As the mum of an 11 year old boy I know how hard it is to get children away from devices and out into the fresh air. So when I heard about Black Cat Treasure Hunts which are located throughout Sussex I thought I’d give one a go. Since then I’ve done another two and can highly recommend it for getting the whole family outside, working together to solve clues and seeing the most beautiful parts of our county.
2020 Update : with many of us stuck indoors in isolation or unable to travel far, Black Cat have devised some FREE indoor scavenger hunts for children. Click here for more info or email info@blackcattreasurehunts.co.uk to get scavenger hunts, quizzes and answer sheets!
I’m not being paid to write this post; I’m writing it because I genuinely enjoyed the treasure hunts and want to share the love! I’ve been in touch with the organisers and they are offering a 50% discount to my readers. See below for more details…
Brighton Seafront Treasure Hunt
We go to Brighton all the time as I’m obsessed with the street art scene there. I thought I’d try and spice up one of these visits by doing something a bit different so downloaded the seafront treasure hunt, having read about it in a ‘things to do in Brighton’ blog.
The treasure hunts work by paying between £2 and £6 (although I have a discount code at the bottom for 50% off) and you download all the questions and the route. You can either print it off as a PDF or do what I do which is to save it on an iPad.
You are told the starting point and are then given clues which direct you to each of the places where you need to answer a question. In the case of the Brighton seafront treasure hunt we started at a mini golf course on Madeira Drive and ended near the West Pier.
Considering how often we come to Brighton we learned loads of interesting facts and found some nooks and crannies which were completely new to us. There were four of us; myself, my husband, my son and a friend of his. It was so perfect for the boys, looking out for landmarks and solving clues.
In case you’re wondering, when you finish there isn’t actually any treasure! You can enter your answers on the Black Cat website to see how many you got right. Your total is then added to a leaderboard so you can see who has done the most hunts. I didn’t actually do that as I just enjoyed the fun of the quiz itself.
There’s so much to do in Brighton and if you’d like to stay there for a mini break then there are some amazing deals on Booking.com using the link below!
Booking.comPetworth Treasure Hunt
The second hunt we did was just £2 and we took my elderly Mum this time, as well as my son. The Petworth treasure hunt is shorter than the Brighton one and took around 1.5 hours in total. I’ve always driven through Petworth but never stopped there, so it was lovely to wander around the winding streets. It finishes in the grounds of historic Petworth House which is ideal for taking a picnic and enjoying the beautiful countryside there.
The beauty of the Sussex treasure hunts is that you can do them whenever suits you. There’s nothing organised about it, so once you’ve downloaded the PDF you can do it at your leisure. If you want to stop for a coffee on the way then you can as there are no time limitations.
If you’d like to visit Petworth then check out the latest deals on Booking.com below.
Booking.comChichester Treasure Hunt
Despite knowing Chichester really well, or so I thought, the treasure hunt was a voyage of discovery for us. We walked along streets I’d never been through before, learned so much about the history of this beautiful city and had a brilliant time.
I went with a friend and her daughter, as well as my son. We started with a picnic in Oaklands Park and the Chichester treasure hunt started near the Festival Theatre. It was the longest of the treasure hunts, lasting a couple of hours, although we did stop for refreshments along the way. It’s based right in the city centre so there are plenty of places to rest, or have a coffee.
Booking.comBlack Cat Treasure Hunts
I would highly recommend the Black Cat Treasure Hunts for a brilliant way to spend time outside with all the family. Prices vary between £2 and around £6, which is for the quiz, not per person so it’s very cheap. Take a picnic and have a cheap day out in some lovely Sussex beauty spots.
Black Cat Treasure Hunts
Brighton North Laine £4 (just £2 with discount)
Brighton Seafront £2 (just £1 with discount)
Chichester Highlights £5 (£2.50 with discount)
Hove to Rottingdean Cycling Hunt £4 (£2 with discount)
Midhurst £2 (£1 with discount)
Petworth £2 (£1 with discount)
Worthing seafront £2 (£1 with discount)
….and many more!
Here’s a link to the full list.
50% Discount Code
If you’d like to try one out then use the code ‘MYSTERY’ at checkout to receive a 50% discount.
I can’t wait to try more, with Worthing high on my list and also the Brighton North Laine treasure hunt, my favourite area of the city.
More things to do in Sussex
I’ve written more posts about things to do in Sussex, including :
Paddleboarding on Chichester Canal
Things to do in Bognor Regis
Brighton Street Art Tour
Such a great idea
Thanks! Yes it was great fun!
I would definately like to try these out. Where are the best places to park in Chichester, Petworth and Brighton please. We’ve found them all quite limiting or expensive.
You’ll love the treasure hunts!
Midhurst has great parking in the Grange car park. Petworth is free on a Sunday when we did the treasure hunt and very reasonable at other times. Chichester can be tricky but if you don’t mind a short walk then I’d suggest parking away from the city centre. All of the treasure hunts have parking suggestions which I found really useful.
Chichester: There is a very big open air car park next to the festival theatre which is where this treasure hunt starts. It is fairly good value,so long as you are ready to start!
Petworth..see Ali`s comments.
Brighton..I have scoured the City for good value car parks. After extensive research I would say the one behind the train station is the best. It is near the start of the Brighton Highlights treasure hunt. You do have to pay in advance for your predicted length of stay.
Sadly I have become a car park expert!
Those are great tips Tim, thanks!