Treasure Hunt Activity for Speech-Language Therapy

A great activity that I have been doing recently with my elementary school students is a holiday treasure hunt. It can be done at any time of course, but I have found that my students enjoy the Halloween and winter holiday themes.

How to play:

A certain number of clues are hidden around the speech room. I usually make between 10 and 15 clues, depending on the level of difficulty and age of the group. I give the students the very first clue, which will lead them to the next clue. Each clue is numbered and they must be found in order.

Write your final clue so it leads to the hidden treasure. For my groups, the treasure is usually a few pieces of candy or a pencil and eraser, but you can be creative and tailor it to your students.

My students have just as much fun finding the clues as I do writing them! This also involves so many aspects of language, as the students have to think critically about each clue. The clue cards can be altered for a speech or language group. You could consider using target sounds in the clues for articulation groups.

Here are a few of the clues I have previously used:

"Sometimes I am sharp and sometimes I a

m dull." (the clue was in the pencil bin)

"I can show you the whole world." (the clue was on the classroom globe)

"You can close these to make the room darker." (the blinds...my students all tried to say the lights so I turned it into a mini preposition lesson that we turn the lights off, we don't close them, so that answer wouldn't make sense.)

"I am a game of gumballs and lollipops, open me up for a sweet treat." (the clue was in the Candy Land box)

Tip 1: After my first group of students nearly ran over each other searching for the clues, I had to have each student take a turn finding a clue. We discuss the clues together as a group and then, when we think we have an idea of where to look, I will choose one student to go find it for the group. This worked really well and helped me maintain better control of the groups.

Tip 2: I was able to use the same clues for grades 1-5, and I did add a couple more difficult ones for my fifth graders. To avoid having easier clues for the younger grades, I just gave them more cues and prompts. For example, for the clue: "I am a game of gumballs and lollipops, open me up for a sweet treat." I would then ask my first graders, "Is there a game we play that has lollipops in it?" In this way I could still allow for critical thinking, but while providing the support they needed.

Tip 3: Have your students write their own clues! I have turned this into a whole new activity. This is a great activity to work on expressive language, especially descriptions and spatial concepts. Let your students know that they will be explaining where the clue is hidden without actually telling the location of the clue.

My students love the treasure hunts so much that they ask about them every week! Of course, I don't want the novelty to wear off, so it will remain an activity for special occasions for now. I hope you enjoy this activity as much as I have. Happy treasure hunting!

For more great speech therapy games, visit my TpT store SpeechWise!