Monthly Archives: April 2012

Learning can be fun too

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Homework and studying aren’t normally the number one things on a kid’s list of “fun things to do”. However, I believe that there can be so many different ways to incorporate learning and studying into something that kids could in fact enjoy.  Typically, when we try to test kids on content, it is always through pen and paper.  Why not use something like a text messaging tool, or a scavenger hunt through text messages so that:
1) One less thing to print out or write up (and hey, better for the environment too!)
2) Make your kids think that it is sort of like a game that they are playing, but really they are also learning at the same time.

You’re probably wondering how all of this would work, aren’t you?

Say, for example, you know that your kids have a math test or science test one day at school.  You can use a tool like TextClues to schedule a mini study/test session for them, but all through their cell phone! This way it makes it so easy for you to set up (just have to input questions into the easy to use TextClues tool) and kids can provide answers through their cell phone.  AND, you can see how your kids are doing via the real-time dashboard that shows how your kids are answering the questions and you can see where they need to study some more.  Best of all, you also don’t need to take the time to review all of the answers because the tool would do it for you!

Let’s give a quick example of how this would work:

Clue: You’ve got that upcoming test for school soon. Let’s see how prepared you are :) What is the volume of a cube that is 10 x 10 x 10? Reply with number answer only.
Answer: 1000
Clue: Great job! What is the square root of 9?
Answer: 3
Clue: Excellent! This property of gold allows it to be hammered into thin sheet and different shapes.
Answer: Malleable, malleability
Clue: You’ll do great if you keep on studying! :)

This is just a short example, but you can see that various different types of educational questions can be asked through text.

How would you make this a little bit more fun, perhaps for a younger child, to learn vocabulary or words?  You can make a scavenger hunt so that it will bring your kids from one location in the house to another, requiring that your child spells out the various words correctly.

Here’s another very quick example:

Clue: I keep food cool before you bring it to school. Spell it out and head there.
Answer: Refrigerator
Clue: Great! Now open the refrigerator, and find out what we are eating for dinner. Reply with the answer.
Answer: Casserole
Clue: Enjoy!

Last but not least, you can even use the tool to help kids learn another language, example Spanish or French.

Clue: How would you be greeted in the morning, in Spanish?
Answer: Buenos dias
Clue: Buenos dias to you too! How would you be greeted in the morning, in French?
Answer: Bon matin
Clue: And good morning to you :)

As you can see, a text messaging tool for educational purposes can be fun and interactive! Try TextClues out today and see how much more willing your kids will be to study at the same time :)

List of Scavenger Hunt Clues (Part III)

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Here is another list of rhyming scavenger hunt clues you can use as riddles in your next scavenger hunt. They are great for kids and we hope they save you some time.

Remember you can save even more time by using the TextClues service.

 

  Cutlery Drawer   When you open this drawer you’ll find knives, spoons and more
  You’ll open this drawer before you eat
 In this tray you’ll find things that are shiny and grey that you use every day
  Guitar   I’m made of wood and make music that sounds good
 You play me with your hands and when you’re good you’ll have lots of fans
  I can play a song while everyone sings along
  Washer   Everyone knows I clean all their clothes
  I’m the machine that cleans your jeans
  You drop you clothes in and wait for the cleaning to begin
  Drier    Everyone knows I dry all their clothes
  You cannot deny I’m the reason your clothes are dry
  I transform your clothes from wet to warm
  Fireplace   I hold the fire that you can sit and admire
  In me you can burn wood and the warmth makes you feel good
  Below the chimney I sit and and make the smoke that fills it
  Dinner Plates   We hold all the meat and other things you like to eat
  We are clean and round ready to hold your food in a mound
  We are round and clean and hold your green beans
  Vacuum   I start with a spurt and suck up all the dirt
  I suck in air. Dirt, dust and hair beware!
  I make a loud sound and pick dirt up by the pound
  Bathroom Scale   When you step on me I give you a weight you can see
  I give you your weight and look like a square plate
  I can measure how much you weigh each and every day
  Mop   I’m wet and clean up the floor so there is less dirt then before
  I’m wet and leave the floor clean and also with a nice sheen
  I’m the best way to clean the floor you really can’t ask for more
  Broom   I sweep up dust and crums from crust
  I sweep the kitchen floor so there is less crums then before
  I sweep dust on the ground into one big mound

Church Youth Group Activities: Bible Text Message Quiz

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Bible

A great interactive way to get your church youth group reading the bible and learning about the faith is a TextClues bible quiz. You’ll need everyone to have a cell phone so they can send/receive text messages. Then create a scavenger hunt with clues that tell them where to read in the bible to answer.

The great thing about this is everyone proceeds at their own pace. Also it feels less like a test and more like a fun learning experience.

