Embark on your own Time-Talent-Treasure Hunt

Every semester we begin our grade-school Real-World Super Heroes program with an introduction to philanthropy.  We explain that everyone has three super powers they can use to help others: Time, Talent and Treasure.   We cite examples of kind acts and our new Heroes identify which of the three powers are used in each case. Here, you can give it a try (more than one answer allowed):

• Clean up trash at the beach or park (Time)
• Make a cool art project out of clean recyclables, to give to your grandma (Time, Talent, Treasure)
• Sing in a concert for people in the hospital (Time, Talent)
• Invite someone who looks lonely at the playground to play tag (Time)

It doesn’t take long for the kids to realize that Time and Talent are every bit, or even more, important as Treasure. Or, that giving someone attention or expressing “love is a treasure” as one of our young heroes summarized.

After everyone understands what the three Super Powers are, we set out on a Time-Talent-Treasure Hunt to discover ways to use these powers in our neighborhood.  You can replicate this activity in your own neighborhood.  Here’s how we did it:

Each hero was given a map of the neighborhood and clues to four locations. Upon arriving at each location, we discussed as a group how we could use Time, Talent and/or Treasure to help others given the site. As usual, the children came up with things we hadn’t even thought of. Check out some of their Super ideas:

Location: Post Office. Super Hero Ideas:

• mail a letter to your grandma or grandpa or a get well card to someone who is sick
• buy stamps for someone who is not able to get to the post office
• send thank you cards to people
• bring flowers for the post office workers (can you imagine how happy they’d be??)

Location: Preschool/Daycare. Super Hero Ideas:

• donate books or toys we’ve outgrown
• make a bookshelf to donate
• make toys to give to the kids
• be reading buddies for them or read to them

Location: Garden. Super Hero Ideas:

• plant flowers
• grow vegetables
• give someone flowers (if it is OK to take some)

 Location: Grocery Store.  Super Hero Ideas:

• buy food to donate to charity
• buy ingredients to make lemonade and cookies and have a lemonade stand to raise money to donate
• do shopping for someone who is sick or unable to get to the store

 Our Time-Talent-Treasure Hunt proved there are plenty of opportunities for us to be Super Heroes all around us.  It doesn’t have to be big and complicated. Our young Heroes received a star on their maps for each location visited. Back in our classroom, they turned in their completed maps for a little goody bag. Treasure well deserved!

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