Grade School's A Killer-The Spooky Treasure Hunt

 

Reward Front

 

Reward Back

 

The kids each received a copy of this reward inviting them to take matters into their own hands and join with the townspeople to find Gus and collect the reward. They met at our house and after watching a very sweet introductory video, they were then given their first clue. The underlined words were the hints to find the next clue.

 

1) Hurry children, don’t delay. Don’t dawdle and don’t fuss!
Just say a prayer, climb up the steps. Onto that Hell-bound BUS!

They walked to a nearby school where they found an idling bus in the dark parking lot. As they walked up to the door they saw this clue on the bus door:

 

2) Some say the driver, Mr. Pitts, is sly and somewhat lazy!
That may be so, but even worse, he’ll really DRIVE you crazy!

 

Just then the hydraulic doors SWISHED open (and that was pretty creepy) and there sat the bus driver from heck (who never moved or said a word). At this point they realized they had to get on that dark bus to get the clue they could see on his steering wheel.

Clue on steering wheel says,..
3) The riders on this ghostly bus don’t know that they are dead. The ghostly HANDS that clutch the clue may still be dripping red!

After reading this clue they realized they weren't alone on the bus. Ghostly children rose up from reclining positions on the seats and started call out and reaching for them.

Come sit by me

 

Be my friend

 

I like you

They had to touch each one of their hands looking for the clue.

 

The ghostly little sweethearts had Otter Pops in their pockets

to make sure their hands were nice and clammy!

 

 

They found the clue in one cold dead hand, it said…


4) To escape these students slimy grasp, jump out the exit door. Please don’t look back or you will see some blood & guts & gore!



They then did as instructed and happily jumped out the Emergency Exit. Did you know when you open that door and you don't put in a special code an alarm goes off and never stops for hours until the person with the special bus knowledge shows up?!!

Clue on door, it says…

5) Miss Earlene the crossing guard is not right in the head! She said “Go” instead of "Stop” now all the kids are dead!

Our kids arrived just in time to hear a horrific crash and to see bodies strewn across the

 intersection and sidewalk. And poor Miss Earlene, who was in a catatonic state!

 

 

Clue on stop sign. It says…

6) The Lunch Lady’s quite fastidious, she worries ‘bout her kitchen. That’s why she grumbles and she groans. That’s why she’s always….

Cranky!

Clue on school kitchen door, It says…

7) Everyone knows “A hearty breakfast makes a healthy brain”! But did you know a healthy brain, tastes better on whole grain?!!

The kids warily opened the kitchen door and were met with an almost pitch black hall filled with  baking racks and stacks of supplies. They went toward a small light in the main kitchen where they found the "Lunch Lady" who was serving up the special of the day, "Braised Brains on whole wheat".
 

 The clue was given after everyone ate the brain (potted meat on Melba Toast)
It says…
8) You don’t like Cafeteria Food! It's not your favorite venue.
Well, when she cooks up sloppy Joe’s, You might be on the menu!    
 

Tasty Treats
 

The Lunch lady had everyone try a selection of cafeteria treats including: Educators Earwax, (pieces of mini marshmallows twisted onto sucker sticks and dipped in carmel) Eighth Graders eyeballs, (pickled cocktail onions)  Seventh Grader's Snot (slimy cornstarch concoction in a jar)...

 Principals Poo (a secret patented creation served in a specimen cup)...

Ground up guts (tapenade)...
 

Kindergartners Knee Caps
 

Pickled pig's feet anyone?!!



Clue given after taste test. It says...

 

9) The restroom’s out of order. It smells dank and rather sour. If you have to go, please be quick. AND DON'T LOOK IN THE SHOWER!

Everyone loaded into cars and drove to one of the oldest houses in town. They were told that this had originally been the old school building. I'm sorry to say, I'm a pretty convincing story teller and after a very dramatic description of the tragic occurrences that happened here, they believed me! I kinda freaked myself out a little and it was a little disquieting walking into this dark house by ourselves! The house was lit only by a few dim lights. As we walked from room to room you could hear creaking floorboards and rattling door knobs.

 

They walked into the restroom to find a bloody shower curtain in a candle lit room.

