Free Printable Teddy Bear Scavenger Hunt Game

Free Printable Teddy Bear Scavenger Hunt Game from B.Nute productions

Send your party guests on a fun Teddy Bear scavenger hunt at your Teddy Bear Party/Teddy Bear Picnic with this free printable Teddy Bear Scavenger Hunt map/game.

Teddy needs to find his den, and it's each guests' job to help him. Set up a small (or large depending on age of the crowd) obstacle course/hunt in your yard, house or party space and get searching.

How to Play
Create a "course" in your yard or your house with the 7 "stops" or locations on the map. At each location, you can have the guests either do the activity or if it's a very young crowd, they can pick up a "souvenir" or trinket from each spot. Here are some ideas for each location:

• Pick Some Berries - At this spot you can have some real or pretend berries that they can find/gather and put in a berry basket or eat!
• Find a Picnic Basket - Once they find the picnic basket, have them look inside and pull out a trinket to show they have been at the basket-- It could be a paper napkin, or a "sandwich" or some other picnic type item.
• Catch a Fish - You could play the old fashioned game of catching a small fish toy with a magnetic fishing pole... or just have a bucket of toy fish the children can reach into and take one.
• Climb a Tree - Climbing a tree may not be appropriate for certain ages, but you can set up a little space the guests can "climb" on (i.e, soft pillows, a backyard play structure) to act like the tree.
• See a Hiker - Either have a person pose as a hiker, or put a small picture of a hiker hidden somewhere where the guests have to spot.
• Eat Some Honey - Put out a little cracker and honey for the kids to nibble on. If the guests are too young to eat honey and/or do not like it, you can put a substitute sweet or a few "honey" flavored teddy grahams to nibble on.
• The Bear's Den - Create a nice cozy area to act as the den. Set up blankets, and pillows and fun place to tumble and play.

Now start setting up your hunt and have a beary good time!

Printable Teddy Bear Scavenger Hunt Game/Map

Free Printable Teddy Bear Scavenger Hunt Game by B.Nute productions

Instructions for Printing Teddy Bear Scavenger Hunt Game
1. Select the link above, and print out the map on an 8.5" x 11" piece of paper. Print on card stock to give the map some weight.
2. Hand out a map to each guest. Follow the instructions above for playing the game.

Printable items are copyright protected, and provided free of charge by B.Nute productions for personal use only. B.Nute's printables can not be sold, altered, or provided for download on any other site. For questions or inquiries, please contact B.Nute productions.

Free Printable World Explorer Indiana Jones Scavenger Hunt Game

Indiana Jones/World Explorer Scavenger Hunt Game from B.Nute productions

I had so much fun designing this Indiana Jones inspired World Explorer Scavenger Hunt Game! This free printable game is a great way to get the kids at your Indiana Jones party running around and hunting for items.

I've created a printable scavenger hunt card with the list of items to find. Just head to a local toy store or find the objects around your house (i.e., hat, rubber snake, cup/chalice, halloween skull, etc.) Now hide the items through out your party space (house/yard or both). For older kids, you could even have them look around the neighborhood to find the hidden items.

Once hidden, the explorers can use the clue cards to find the items. For items hidden in harder spots, you can put detailed information about how to find the items on the back of the card. Or if you'd rather, you can use the blank cards to come up with your own clues.

Now it's time to get exploring. Beware of snakes and hidden booby traps!

Free Printable World Explorer Scavenger Hunt Cards by B.Nute productions

Free Printable World Explorer Scavenger Hunt Clue Cards by B.Nute productions - Set One

Free Printable World Explorer Scavenger Hunt Clue Cards by B.Nute productions - Set Two

Instructions for Printing Your World Explorer/Indiana Jones Scavenger Hunt Game

1. Select links above and print out from your browser. Use card stock to give the game cards and clue cards some weight.

2. Cut each game card and clue card out.

3. Hand out at party and start the hunt!

Printable items are copyright protected, and provided free of charge by B.Nute productions for personal use only. B.Nute's printables can not be sold, altered, or provided for download on any other site. For questions or inquiries, please contact B.Nute productions.

Give a Memorable Gift

I haven’t done this yet... but when I read the article, I thought, that’s a GREAT idea... I thought I’d share it!

So many birthday parties, so many birthday presents. I don’t know about you, but I find it all a bit overwhelming. I ask my child what he/she thinks his friend wants.... “uhh, I don’t know, maybe a [doll/car/something-that-will-break instantly and the parent will definitely not want their child to receive].” You know how it goes.

So, next step, I email the parent. “What’s your child into these days?”

That’s worked very well lately. I’ve gotten a much better insight into a possible gift that will be appreciated by both kid and parent, and can pretty much immediately head out to my local toy store and purchase.

