Remember all those seafaring fantasies you entertained as a child? Of exploring the unexplored, taming high seas, and most importantly battling other scurvy sea rovers for the treasure chest you so painstakingly tracked down with your parchment map you so meticulously crafted rolled and re-rolled into your hastily stitched back pocket? Well, worry no more, for treasure hunting is no longer so squalid an art as the pirates of old times had it. In fact, treasure hunting can be rewarding hobby for your health!
Here are the top 10 benefits of treasure hunting:
- Daily exercise – You’re hunting for treasure! Of course there will be lots of walking and running involved during this activity. Going from Point A to Point B helps the you lose calories and maintain weight. Depending on whether or not the hunt is a race, the hunter is required to go through certain obstacles, hunting from point to point. This helps burn calories not only through walking, but sometimes sprinting or even running.
- Enables exploration and discovery – While the main goal of a scavenger hunt is finding the treasure, half the fun is embracing the journey as well. Being outdoors, whether it be on the streets or in the woods, is a great activity to help become familiar with the area, allowing you to find new and interesting spots on your journey. It’s also a great activity to help with your sense of direction.
- Sharpens navigational skills – Which brings me to the point about navigation – as mentioned earlier treasure hunting is a great way to learn to help one hone navigational techniques. With a map, hunters learn to follow directions and keep tabs on their distance traveled. Hunters are challenged to design their next move as well as recall previous paths taken, sharpening memory function. Furthermore, in an age where GPS has become a primary means of navigating, being able to whet old school navigational techniques by reading maps and knowing compass directions by the measure of the sun can prove useful should one find themselves unexpected outdoors and lost.
- Builds teamwork – Treasure hunting is a great social ice breaker. Gathering coworkers, old friends, new friends and anyone in between to commit to a common goal in a relaxed atmosphere is a novel way to promote teamwork. If the treasure hunt is stages as a race, this especially puts the hunters into crunch time and will encourage responsibility and leadership in the team. This helps bring the team together as each member of a team can contribute uniquely to the hunt
- Stimulates an adrenaline rush – Scavenger hunts can be a great way to interact with people. From hunting in the woods, the city, or even around a house or backyard, the teamwork and competitiveness in a treasure hunt can stimulate an enjoyable adrenaline rush for any and all who partake in the fun.
- Rewarding experience – The joy of discovery is universal. Solving a mystery, cracking puzzles and throwing knowledge upon the unknown is a fundamental drive. We feel exhilarated when we work through a problem and the solution clicks like a key in a lock, the “ah-ha!” resounding in our heads as a solution comes together. The mental tasks involved in problem-solving boosts confidence and self-esteem.
- Stimulates the mind – A treasure hunt challenges players on an individual and a team level. Players use their knowledge of popular culture, local geography, history, culture and the arts, along with puzzle-solving and map-reading skills to solve a series of clues, each a mini-mystery that has only one correct solution. This fosters logical function and enables one to think creatively.
- Teaches responsibility – Treasure teaches hunters to follow directions, build listening skills, and seek and build a consensus for a plan of action. The responsibility of a treasure hunt comes with plotting a strategy and also encourages hunters to have the flexibility to change that strategy when anticipated results are not yielded during a hunt or if an unexpected obstacle sets the team back.
- Relieves stress – Treasure hunting can help improve the mood of anyone who participates. Since scavenger hunts are usually filled with excitement, it is not surprising to see a lot of smile from an engrossed, excited player. As a result of the common mission to find the treasure and the joy felt in being a valued member of a team, negative energies are flushed away, allowing positivity and optimism to radiate from a person
- Promotes social interaction – Treasure hunting encourages you to get out of your comfort zone. Whether it’s being in an unfamilar area or being with an unfamiliar team, you are inspired to interact with your fellow team members to ensure the team’s objective is met. Since the competition of the race can be exhilarating, you’re even more prone to interact with your fellow team members to beat the other teams.
If you enjoy treasure-hunting, read our articles on the:
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