Leighton Buzzard dad creates treasure maps that bring aliens, sea monsters and giant animals to town

A dad from Leighton Buzzard used his lockdown experience to create a new treasure map company that he hopes will inspire families to explore their local towns.

Daniel Johnson founded Treasure Map Trails after spending the summer creating treasure hunts around his Leighton Buzzard home to entertain his daughters - Bella, eight, and five-year-old Jessica - while their school was closed during lockdown.

After starting off with simple hunts around the house, he expanded the idea to cover the town centre and added a fantasy theme to make the design even more exciting.

Positive feedback from families who tried out the first map led to further designs for towns in Hertfordshire.

Daniel said: "After the turmoil of COVID-19 and lockdown, the past few weeks have been a real adventure for our business.

"It started out as something to do with the girls during lockdown and they loved it. We launched our first Leighton Buzzard map in July and the response has been phenomenal.

"Adding the illustrated element is crucial to the map’s success. The themes are there to grab children’s attention and get them excited about taking a walk around town and spotting things they would never normally look for.

"We've had some amazing feedback from parents who love the idea of an old-fashioned activity that gets families outdoors and exploring locally. One mum described it to me as team-building for families.

"Most towns are filled with interesting features that most of us simply don't notice. The treasure maps encourage people to look up and down and discover their local town.

"The maps have proved so popular that we are taking them nationwide, with lots more towns on our lists for visits."

Maps are available at local retailers including Happydashery in Leighton Buzzard and the Treasure Map Trails website: treasuremaptrails.com.