Done. Check off the to do list.... I should feel satisfied, but then I remind myself of this article. It said instead of one of these gifts, give the friend a the gift of time (I know, corny, isn’t it...) --- but it sounded great. Give the friend a coupon for a playdate - a movie with just your child and his/her friend, a trip to the ice cream shop for a sundae for the 2 of them, maybe even just a picnic and trip to a park they both like.

Sounds like just another playdate, I know, but if it’s “hyped” up, it may be an outing the 2 really remember and get to spend some special time together. Bring a camera. Take a picture and give it to them in a frame remembering the day. You get the idea.

I know it seems like a lot more work then just running to the toy store and “checking it off the list.” But it could end up being easier in the end.... they wanted a playdate anyway!

So, now I need to take some of my own advice. I’m convinced too! Next party, it’s a coupon for an afternoon outing-- no toy that gets discarded into a basket of endless toys before the recycling folks even take the packaging away!

Retro Robot Roundup

1. Magical Amazing Robot Game from Tiny Toy Arcade
2. Raider X Space Blaster Ray Gun from Tiny Toy Arcade
3. Retro Robot Costume from Family Fun
4. Retro Door Robot from Toytent.com
5. Robot Drawing Kit from Land of Nod
6. Retro Robot Gift Tags from B.Nute productions
7. Space Tin Robot from Back to Basics Toys
8. Retro Robot Party Invitation by B.Nute productions

To wrap up Robot Party week, here are a whole bunch of great retro robot products and ideas! Enjoy!

County Fair Games for Your Party

And They're Off....

We love going to a fair! And the kids just love the games. The bummer is, Mom and Dad shell out so much money, and the kids barely ever win! Occasionally they get a consolation prize. You know the ones... those cheap stuffed animals that lasts all of a half day before it's newness is gone, and it is discarded in the pile of all other junk toys...

So, instead of shelling out the money at the fair, why not play the games at home! Below I've outlined some great carnival/fair style games that are perfect for a party, or any day!

Aren't They Cuuute??

Ducky Ring Toss

Object of the Game: To have your ring land around a duck in the water.

1. Buy a bunch of rubber duckies. Check out Oriental Trading and search for "toy rubber ducks" to find all sorts of styles. Also purchase an inexpensive ring toss game or two, so you can have some rings to use to throw around the ducks. (The rings can come in handy for other Carnival games as well.)

2. Once the ducks arrive, write on the bottom of them a number from 1-3.

3. Fill up the kiddie pool with lots of water.

4. Put all the ducks in the pool. The more the merrier.

5. Create 3 bins of prizes, labeled 1, 2, and 3. Note: The prizes can be anything you'd like... a toy, a stick of gum, a sticker, a box of raisins... use your imagination!

6. Have kids toss rings around the ducks. When a ring is around the duck, pick up the duck to see the number on the bottom, and let the child select the appropriate prize!

Penny Toss

Object of the Game: To have a penny land on a plate and not fall off.

1. Pull out all your pots and pans and arrange them upside down (bottoms up) together in group on your lawn. Ideally you want your pots and pans to be of different heights.

2. Cover them up with a plain sheet. Smooth the sheet so the surface is even.

3. Place plates (of different sizes) on the bottoms of the pots and pans.

4. Create some type of line where children can stand to throw the pennies.

5. Once a child's penny lands on a plate, give them the penny as a prize!

Knock the Bottles

Object of the Game: To knock down as many bottles as possible on one toss.

1. You have 2 easy choices for setting up this game...

a. buy a prepackaged set up for this game (for instance, Oriental Trading has a Milk Bottle Toss game...)

b. Or make it your self at home...

2. To make it at home Gather up 6-9 plastic soda bottles (look for bottles with very wide caps/mouths, so they can be stacked easily). Clean out, and preferably remove the label, so they are all the same.

3. Find a wiffle ball, bean bag, or some other light ball.

4. Set up the bottles in a pyramid and let the kids at it!

Hopefully some of these games will inspire you to throw your own carnival at home! In future posts, I'll make sure to write up some more!

Good Luck!

Thanksgiving Games for the Whole Family from Preschoolers, Tweens and Teens, to Grandma!

Thanksgiving is all about family time. Given all the different generations of people, it may seem impossible to try to entertain or ensure that everyone has a good time. Well, it's time to dismiss these thoughts, and prepare for a great get together-- one that will be talked about year after year! Below are some game and activity ideas for all generations. These games may be such a hit, you may want to them to become a Thanksgiving tradition with your family!