Here’s an example of a bible quiz with an Easter theme:

Clue: What did Jesus use in the Last Supper as a symbol of his body? (Matthew 26:26)
Answer: bread
Clue: What was Judas given to betray Jesus? (Matthew 26:14-15)
Answer: coins, silver
Clue: What color was the robe they placed on Jesus? (Mark 15:17)
Answer: purple
Clue: What was Jesus’ crown made of? (Matthew 27:29)
Answer: thorns
Clue: What was Jesus hung on? (John 19:17-18)
Answer: crossJesus on the cross
Clue: What did they use to put Jesus on the cross? (John 20:25)
Answer: nails
Clue: What was rolled away from the tomb on Easter morning? (Matthew 27:59-60)
Answer: stone, rock
Clue: What did they find in the tomb on the 3rd day after Jesus died? (Luke 24:3)
Answer: nothing, empty
Clue: Who denied Jesus 3 times? (Matthew 26:75)
Answer: Peter

Click here to try the free demo on your cell phone.

Pub Crawl Scavenger Hunt

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Planning a night out with your friends? Give the night some direction and even some competition by adding a scavenger hunt to the mix.

Adding a scavenger hunt will make your pub crawl one to remember. Everyone will be
rushing to their destinations laughing and joking about the clues set out along the way.

Pub crawls are perfect for scavenger hunts because bars and pubs always have unique features that can help create a funny and entertaining hunt.

Organizing a large group scavenger hunt but can be made easily with the text clues service.  With textclues you:

  • Don’t need to set up physical clues at each destination that may get damaged, taken or misplaced
  • You can monitor the scavenger hunt from any device that is connected to the internet
  • You can enter as many numbers as you want
  • You can track how many wrong answers a team had and base scoring on these numbers
  • Your hunters can enjoy an entirely unique activity where all clues and answers are completed via text messages
Try the Demo now!

Now let’s go over the steps to actually create your pub crawl scavenger hunt.

Make a List of Pubs You Want to Visit

You probably already have an idea of what area you want for the pub crawl. The pubs should preferably be in walking distance of each other and pick the bars with the most character or historical significance.

Head to Each Bar

Now it’s time to head to each bar to talk with the staff and start designing your clues. Talking to the staff, preferably the manager, is important to make sure that there will be capacity for all your participants. You should also take this time to try and negotiate a possible group rate for the event.

At this point you should also start collecting interesting facts and questions about the bar for your hunters to answer. Looking around for anything that catches your eye is a good way of coming up with quick clues for your participants. It’s also really fun to find out who will be working during the night of the pub crawl and ask questions about the staff (like a middle name or an interesting fact). If you let the staff know what you’re doing they may help you come up with a few clues themselves.

For this type of hunt the winner should be based on the least number of guesses rather than the first one through the hunt. This way the group can stay for a set period of time at each bar. The scavenger hunt should also be performed in teams which is a lot more fun than doing a scavenger hunt individually. You can tally up the team with the least number of guesses the night of the scavenger hunt or the day after and give out the prize.

Set up the Clues Online

Now it’s time to head back home and set up the clues and answers online. This part is simple; just enter the information on our online form. You can add a few different options for each answer and any answer that is 90% correct will still work! This is good if someone makes a slight misspelling of the answer.

Decide on the Prizes and Scoring System

A scavenger hunt is always more fun when there is a prize at the end. Decide on a prize that is related to the group you’re planning the hunt for. Having a funny or ironic surprise prize is a good way to go. Gift certificates are also great prizes. If one of the bars helped you out with your scavenger hunt you may consider getting a gift certificate for them.

There are few options for deciding on the winner of the scavenger hunt. The first way is the first team to reach the end. This might be a good option if you want to spend the majority of the time in the final bar. We recommend having a set period of time and base the winner on the team that got the least “try agains”. If there is a tie you could solve it with a coin toss.

Schedule the Hunt and Wait for the Fun

Now you can schedule you hunt for the big night and decide on the teams. Everyone is sure to have a blast.

List of Scavenger Hunt Clues (Part II)

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We’ve got more rhyming clues! Feel free to use these riddles in your next scavenger hunt, we hope your kids enjoy them!

Don’t forget to check out the textclues service if you are looking to save time and make the hunt one the kids will never forget.