 

The clue under the doll said:

 

10) Mr. Allen, the Principal is considered quite a ghoul. He’s pompous and a little proud because he’s the HEAD of school! 

When they walked into the office they saw the headless back of a man sitting at the desk. He turned around and this is what greeted them.

In his typewriter was this clue: 

11) Good old Gus the janitor, I’m just not what I seem! The gory contents of my pails, will haunt your every dream!

They left the house and went around back to a back porch "Janitors Closet".

 

The clue in the goo read:

12)They pestered and they teased me and is it any wonder. I now can’t hear their vicious taunts, because they’re Six Feet Under! 

As they were reaching into the bucket they heard whistling (Gus's trademark) and just then a face appeared in the side window (and something started tapping under their feet. Not a scripted action I might mention!) This is the resulting picture as 12 kids barreled out of the "Janitor's Closet"!

 They were then transported to the "Graveyard" . We had to park a little ways off and walk up to the front of a very overgrown property. Through the trees you could hear the sound of a shovel scraping on rocks.

The gravedigger/caretaker started yelling,"Hey you kids, get back in them graves! I'm tired of your shenanigans!" When he saw it was us he warned us of some unsettled spirits, who won't stay put!

The clue was on his shovel. It said:

13) Those bratty little Thompson TWINS, they thought they were so funny! But know they molder 'neath the ground. Their brains are rather runny! 

As the reward seekers were searching for the clue, they heard a creepy little girls' sing song voice saying,"I'm gonna get you." Then she giggled over and over.

  

This is a Photoshopped version of the real thing. I video taped a little great niece. Cloned her, mirror imaged her and projected her onto a cloth covered, cardboard, girl shaped cutout.

 It was kinda breathtaking!

 

The clue on their headstone said:

14) They wanted to play hide & seek, "Simon Says" and tag. But now you’ll find the little dears inside a Body Bag!

The body bag was a thoughtful Mother's Day gift from my daughter. I just love it when they give you something you were really hoping for!

The kids thought the bag was stuffed with something (besides a body) because there was absolutely no movement. As they started to unzip it a creepy little version of "Ring a round the Rosy" started playing along with more childish giggles!

 

Clutched in her dead little hand was this clue:

16) They brought me what they said were treats, a snake coiled in a basket! And now you’ll find them curled up neat inside their little CASKET!

Inside the casket, clutched in the hands of a tiny little skeleton was this clue:

17) They poked me and they kicked me, they loved to hear my groans. Now I find it so delightful, to sift through all their bones!

 

Found among the bones was the next clue:

18) I always heard them giggle while playing on the swings. Well, now their flying higher, on their Angel Wings!

 

 

In her hand was the clue that said:

19) I’ve heard that I’m notorious, my REWARD'S a right good prize. But if you try to seize me, it will lead to your demise!

 

The kids followed the sound of whistling and they saw the back of that maniac Gus.

Upon hearing them he turned and charged at them with a machete saying, "Here's your reward, you little brats"! At the last second he dropped his bucket and ran off into the trees. The kids discovered the bucket was full of the gold reward (candy) along with this note:

 

20) Here’s your reward as promised. It’s yours to keep or spend. Sweet dreams until we meet next year. Your Gramma says, "THE END"!

Sweet Dreams

Love, Gramma Luvlee



 

 

Tom & Huck's spooky adventure

I always have a spooky treasure hunt during my camp. Halloween doesn't come soon enough for me, I have to creep them out at least twice a year! After reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn I knew this was the perfect theme for Spooky Night. Have you read these books lately? CREEPY! So here goes my take on these two classic books.

Spooky Night



Aunt Polly

The kids were meet at the front gate by Aunt Polly. She was carrying a lantern and she handed out flameless candles. She said:
 "Did you come to help look for those two rascals? I don’t know what I’m going to do with that Tom. He’s taken to flights of fancy from readin’ them Dime Novels with their stories of high falutin' romantic adventure. And now he’s sneakin’ out at night with that worthless Huck Finn whose daddy is a no account, mean drunk. Last I heard them two, they were whisperin’ and plottin’ about some lost gold map, Murrel’s treasure. If we find them I’m sure we’ll find that so called treasure too! We might as well start lookin’!

