CANDY HUNT

Age Level: 4 and up

Number of Players: 2 or more

What is Needed: candy (or other things) to hide, paper bags

Type of Game: competitive or noncompetitive

Location: inside or outside

HOW TO PLAY

Before the guests arrive, or while they are eating or being otherwise entertained, hide wrapped candy in one room or outside on the lawn. Before the hunt begins, define the borders of the area where the candy is hidden. Give each child a bag to hold the candy he or she finds. The birthday child can give the signal for the hunt to begin. Change the name of the hunt by hiding other objects: Valentines, Easter eggs, baseball cards, nuts and bolts, and buttons. Often the found objects can lead to another activity, such as trading baseball cards, gluing nuts and bolts to cardboard boxes to make spaceships and robots, making button jewelry.

COMPETITIVE HUNT

The children count what they've found. Whoever has the most wins.

NONCOMPETITIVE HUNT

The players keep what they've found. Extra candy is dropped near any child who has trouble finding them.