 

Refrigerator   I keep food cool before you bring it to school
  I keep food cold so it doesn’t grow mold
  Lights turn on when you open me up, then you pour a drink in your cup
Bed   I am where you go at night when you’re ready to turn out the light
  I am where you lay just before dreams take you away
  When you get up from sleep you always leave my covers in a heap
Tree   I grow up big and tall and lose my clothes in the fall
  I shoot up towards the sky and give you shade when you stand by
  I stand up on my roots and can grow juicy fruits
Plants   I may not move but I’m still alive, I need soil and water to survive
  The air is what I like to clean and I am green
  I grow very slow and could not survive in the snow
Boots   When it snows I help to warm up your toes
  I keep your feet dry when rain falls from the sky
  You wear me when you feel like going for a hike
Coats   I keep your body warm even in a storm
  I keep you dry when rain falls from the ski
  I’m very puffy and fluffy but I keep you warm
baseball   You throw me  by my laces before someone runs the bases
  You catch me in a glove while you play the sport you love
  It’s always fun when you hit me a make a home run
Pens and Pencils   You hold me tight when you are ready to write
  You use me as a tool to write in school
  I’m full of ink and can record what you think
Paper   I’m usually white and on me you write
  You can write on me with lead whatever is in your head
  Whever you think you can record on my with ink
Video Game Console   You are always playing me and I’m sure you would agree
  My games are fun and you’ve played each one by one
  You know the names of each one of my games

List of Scavenger Hunt Clues (Part I)

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Here are a list of rhyming riddles that act as perfect clues for a children’s scavenger hunt. Just choose a number of objects in your house and grab the clue that you like best. The kids will be off in no time, running around the house looking for the items and trying to get to the end of the hunt.

Try out our text message scavenger hunt service here to add another element of fun to the scavenger hunt and also reduce setup and cleanup time.

 

 Piano   I make music with my keys and make you want to shake your knees
  When I play I make nice sound look around and a prize might be found
  I make beautiful sound when you play and you get better day by day
 Drums   When you hit me to the beat people start to move their feet
  You play me with sticks and sometimes with kicks
  I only sound right when my top is pulled tight
 Table   I held your dinner plate as you sat and ate
  You have to set me up with all the plates and cups
  This is where you take a seat when you’ve come to eat
 Desk   I am where you like to write, under a bright desk light
  I am where your computer lies, plugged in so that it never dies
  This is where work is done before I can go and have any fun
 Computer   I have a bright screen that should always be kept clean
  This is the one spot in the house where my mom likes to have a mouse
  I like to read CDs but sometimes I freeze
 Couch   I’m soft in every bit and a spot where you like to sit
  I am covered in comfortable cushions
  While you watch TV you like to sit on me
 Shoes   I help you out when you walk so you don’t hurt yourself on a rock
  Often when you say goodbye I am what you have to tie
  I protect your feet when you run so they don’t hurt when you’re done
 TV   I play all those movies and shows
  You are always keen to look at my bright screen
  You like to watch me at every chance and I put you into a kind of trance
 Books   If you open my pages you will stare at me for ages
  When you open my cover a fun new story is what you discover
  Don’t judge me by my cover if you are a story lover
 Toaster   I use heat to make a tasty treat
  I make bread hop, flop and pop out of my top
  I make spongy bread nice and crunchy

Car Rally Scavenger Hunt

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Car rallies can be used for all sorts of events and occasions – birthday parties, school or church retreats, or just general fun get togethers.  How does a car rally work?  It is basically a scavenger hunt, however done by using a car to get from one destination to another.  Thus, it should typically last a couple of hours.  It is also done with at least 2 or more people per car, as the clues tend to be a bit trickier and need some team work to figure out where the next destination should be ;)

A few important things to consider with a car rally:
1) Where should the end destination be (the last clue should lead to this place :) assuming a place that everybody participating in the car rally should gather at the end for some more fun ;)
2) The team that arrives at the end destination first is the winner! However… the below should be considered!
3) If someone on the car rally gets stuck with a clue and has absolutely no idea where to go for the next clue, there should be a contact person that teams should be able to contact, if they need some help – of course, penalties should be put in place, if someone needs to call in for help :) e.g.: if a team calls in for help, that team has 10 minutes added to their end time. So, if a team ends up finishing the hunt in 2 hours, but has called in once for help, their end time is 2 hours and 10 minutes.  If another team arrives at the end destination at 2 hours and 5 minutes, with no calls for help, they would be the official winners!
4) Do you want to include props as part of the hunt? e.g.: teams need to take pictures at specific destinations or buy items from a certain store? If so, the teams need to be provided with cameras or have cameras on hand and ensure that teams have money available with them to use for purchases on the hunt.

