Treasure Hunts from SG-L Design

Take a look at our dedicated website for Treasure Hunt Design.

We have been asked by Channel 4's Country House Rescue to create a treasure hunt for them. See our Facebook page for details.

Why have a treasure hunt?

A treasure hunt is appropriate for you if your clients/consumers/staff need to:

• have fun
• explore their surroundings
• discover features of a property
• compete against each other
• act as a team
• find out about facilities
• rainy day contingency
• historical education
• any combination of the above

How do we do it?

By looking at your surroundings in a totally new way, noticing how when you line up the lamp post with the window the flag is swaying in the wind above, or that the drain cover is made by a popular biscuit manufacturer.

With each clue location, we take a different approach - so in one place you will have a spot the difference, and the next a quick word search to discover the missing object. Each clue must be intelligent and aimed specifically at the users, so if you have adults and small children, have something for the small children to spot, then a brain bending clue for the adults to ponder over. If you would like to design your own - have a look at our How To Write A Treasure Hunt.

Use a professional organisation to put together your treasure hunt - contact SG-L today...

By creating a map and letting the hunters work out the clue locations, and then the route they want to take, you can control much larger groups of people.

As a rule, for a treasure hunt taking place during a day, each clue should last for about 15 minutes, including travel time.

If the hunt is for families you need to decide how long you would like them to be hunting for, if children are involved then 2 hours is about the limit, so therefore, 8 clues.

Breaking technology

The standard is the use of paper based clues issued at the beginning of a hunt - now with emerging mobile technology we are doing more and more online adventures for people to use from their GPS based systems.

The geography is defined by the time scales available to solve the clues. If you are on foot, then avoid areas of more than a square mile. If in a vehicle then any clue must be not more than 10 miles apart.

Apart from straight treasure hunts we have also collaborated with orienteering organisations to create an extra dimension for geographical point racing.

Treasure location

Having actual treasure at the final location can add an extra dimension, even if it is chocolate money locked in a chest with the key hidden nearby.

There are three elements to the set up of your hunt - establishing what outcomes you require - creating a set of suitable clues - graphically designing the clues on paper or online.

Tread carefully with this. If you are entertaining the cynical team from accounts to try to cheer them up - then dressing them up in Victorian garb may push them over the edge.

We have been treasure hunting professionally for 10 years, and are very proud of the fact that our clients keep coming back for more.

Generally speaking it takes 2 full days to complete these elements.

16 hrs x £50/hr = £800

+expenses from HR2 9LL @ 40p /mile

On top of this, if you would like to have a paper based set of clues, you need to consider the cost of printing (depending on the quantity of participants).

You can increase the impact using:

• Treasure hunts
• Solving a murder
• Easter egg hunt
• Spy adventure
• Ghost hunt

Providing clothes and props for the hunters often adds another level to your event.

This is largely down to our efforts to constantly improve and the positive feedback from their clients.

We have set treasure hunts around a wide variety of castles including Eastnor and Warwick Castle, chains of hotels, and for a large number of blue chip companies for public and team building events.

To get the ball rolling with your treasure hunt - contact SG-L now...