Shamrock Count & Write Treasure Hunt

As it turns out, treasure hunts are a favorite of BOTH my sons. Our youngest (5 years old) is working on counting, recognizing and associating numerals, and writing numbers. All of those skills are combined in this easy treasure hunt. 

You decide the prize - ours was 10 extra minutes of electronic time (our boys have to earn their time each day so this was a REAL treat).

What You Need

The 6-page PDF of shamrock cards (download mine here)

Cardstock

Tape

Prep

Cut the cards apart and fold them on the dotted line so one side has the shamrocks and the other shows the ready-to-write numerals. Secure shut with glue or tape. The numeral 5 is the starting card. You'll notice that it is the only card that need not be folded. (Note: The cards do not go in numerical order.)

Take all the folded cards and tape them up around the room with the shamrocks facing out.

Play

To start the game, give your child the numeral 5 card and ask that they use the prompts to write it. Start at the suns. End with the moons.

"What number is that?"

"Five."

"Good. Now find the card with FIVE shamrocks."

When they've counted and confirmed they've found the card, have them turn over the card and write the numeral on the back. They'll then search for the card with that number of shamrocks. Play continues until they find the 8-shamrock card to finish.

Note: The six and nine numerals can be easily confused in this game. Remind kids that the red line is the top and the solid blue line is the bottom.

This game was loads of fun! If you want to play over and over, simply cut the cards apart so you can mix and match the front and backs. Laminate and use dry-erase markers so they can be reused again.

Happy numbers hunting!