S.C.A.M.P.E.R
Now we’re getting into the fun drawer. 🗝️
Ohhh now we’re getting into the fun drawer. 🗝️
“There is a lot to be admired about taking the road less traveled. Following one’s own path is not always easy. There are opportunities that come with independence. There is a joy that reverberates in the scamper of our steps when we are heading our own way. In the future if something about this treasure hunt sparks in your belly that same fire I felt then, I will smile big and wide, for this is such a wonderful feeling indeed.”
SCAMPER
SCAMPER consists of seven steps. These steps can be used to aid learning, brainstorming, and finding solutions by what can be called a change of perspective to aid unconventional thinking. The seven steps of scamper can be a guide for people looking to use the technique for thinking outside the box for discovering new ways of doing things. Be it to find more efficient processes, aid students and trainees to learn new concepts with a mature outlook or explore ideas.
1️⃣ Substitute – “What if this word isn’t what it looks like?”
Yes — Substitute absolutely can mean:
Substituting meanings
Substituting symbols
Substituting structure
AND yes… a literal substitution cipher
This is HUGE in poetic hunts.
Ask:
What if this noun is actually a verb?
What if this color is a proper noun?
What if “bridge” isn’t a bridge… but a card game? A musical transition? A dental appliance? 😅
Example mindset:
Substitute a literal interpretation with metaphor.
Substitute the modern meaning with an archaic one.
Substitute the word with a homonym.
Treasure creators LOVE ambiguity. Substitution breaks surface meaning.
🧠 Substituting Meaning
This is the most common trick in poetic treasure hunts.
Example:
Clue says:
“Follow the crown.”
Most people picture a literal crown.
But substitute:
Crown = highest point → summit
Crown = tree canopy
Crown = British monarchy or the TV show
Crown = molar (dental reference)
Crown = the top of a road (crowned road slope)
Now suddenly:
You’re looking at hills.
Or at “King” named landmarks.
Or at something elevated.
That’s substitution of interpretation, not letters.
Creators love this because it feels fair once you see it.