 

We hold the treasure hunt on two acres of overgrown family property. It conveniently has a creaky front gate, a long winding path and a spooky "Haunted House" and an even spookier granary.

 



 

After Aunt Polly gave us our candles, she gave us the first clue.

 

 

Going to the graveyard entrance



 

1) The howling wind makes the dead grass bend. Go to the place where the dead always end!


(Graveyard sign with lantern & shovel, graves , webs, fog, howling wind (clue on graveyard sign)
(The red words indicate sound effects.)

The Graveyard Sign



 

 

 

The next clue read:
2) Tom and Huck went at midnight, spirits to find. Instead they found grave robbers of the murdering kind.

(Open grave, coffin, headstones, shovel, lantern, fog, rat, web, scary night sounds) Clue on coffin.

They didn't know were the clue was so they had to search

among the headstones and bones to locate it.

 

Oh, and did I mention that it was pitch black outside, their were creepy sounds wafting on the breeze (I have four stereos with soundtracks) and there are several roving creeps that appear suddenly then vanish?!!

 

All these things are very conducive to closeness in the family!

 

 

They searched for a while amongst the death and decay before noticing the coffin hidden among the trees to the left.

 

 

The clue on the coffin said:

3) Doc Robinson (that grave robbin’ so and so) got stabbed in the gut by Old Injun Joe!

(Moaning, dead Doc with knife in body,(clue under knife)



Our very convincing and oh, so dead Doc Robinson.

The clue on Doc said:

 

4) In their headlong flight, the boys dropped their wart cure. That dead cat inside reeks somethin’ awful fer dang sure!

(Look for burlap bag with Gallon Ziploc with flour, fake fur and stinky scents in a bag, clue in bag, fog)
The burlap bag with a very real feeling dead cat was hung in a tree. The bag had a slit in it that they had to reach in to retrieve the clue. I filled a gallon Ziploc bag about half way with flour. I wrapped it in fake fur then drizzled on some Fog Machine Scents that were extremely putrid smelling. It made the fur wet and slimy and very rotten cat like!

 

The clue with rotten cat juice on it said:

5) The haunted house up on the hill with spirits of floating blue. If you can brave it and you live through it, you‘ll probably find a clue.

 (Blue lights moving in window, spooky music, haunted house sign) (clue in house)

 About this time Pace was ready to throw in the towel, but toughed it

 out for bragging rights to all the cousins who didn't come!

 

Trying to work up courage!

Three out of the group finally "Volunteered" to go in.

 

As the group walked up to the house they could see blue "Spirits" floating past the windows on the right side of the house. What they didn't know was that a second "Spirit" was hiding in the bathroom on the left of the hallway. Just about the time they got brave enough to creep into the kitchen where the clue was resting in an old wood stove, the spirit on the left started pounding on the walls and Merrill ran over the top of the girls in his headlong flight to safety. Women and girls be danged!

 

The clue in the stove read:

 

6)The Spaniard guards his buried treasure sleeping round the clock. He keeps it in a dusty bag, buried neath a rock!

(Serape, sombrero, bag of treasure with clue, rocks. Snoring)

 

They followed the sounds of snoring to this sleepy fellow. They had to search

 in the bag clutched in his hands, trying all the while not to wake him! 

 

That clue said:

 

7) The fog beneath the Bridge of Death, it has a putrid smell. It pulls you from your lofty perch, and takes you straight to Heck!

(Bridge, lava, fog with putrid smell, moaning, arm with clue)

 

 

The swaying bridge from last year (which sat out in the weather all year) was really rickety by this point and made a very treacherous feeling climb possible. The lava and smoke from the fog machine looked eerie beneath the slats as they walked over. (The lava was orange rope lights embedded in "Great stuff" on a long narrow piece of plywood.)

 

That clue said:

 

8) They say that in these deadly swamps a voodoo queen reigns there. If it’s death you want to escape, avoid her ghostly stare!

(Queen, contacts, dry ice, pot, goo, body parts, frogs, bubbling, coals,) (clue in goo)



Try avoiding this stare!

 

They had to reach into the pot of warm goo and gooey body parts and frogs to

search for the teeny tiny clue.

 

It gave them these instructions:

 

9) The Voodoo Queen, she’s conjured up the spirits from below. You’ll know them when they appear, by their greenish glow.