Thanksgiving Charades
This timeless game is easy to add a Thanksgiving spin, and is fun for all ages! We even did it at our families Thanksgiving last year. Each person got to draw a slip of paper and act it out. For little ones, you can reserve a simpler list for them to act out! Here are a list of ideas for the slips of paper:
turkey
pilgrim
native american
the Mayflower
Plymouth rock
trading
corn
mashed potatoes
pumpkin

Put on a First Thanksgiving Play or Skit
This could be a serious play or a funny skit-- whatever suits your family spirit better! Depending on the kids and participants ages,you could preassign roles, and give a "script" or story... or you could have this be part of the fun for to come up with a skit to entertain everyone! If you make it humorous, perhaps those teens will want to participate! Here are some suggested titles or themes to a possible skit:

• "What Happened the Day After the First Thanksgiving"
• "Discovering Plymouth - Where on Earth Are We?"
• "The First Thanksgiving - The Story of Who Ate Too Much"
• "The First Thanksgiving- Who Actually Cooked the Whole Meal"

Trading Post - A Thanksgiving Gift Exchange
Before your gathering, tell everyone they need to pick out some type of gift to give someone at Thanksgiving. Preferably, this gift should be something either that they own, and are ready to part with, or is handmade. Make sure to limit the cost if it is store bought, so gifts stay in the same price range. Also, be sure to have everyone wrap the gift before they arrive. Have a little extra wrapping paper on hand in case someone forgets.

Now, once the family has gathered, conduct a good old fashioned White Elephant exchange, or in this case, call it a Pilgrim/Native American Trading Post. Start in a circle and have the first person (could be youngest or oldest or whomever you choose) to select someone's gift, and open it. Now continue with each person selecting someone's gift to open. Instead of selecting a new gift to open, someone can take a already opened gift from someone else, and they choose another gift. At the end, make sure to allow for trading as desired!

Make a Thanksgiving Playlist
A perfect activity for the tween and teen set. Kids (and adults) can work as a team or individually to come up with the perfect Thanksgiving playlist. For instance, the song lyrics may talk about being thankful (something from Kelly Clarkson's Thankful album perhaps), or being American (Lee Greenwood's "Proud to be an American", or perhaps Native American culture (Indigo Girls song "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee"). Winner of the best playlist can receive an iTunes gift card!

If I Was President - Thanksgiving Speech
How about charge the group with coming up with a speech... Pretend you are president for the day, and you need to address the nation with a Thanksgiving blessing. What would you say? What would be your message?

Family Trivia
Prior to Thanksgiving, have everyone send you one fact about themselves. For little ones, have the mom or dad send the fact. At Thanksgiving, hand out a slip of paper, and gather everyone together. Read each fact (in jumbled order) out loud, and have everyone write down who they think the fact belongs to. This is a great way to share some family stories and get to know one another better!

Pumpkin Hunt
Think of Easter time, and an Easter egg hunt... now just swap the eggs for mini-pumpkins and you have a great game for all ages (especially little ones.) This can be done indoors as well as outdoors depending on the weather. Mini-pumpkins can be found at most grocery stores as this time of year.

Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt
A little more complicated than the pumpkin hunt above, so it is perfect for grade school kids and above... preschoolers, though, will love to follow along with the excitement and the older kids! Gather a bunch of Thanksgiving themed items-- for instance: acorn, Indian corn, gourd, pumpkin, feather (i.e., from a Native American headress), a small toy ship, a rock (i.e., Plymouth rock), etc. Create clues for each of these items and where they can be found around your house, yard, and/or neighborhood. Hide the items before the party.

Once the crowd has gathered, you can have everyone work in a team or separate into groups, and have them head off on their Thanksgiving hunt!

Who Am I? Guess the Famous Thanksgiving Person or Thanksgiving Item
A fun game for all ages-- write on a small piece of paper names of famous people surrounding the first Thanksgiving and/or the Thanksgiving holiday. Tape one name to each person's back. Now everyone needs to ask yes or no questions to find out who or what is taped to their back! Here's a list of possible people/or Thanksgiving related items: Squanto, Pocahontas, Pilgrim, Native American, Mayflower ship, turkey, corn, pumpkin, pumpkin pie, Pilgrim clergy man, Christopher Columbus, President of the United States, etc.

Jars, Jars and More Jars

To go along with my last post...

how 'bout adding some jars to that game room motif?

Wouldn't these look cute on the mantle,

in a bookshelf or on a side table?

Game pieces are always a hit,

but what about these croquet balls too.

Great vintage wood balls...

I love this idea too!

Cards from any questionare-type game

would be a great addition to my family's dining room table.

It would be really fun at a dinner party as well!

And, then there's the paint brushes in jars...

this may not go well in the newly anointed game room,

but sure could make a great arrangement

pretty much anywhere.

Think of all the rest of the jar decorating possibilities throughout the year...

• Halloween- candy corns, spooky fake spiders, toy eyeballs, etc.
• Thanksgiving - small gourds, fall leaves, acorns, nuts, etc.
• Christmas - ribbon candy, peppermints, small ornaments, bells, tinsel, etc.

and the list goes on.

Have you used jars to decorate in your home? What do you put in them?

Pictures above were taken at Martis Camp, Lake Tahoe.