The Purim Scavenger Hunt has been developed for classroom and home use. It’s a fun way to teach the basics of the Purim Story.
The Purim Scavenger Hunt consists of hidden notes -- each of which contains a message that tells a part of the Purim story. It is important that the notes be found in the correct sequence.
Each note/message gives a clue about where the next card is hiding. Once a card is found, a participant or adult should read the message aloud and then follow the clue to the next one.
To help keep track, an outline has been provided. The goal isn’t just to find the last note -- which a player could potentially stumble across along the way -- the goal is to learn the Purim story.
1.PRINT OUT THIS FILE DOCUMENT AND CUT OUT EACH MESSAGE ON THE DOTTED LINE.
Download Text Version
2. SAVE THE FIRST MESSAGE TO GIVE OUT TO THE PLAYERS. YOU WILL NEED TO HIDE ALL THE OTHERS.
3. FEEL FREE TO USE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AS TO WHERE TO PLACE THE NOTES IN YOUR HOME/CLASSROOM, OR COME UP WITH YOUR OWN.
4. HIDE THE MESSAGES BEFORE THE PARTICIPANTS JOIN YOU FOR THE GAME!
5. DON’T FORGET TO KEEP THE OUTLINE SHEET TO CHECK THE CORRECT ORDER OF MESSAGES AS THE PARTICIPANTS PLAY THE GAME!
6. POINTS MAY BE GIVEN, AS EACH PLAYER/TEAM UNCOVERS THE HIDING PLACE OF A MESSAGE. THE WINNER SCORES THE MOST POINTS. PLAY UNTIL THE LAST MESSAGE IS FOUND.
To help you know where to hide the messages in your house or school we have provided you with the number of the message as well as the underlined words/hint.
Fold up each message and tape it in, above, under or near one of the recommended locations. Feel free to use your own hiding places.
1st Clue: This message is not hidden, you give out to the players to start the game! It says Throne on it -- hinting that the NEXT message will be hidden in a place that has something to do with a "throne."
2nd Clue: The message with Undressed underlined, should be hidden near a “throne.”
Home – parent’s chair
School – Teacher’s chair
3rd Clue: The message with Jewish underlined, should be hidden near an object dealing with “undressed”.
Home – Hamper
School – Coat hooks/locker
4th Clue: The message with Diary underlined, should be hidden near an object dealing with “Jewish” – (you can ask the participants: "How does someone from the outside know that Jewish people live in this home?")
Home – Mezuzah
School – Mezuzah
5th Clue: The message with 13th underlined, should be hidden near a “diary.”
Home – Child’s diary, parent’s calendar
School – Teacher’s plan book, class calendar
6th Clue: The message with Speak underlined, should be hidden near something connected with the number “13”.
Home – 13th stair, 13th book on shelf
School – 13th stair of building or 13th stair leading to the second floor.
7th Clue: The message with Drinking underlined, should be hidden near something connected with “talking”.
Home – Telephone, Cellphone
School – Loudspeaker, Intercom, Public phone
8th Clue: The message with Reward underlined, should be hidden near something connected with “drinking”.
Home – Water bottle, wine bottle, faucet
School – Water fountain, faucet
9th Clue: The message with Robe/cloak underlined, should be hidden near something connected with “rewards”.
Home – Reward chart, pocket book, wallet
School – Reward/sticker chart, prizes, certificates.
10th Clue: The message with Tree underlined, should be hidden near something connected with “robes and cloaks”
Home – Parent’s bathrobe, special coat
School – Teacher’s coat
11th Clue: The message with Ring/stamp underlined, should be hidden near something connected with “trees.”
Home – Indoor plant, indoor or outside tree
School – Tree outside
12th Clue: The message with Purim underlined, should be hidden near something connected with “rings or stamps”.
Home – Jewelry box, children’s stamping toy
School – Official stamp from school office, tucked under teacher’s ring.
13th Clue: The message with Wall underlined, should be hidden near something connected with “Purim”.
Home – Grogger (Purim noise maker), costume/dress up
School – Purim decorations, dress up corner, grogger
14th Clue: The message with Charity underlined, should be hidden near something connected with “walls”.
Home – Inside or outside wall
School – Inside or outside wall
15th Clue: The message starting with “YOU’VE MADE IT” should be hidden near something connected with “charity”.
Home – Tzedakah (charity) box
School – Tzedakah (charity) box
(Print and cut out.)
1. Three years after King Achashverosh took over the throne of Shushan, he threw a large party.
2. Queen Vashti refused to come when the king asked her to appear at the party –undressed.
3. Queen Vashti was killed for not listening to the king. A beauty contest was set up to choose the next queen. Esther was chosen as the queen. She didn’t tell anyone that she was Jewish.
4. Mordechai, Esther’s uncle, was outside the palace when he overheard Bigtan and Teresh, two of the king’s servants, conspiring to kill the king. Mordechai told Esther to inform the king, and so he saved the king’s life. The two conspirators were hung, and Mordechai's actions were written in the king’s diary, called a chronicle.
5. At the same time, Haman was appointed as assistant to the king. Haman was very angry that Mordechai wouldn’t bow down to him each time he passed. Haman decided to have a lottery to see which day he would choose to punish Mordechai and all of his people – the Jews. The day chosen was for the 13th of the Jewish month of Adar.
6. Mordechai heard what Haman was planning and told Esther to go speak to the king. He convinced her that this could be the reason she was chosen queen – to be able to convince the king and save her family and all of the Jews.
7. Esther did go to speak to the king even though she hadn’t been invited to come. The rule of the palace was that all uninvited visitors were to be killed. But the king was happy to see Esther and he asked her to name her wish. Esther said she wished to invite the king and Haman to eat and drink with her the next day.
8. That night the king couldn’t sleep and called one of his servants to read to him from his diary. He was reminded of the conspiracy to kill him and how Mordechai saved his life. He asked what reward Mordechai received for his good deed and found out that Mordechai received nothing.
9. Just then Haman came to talk to the king about his plan to punish Mordechai. But before he could say anything the king asked Haman: “What type of reward would you give a person who the king wants to honor?” Thinking that the king was speaking about himself, Haman answered: “The king should dress this person in the royal robe/cloak and crown, lead the person on the king’s horse through the streets and say this is how the king treats someone he wants to honor.” The king then told Haman to honor Mordechai that very way!!
10. Seething about having to lead Mordechai around the streets on the king’s horse, Haman went to Esther’s dinner party. At the party Esther told the king that there was a plot to kill her and her people – the Jews. “Who is this person who is doing this?” asked the king. Esther replied, “It is Haman!” The king has Haman hung that very day on the same gallows/tree that Haman wanted to hang Mordechai!
11. Mordechai was given the official ring and stamp of the King. Mordechai and Esther send out messages to all the Jews to defend themselves on the 13th day of Adar. They placed the king’s stamp of approval on the letter.
12. On the 13th day of Adar, the Jews outside the city of Shushan had to defend themselves. But they won! On the 14th day of Adar they celebrated their victory. That day becomes the holiday of Purim.
13. The Jews of Shushan (which was a city with walls all around) defended themselves on the 13th and 14th day of Adar. Only on the 15th day did they have a chance to party. Any city (such as Jerusalem), that had a wall around it in the time of Joshua, has the Holiday of Purim on the 15th day of Adar. That day is known as Shushan Purim.
14. On Purim, the Megillah (Story of Esther) is read at night and also in the morning in the Synagogue. Gift baskets are sent during the day to friends and family and charity is given to the poor.
15. You’ve made it! You found the final message. Everyone wins when you give charity. Don’t forget to drop some coins in before you have a party! Happy Purim!