Let’s end off this post with a car rally example :)

Clue: We’ll start off easy – Sometimes you throw a dart at me, others use me for shooting practice. I am a…
Answer: Target
Clue: Correct! Go to the nearest Target store and tell me what kid’s item takes up the most space in the store.
Answer: Bicycles, bikes, bike, bicycle
Clue: Great! Now, get on one of those bikes and take a picture with your team ;) Where in the area is a good trail to take a bike?
Answer: Stoney Creek, Stoneys
Clue: Perfect – get going to the creek now. And reply with “yes” when you arrive there
Answer: Yes
Clue: Great – Go to the area where you can rent boats. How many statues are surrounding the cabin?
Answer: 5, five
Clue: Thats right! Take a silly team picture amongst the statues. What is the cheapest item you can buy inside the cabin?
Answer: key chain, keychain
Clue: Yup! Go buy me a nice keychain as a souvenir :) Next up, are you getting rather hungry? There was a movie called “Super Size Me” based on this franchise.
Answer: McDonald’s, McDonalds, Mc Donalds, Mc Donald’s
Clue: Thats right! Go to the closest McDonald’s and take a picture with one of the employees. Type “ok” without the quotes when this has been done.
Answer: ok
Clue: Hope the employee didnt find you too odd :P It’s time for some fun! Which playground can you find a water slide?
Answer: Raven Park, Raven
Clue: Right! Hop on over there and take a picture of your team mates playing in the playground. Type “ok” without the quotes when done
Answer: “ok”
Clue: I normally slither around, but you can get a good drink out of me.
Answer: Snake’s bar
Clue: That’s right! Head on there now for a drink or two, and find out what place you’ve come in. Don’t forget to buy me a drink :)

And that’s a simple car rally :) No need to leave paper trails around the city with a tool like Text Clues. We do the work for you :)  Try it out today, and you’ll make your next event out one for your group of friends or club to remember!

A Gift She Won’t Forget – Mother’s Day Scavenger Hunt

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This Mother’s Day give you Mom a gift that will keep her smiling, take her on a walk down memory lane and turn into a memory she’ll never forget. We want to show you how, with a little bit of work, you can make your Mom feel like a million bucks!

Memories
Remember what a great Mom she’s been!

Buying a bouquet of flowers and treating your Mom to a fancy dinner is a popular way of celebrating Mother’s Day. We’re going to show you how you can design a scavenger hunt that will change an ordinary Mother’s Day into an extraordinary one. Taking the time to create even a simple scavenger hunt will show your mom how much you care and is sure to mean the world to her. Most mothers care less about material things than feeling the care and love of her children

It’s not too difficult to create a hunt that will have your Mom walking down memory lane and reminiscing on all the happy times she has had as you’ve grown up. Now is the perfect time to remind her how great of a Mother she has been all these years. You’ll want to think back to milestones in your life that you can use to create clues. We recommend finding old photo albums and any type of baby book your mom kept because it’s a perfect spot to find clues.

Look through the books and find questions you can ask like: How old were you when you learned to walk? What time were you born? When did you get your first haircut? How much did you weigh when you were born? Where was the family on page ten of the photo album?

Some of the questions your mom may be able to answer without looking at the books but add some hard ones so she will have to look them up. Then she can enjoy looking through the old books and photoalbums and look back on some fond memories. She’s sure to enjoy flipping through the pages of the books she worked hard to create.

A great idea is starting the hunt by handing her a vase. As she gets each clue right she will be led to a spot where you’ve hidden some flowers to start making her bouquet. That way as the hunt progresses she is able to add flowers to the vase and build up the beautiful bouquet of flowers you bought her. At the end of the hunt she can then be surprised by an invitation to a planned dinner with the whole family.

This inexpensive hunt will only require a few hours of your time and will really be something special for your mother. After everything your Mother has done for you it’s the least you can do!

You should consider using the textclues service which will help you create a really unique hunt and will save you time. A few of the benefits include:

  • Planning the hunt out in advance and starting the hunt whenever you would like
  • All the clues will be sent via text to your moms phone so there is no need to lay clues around the house (less setup and cleanup time)
  • You can ask multiple questions about one album or book which will be hard with physical clues
  • You’re mom will be shocked that she can text in answers over her phone and get the next clue
  • You’ll be able to use the service to make other scavenger hunts after Mother’s Day!

See how it works by trying out the Demo.

Why use Text Clues for your upcoming Easter Scavenger Hunt

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You’ve only got a few days away until Easter and you want to plan a really cool scavenger hunt for your kids, family, neighbours, friends, or anyone really!!! :) What do you do???

1) Don’t panic!!!

2) Use the quick and easy to use tool called Text Clues to make your next scavenger hunt!  Text Clues lets you create personalised mobile text message scavenger hunts for all occasions, and with Easter around the corner, what better time to starting using the tool?!

Why?

– It adds a little twist to the regular scavenger hunt (more fun and interactive – not looking aimlessly for prizes)

– Unlike a regular scavenger hunt, you don’t have to leave multiple paper clues throughout the hunt (i.e.: less set up time for you!)

– You can set up a hunt in minutes, and send it out to multiple numbers, thus again saving you time!!

– It works on any mobile phone :)

– It only costs $15 for 100 clues so you can create many many scavenger hunts for all occasions (and not just for Easter!)

– Great support to help you throughout your scavenger hunt needs and to ensure your scavenger hunt runs smoothly

Begin using Text Clues today and you and the huntee won’t be disappointed ;)