The Hidden Train Treasure
An adventurous seek-and-find game that runs throughout the party.
Activity Type: Treasure Hunt
Age Group: 3+
Setup Time: 5 minutes
Mess Level: No mess
Party Plus: Keeps guests busy if waiting for a turn for a game or if they finish a craft early.
A lost railroad treasure has been secretly hidden somewhere in your train party area before guests arrive.
At the start of the party, show the kids what the treasure looks like, or hold up a sample treasure and explain that it has gone missing from the birthday train.
Kids can search for the hidden railroad treasure anytime during the party. The engineer who finds the lost treasure gets to keep the special railroad keepsake.
What You'll Need
A small "dinosaur train treasure" or optional extras if you want multiple winners.
Your items of choice to hide. Some ideas
Mini chunks of coal
Arrowheads
mini jar of rocks
Sticky putty or adhesive but my favorite....Joe's Sticky Stuff (worth every penny for all sorts of sticking stuff, not just for the party)
Setup
Choose the item that will be the train treasure.
Before guests arrive, hide the treasure somewhere within your chosen search area.
Save one identical item, or a picture of it, to show the children what they are looking for.
Decide on the search boundaries, such as one room, the backyard, the party table area, or the “train station” zone.
For bigger parties, hide multiple treasures so more kids can find one.
To make it a super special, hide just one prize!
Hiding Tips
Tailor the difficulty based on children's ages.
For younger kids: Hide larger objects in more obvious spots.
For older kids: Hide smaller objects in trickier places, such as:
Under tables
Behind decorations
Beneath chairs or shelves (Joes Sticky stuff!)
Kids rarely think to check upside down!
Train Host Tip:
If you have a large group, hide multiple of the same treasure so more kids get the excitement of finding one .