Add surprise to the party with a progressive treasure hunt around your house. Have guests search as a group for little treasure chests packed with take-home goodies.

Materials for Each Treasure Chest
New Chinese food takeout boxes (available at crafts stores)
Markers and crayons
Pirate-theme stickers
Sequins
Ribbons, feathers and other trim material
Glitter glue
Glue sticks
Paper (for clues)
Glass bottles

Treasures to Fill Each Chest
Gold-foil-wrapped chocolate coins
Candy necklaces
Pirate stickers
Eye patches
Bandannas

1. The week before the party, prepare a treasure chest to hold each guest’s party loot. Enlist help to decorate the chests. Supply your child with stickers, markers and other crafty materials to embellish a new Chinese food takeout box to resemble a treasure chest.
2. To make the clues, write rhyming hints. For example, if you plan to stash a clue under your son or daughter’s bed, write, "To find a treasure up for keeps, take a look where the first mate sleeps."
3. Roll the paper clues and insert each into a clean glass bottle. Leave enough paper sticking out so it’s easy to grasp.
4. The day of the party, hide the treasure chests and accompanying clues that lead guests to the final treasure.
5. Guests will work in teams. Hand out the first clue and tell them that treasures await after the teams have solved all the clues. Excitement builds as guests discover each hiding place and a new clue.
6. At the end of the search, reward the pirates’ sleuthing skills with the ultimate loot—treasure chests filled with gold-foil-wrapped chocolate coins, stickers and more—to take home as party favors.