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Along with this note was a folded piece of paper sealed with a candle wax. On it: After a few minutes of running around the house kids figured out that the note refers to the painting we have that features women picking nuts and the old wooden deer statue on a shelf across from it. The first treasure box was hidden behind the deer. In it among the prizes was a second note leading to the next treasure: Note that the little wavy "x" is a multiplication sign. We have two coded multiplication sentences. Kids needed a bit of guidance, but after some hints quickly realized that: X=3, O=7, Z=9, S=6 Picking up letters 3,6,7 and 9 from the KWGOTARQAV gave them GARA. From this they figured out that it must be "garage" and found the second treasure there. Together with the treasure in the box was another note: Third treasure was hid in the warmer drawer of the STOVE that could be unscrambled from "ETOSV." In it was the next note: After running around the rooms for a while kids discovered the fourth box hidden in my sons closet. In it with the bouncy balls and candy was the next note: Almost there! The fifth box hidden in the bookshelf behind the world atlas contained the final note: I played hangman with the kids and they quickly figured out that the words are: UNDER PRINTER. This is where the last and the best treasure box has been waiting. Exhausted and satisfied after 15-20 minutes of searching around and bending their minds, kids proceeded to start opening the candy and all agreed that this was fun.

I am sure you can use these ideas and come with various versions of such adventure that will be more creative, fun or complex. Please share them! This is quite time consuming but it is joy to make, even more so to participate and it leaves the long lasting childhood memories. Plus it strengthens the association between math, word puzzles and fun.