I SPY ~ Homemade

My family will be gathering for our Christmas celebration on Saturday. Our family is quite large when we all get together so this year we have rented a community facility rather than gathering at someone's home.

I thought I'd try to come up with something that could keep the littlest ones busy for a while. Here's what I did with the help of my youngest.

We filled empty (and dry, that's important) water bottles with bird seed, about halfway. Then we added little treasures which could be searched for and added more bird seed so the bottle was about 3/4 full. We added a tag with this poem:

Some pirates got it all mixed up

And did things wrong way 'round.

They put the treasure in a bottle

And buried the map in the ground!

Their treasure was some silly stuff

Like needles, screws, and beads.

Then dear old Polly Parrot

Added all her extra seeds!

So find the items hidden here

No two are quite the same.

On the backside of the tag we listed the items to be found. Here's what we used:

• paper clip
• safety pin
• cup hook
• bird (miniature from Hobby Lobby)
• feather
• rubberband
• ribbon
• marble
• button
• shoe (miniature from Hobby Lobby)
• jingle bell
• gem
• rosette
• beads

For safety reasons, we hot-glued the lids on.

I think Madison and I had as much fun making these as the little ones will trying to spy all the treasures. These would make great party favors for a pirate themed birthday party.

Note: I don't know who to credit for the idea or the poem. I read this in an email several years ago and didn't think to write that information down.