Susanne Stemmer · Founder & Creative Director

I had spent quite a bit of time in Altenmarkt-Zauchensee and always liked the way they created experiences for children and families. So when I heard they were looking for something new for their summer programme, I thought: We have exactly the thing. An Ilvie Little treasure hunt. And honestly, it was wonderful.

We set off around a mountain lake in search of a hidden treasure. Theo pennants marked the way, maps had to be read, compasses figured out and clues solved. There was also an important scientific discovery: a compass is extremely useful — until somebody puts a magnet next to it. 😄

But this wasn't only about finding the right direction. There were skill challenges, ball games and lots of little missions that could only be solved together. And for many of the group challenges, we had one very simple rule: The smallest child had to do it. I loved watching what happened. Suddenly, being the smallest wasn't a disadvantage. It made you the person everybody needed.

At the end, there was, naturally, a proper pirate treasure: Ilvie Little Superpower Masks, pirate sweets, a little chocolate — and, for reasons that probably made perfect sense at the time, some crisps. 😄

We ran the treasure hunt several times, and I joined many of them. And one of my favourite moments always came when I showed the children the Ilvie Little books. I asked the boys: “Hey — does it bother you that there's a girl at the helm?” They looked at me as if it were a rather strange question. “No. Why?” Exactly.

And then I'd look past them at the mothers. They were all grinning.