May is one of those month’s when seasonal changes mean the surroundings that have been familiar to us for the last six months suddenly look quite different. Perhaps a brown or grey landscape has turned vibrant green, perhaps new leaves obscure a previous view, or a seemingly bare patch of your garden has burst into life. There are other changes too, with the twittering of birdsong and the hum of insects providing a background soundtrack we’d scarcely realised was missing, and the beauty of blossoms, butterflies and blue skies bringing joy and colour.

A fantastic way to really stop and savour these fresh new sights is to organise a spring treasure hunt, whether just for your family or for a group. It’s good to decide first who you’re going to invite though, because it may affect the type of ‘treasures’ you put on your list.

There are several different ways you can go when it comes to putting that list together, from the really specific to the ‘use your imagination’. Of course, it’s also important to be sensitive to the natural environment, so taking photos of found items rather than actually collecting them avoids causing habitat damage, as does being careful not to disturb any wildlife you happen to come across. The fun things about this though is that your treasure hunt items are not limited to what can be picked up and carried!

If you’d like a little bit of inspiration for your treasure hunt list, here are a couple of different ideas:

General

2 green shoots
4 flower buds
1 spider’s web
3 fallen branches
2 blossoming shrubs or bushes
3 round stones
1 feather
4 yellow petals

Educational

A birch tree
A cuckoo flower
An oak leaf
Wood sorrel
An interesting rock
A horseshoe fungus
Wild garlic
A hawthorn bush

Creative

Something fuzzy or furry
Something spotted
Something striped
Something curly
Something spiky
Something soft
Something smooth
Something that makes a noise

Other things to consider for how you organise your treasure hunt are if you want everyone to search for the items as individuals, teams or as a group, and what prizes will be given out for. Will you award the fastest, the most accurate, or the most creative? Or you could have multiple prizes, or no prizes at all. Again, it will depend largely on what’s best for the people playing.

For ideas on some local Perthshire walks that can be good locations for a spring treasure hunt, take a look at this article: 8 Perthshire Walks In 4 Areas: Find One Near You This May. But this activity can equally well be enjoyed in your local park, hedgerow or even garden, with perhaps a few adjustments to the list, as you’ll want to bear in mind what can actually be found in the area you choose. You might be surprised what’s around!