What do I do all day? That’s a question that I get asked a lot by both moms and dads. And not in a negative way. People want to know how I’ve filled the kids and my time after so many years. Let’s be honest, I can only craft so many cotton ball snowmen before I want to start drinking bleach. The trick is finding things as a parent that you enjoy, not just your children.
But It’s the exact feeling I got when I read Kansas City Scavenger by sisters Leslie and Anne Kniggendorf. First off, if I misspelled that name, my apologies but it’s like you threw a scrabble board down and picked out the letters. But the book is fantastic, and better than that, it’s repeatable in any city. This is how you adventure. And as I’m a writer, I get to track down people like this and ask the behind-the-scenes questions for all of us. This is how you make a scavenger hunt in your city that both you and your kids will love.
Tip 1:
“Our greatest resource in writing Kansas City Scavenger was our family,” states Anne. They interrogated friends, parents, and friends to come up with places to visit and the riddles to solve. And they started at their local library because no one knows more kid-friendly or oddities in a town like a librarian. They are the secret Illuminati. You’ll be surprised what you can find: What does a pig learn in the army? Ham to Ham combat—which brings up the subject of ham and the oldest edible ham is in Smithfield, Virginia. A little bit of a dad joke combined with a riddle makes for the perfect adventure.
Tip 2: Visit your county, city, or state tourist websites, and don’t stop there. There are history associations all over the place and they all usually have great little tidbits about your town. Start writing down some of the weird, unusual, or historical places that would be fun to see.
Tip 3: Don’t ignore the mom, dad, or city bloggers. You’d be amazed at what some of out of the way things we have all seen and love talking about. In my neck of the woods, there is an underground bar (they had lemonade, too!), a house that looks like a castle, or the gravesite of one of Davy Crocket’s kids. These are the unusual things that can be fun in an afternoon. And you’ll find them on those blogs.
Tip 4: It’s not the attraction that matters, it’s the memory you are making. When you go out with kids, that’s the draw. You are the attraction. Leslie states “the littlest kids will just be happy to run around in an unfamiliar area with you while the bigger kids can read the clues and participate in the hunt.” This has been my experience. Did the kids really care about seeing the world’s largest Czech Egg? Well, probably, because that is awesome. But the truth is, they loved spending time with me, and my own mind was engaged and not bored.
Tip 5: Now is the time to embrace the unexpected adventure. When you are on a city-wide scavenger hunt, you never know what you’ll run into. “We discovered restaurants we never would have gone to and had some fun conversations with people we wouldn’t otherwise have had.” This is my favorite part of scavenger hunts. The man who runs Truckhenge was the most unusual and entertaining character as if he was straight out of a book. And he had peacocks for some reason. So as you plan your own hunts, don’t shy away from something not on the list.
Tip 6: It’s easy to fit a scavenger hunt into your budget. As a parent, I know that we are always counting pennies. College doesn’t pay for itself. So as you plan, don’t burden yourself by going to places that cost. This is supposed to be easy. “The only cost for our adventures is the cost of gas,” says Anne. Imagine days where you and your kids are both entertained, and it costs hardly anything. Wait, gas is way high now. But still, it’s cheaper than buying lunch out with kids. So picnic while you hunt!
Tip 7: Make it a point to connect with your community. This is the one thing that I find the adventures really do. It gives my children a sense of belonging and pride in the people that make up the world. For Leslie, it’s a chance for everyone to develop a deeper appreciation on what your community has to offer. “It’s endless,” she says.
Look, I pride myself on adventuring with my kids. We have done amazing things. But I have never done a city-wide scavenger hunt with them. I’m going through Kansas City Scavenger and my kids and I are having a blast. I have two teenagers and they are still having fun. So, if you’re tired of the sing-a-longs, the bounce houses, and the snowman crafting; go on a scavenger hunt. You know how to do it now.
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