Treasure Hunt with Spring: Follow the Directions

Which way next? In this treasure hunt with Spring, the child answers that question by following directions, not by counting. The map is a grid where every square holds a picture, and a row of simple steps tells the child to go up, down, left, or right. Beginning at the start, the child reads one direction, slides to the next square, reads the following one, and keeps going until the treasure is reached. Picking out which square sits above and which sits to the side is real spatial-orientation work, a readiness skill for the year before school. With Spring the child already knows scattered across the map, the whole hunt stays like a friendly game played at the child's own pace.

In this variant the start is clearly marked and the directions are simple, a gentle first try. The child looks at the Spring on the map, follows just a handful of moves, and lands on the treasure quickly. That early success makes the child want to set off on the next hunt — looking instead of counting, warm and without any rush.

If your child enjoys this treasure hunt with Spring, there is plenty more to explore, with no pressure and no counting. You can print the worksheet as a PDF to follow on paper, or play the interactive version online, always free and with no sign-up. There are no timers and no scores: each child sets the pace, with warmth and no shame about a wrong turn. When this is easy, try a treasure hunt with Spring on a bigger map, or follow the directions through a new set of pictures. You can also browse every treasure hunt worksheet to keep the spatial-reasoning practice going, gently and at your child's own pace.