(Vortex, fog, shrieks) (clue in the glow)

 

The clue from the vortex said:

 



10) Huck wanders through this world alone. His life is really crap. He avoids, at any cost, his worthless, drunken Pap.

Pap- Calling for Huck, "Where are ya boy? Come to yer dear old Pap." (Lantern, scraggly guy, gun)

(Clue in pocket)

They were accosted by Huck's Pap, who was convinced that one of them was his missing son.

"Get over here you worthless little skunk!"

The clue in his pocket said:

 

11) Huck’s running through the humid swamp dodgin’ rock and limb. He’s not alone, he’s found a friend in good old faithful Jim.

(Campfire, two blanketed bodies with hats, snoring, clue in blanket.)

 

After searching among their blankets they found this clue:

 





12) The slavers are out in them woods, they hunt for running slaves. Their hounds will chase them to their death, and sleep beside their graves.

(Barking, dog mask, red eyes, grave, sign on old board,)

As they looked around the grave and sign for the clue, suddenly hounds began baying and...



a big ugly demon dog appeared and scared the wig right off poor Aunt Polly!

 

This clue said:

 

13) Jim and Huck are running fast, headin’ fer the river. First they have to pass the spiders, their bodies all a quiver.

(Web, spiders, dropping & shaking spider, clue in web.)

I got this great swamp spider from  Grandin Road on clearance. It was a huge beauty that was motion activated. It's eyes lit up, it made creepy sounds and quivered. What more could you ask for!

The clue found in the web said:

14) They throw together logs and rope and make a right nice raft. Hop on too, but I must exclaim, "I think yer rather daft!"

(Fog, Ships horn, water lapping, raft, pole, rope to pull it) (Clue at dock where they disembark)

 





When they reached the river dock (a platform left over from our Safari Adventure, years ago) they could see the rolling fog and hear the mournful call of a ships horn. Three at a time they boarded the raft (a pallet with wheels with a rope attached). They then poled their raft (with some assistance from unseen rope pullers) to the other side of the river. Sorry there are no pictures, I was too busy trying to amp up the fog!

This clue said:

15) They hear that there’s a place to hid, for all who remain friendless. There’s just one problem with that pit, it seems that it is endless!

(Bottomless pit, sign, )

 

My talented (and PATIENT) husband built me this bottomless pit ((along with a myriad of other things). When you looked down into it, it appeared bottomless. The flash picture didn't do  it justice. We found the instructions here.

This clue said:

16) Huck falls in with the Grangerford’s a feuding but genteel bunch. It sounds like the Shepherdson’s have shown up, well that is just a hunch!

( Shouting, gun shots, sign No Shepherdson’s allowed) (clue on sign)

At this stop the heard the sounds of shouting and loud shooting and were told a little of the bloody feud.
The clue on the sign read:

17) Sophia Grangerford slipped away with her Shepherdson beau. A war broke out, they’re all most dead upon the blood stained snow.

 

As the kids walked up they were met by the sounds of a woman wailing. This white bride with flowers in her hand popped up from the ground and flew across the sky. This was achieved by laying her on the ground, covered by black plastic. She was suspended by fishing line hung over the tall limb in a tree. When the kids reached her she was pulled into the air under the glow of a black light.

 

The clue clasped in her cold dead hand said:

 



18) Huck’s made it home , reunites with Tom and Jim’s no more a slave. To end it all they meet again at Injun Joe’s deep cave.

(Sign, black plastic sheeting, bats, webs,  snakes, creepy sounds,) Clue at sign.

This would have been hard to take a picture of. My daughter strung twine between a stand of small, dense tree. On the twine she hung black plastic sheeting, creating a narrow, dark corridor (the cave). She sealed off the end were the treasure chest rested.

On the cave sign they found the last clue:

19) The boys hope you’ve enjoyed your trek. For them it’s been a pleasure. Now go inside and you will find Old Murrel’s long lost treasure.

(Chest, treasure, candy bars, soda, jewels)

On coming back out they were greeted by our friend from day one:

 

 

Special thanks to all my tireless haunters who work so hard

to bring to life the Luvlee "Visions" in my head.