and write clue-style entries in the legend for each numbered X.
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Facts about outdoor treasure hunts and map skills
🧭 A simple compass points roughly north, which helps you orient a map and follow directions accurately.
🔎 Geocaching, a modern GPS-based treasure hunt, began in 2000 and turned map-hunting into a worldwide hobby.
🗺️ The oldest known maps are over 4,000 years old — people have been drawing maps for millennia!
🌱 You can hide small toys safely in shallow spots (just a few inches) — deeper holes aren’t needed for backyard hunts.
🏴☠️ Most real pirates didn’t bury treasure; the idea of buried pirate treasure comes from stories like Treasure Island.
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