Find Artifacts in Your Home Town!

If you are anything like me, you probably think your home town is the most boring place on the planet Earth, especially if 

it is a small town. But it is still probably boring if you live in a big city because there is a limit on what you can do as 

a child growing up.

However, there is a way for kids to find something fun to do with their friends that does not involve getting into trouble 

with the law or drugs. This game is sort of like a scavenger hunt and will appeal to all of the aspiring Indiana Jones 

wannabes of the world. This game does not really have a name, but entails finding artifacts all over your home town or 

neighborhood. Now, these do not really have to be artifacts, but can be anything you consider old and worthy of mention 

as a unique item.

To play, approach it like a scavenger hunt. Have you child get a group of friends together and decide on the rules. For 

instance, each child must find an interesting old rock, a piece of petrified wood and some really old pop bottles or cans. 

The options are limitless because it depends on what you, your child and his group of friends deems to be worthy of the term 

artifacts. Also, your child might consider something to be an artifact that is really only a couple of years old. But to him,

 it is ancient.

Your child and his friends can then use their imaginations and create their very own treasure hunt and archeological 

expedition with just a few things. It is the best way to get your kids and their friends outside to enjoy the weather and 

truly be a kid. The kids get to flex their creativity and you get to rest easy knowing they are participating in a wholesome 

activity that helps them think strategically and quickly. 

Once your child and his group of friends have gathered their artifacts, have them meet to show off their wares. You never 

know, one of the children may have found something that will spark off a conversation about the history of your home town, 

history of the United States, the history of anything. 

The game of finding artifacts is also one that can be played by adults as a twist on the traditional notion of scavenger 

hunting. There are only so many restaurant straws and ketchup packets you can collect in these sorts of games. This gives 

you an opportunity to go back to your childhood and find the joy in finding “artifacts.”

So, let your kids be kids and let them scavenge for artifacts. Then you can also be a kid again with your very own version 

of the game. It is fun, it is free and it can turn out to be a great educational opportunity for your child. No video game 

or sophisticated computer toy or cell phone can boast the same educational benefits that this game can have.

                                                                                                            - Mohammed Zahran -