Search is on! Scavenger hunt for kids at 25 Modesto locales. How to join the fun

Pretty much everyone knows the catchphrase “Where’s Waldo?”

And pretty much everyone also knows Waldo is an iconic children’s book character.

But what you might not know is that your kids can join in a live “Where’s Waldo?” scavenger hunt this month in Modesto.

Who doesn’t love a scavenger hunt?

It may be just the thing to keep them busy and could even prompt them to pick up some books while out of school.

The hunt also is our July highlight in a monthly feature that offers fresh ideas to parents for getting out and about with their children in the region.

Better yet, parents, it lasts all month, with prizes and a party at the end.

Bookish, an independent bookstore in Modesto, is hosting the citywide scavenger hunt for kids to find the beloved character Waldo, according to a press release from the store.

It began Tuesday, July 1, and lasts through July 30. Young hunters can visit Bookish and 24 other local businesses to find a hidden Waldo and get a stamp in their “passport,” the release said. Families and groups can participate, but passport holders must be 14 or younger.

The hidden Waldo that kids will be hunting for is in the form of a 6-inch cardboard stand, according to Paula Treick DeBoard, who co-owns Bookish with husband Will DeBoard.

Find Waldo Local 2025 is a nationwide Shop Local event co-sponsored by Candlewick Press and the American Booksellers Association.

The goal is to support independent bookstores and other locally owned businesses.

“I’ve been hearing about this the past few years, as I’ve been hearing about what bookstores have been doing,” Treick DeBoard said. “We were interested because it’s very shop local-focused. It’s just a way to (say), ‘Here are the businesses in our community, go check out what they have to offer.’”

Passports can be picked up at Bookish (which has a larger supply) or at any of the other participating businesses, she said.

“Our primary thing with (the scavenger hunt) is nobody has to spend money to participate,” she said. “This is a fun thing that people can do in the community.”

In Modesto, passports are due back to Bookish by July 30. Youths who have visited 20 or more businesses are eligible for a grand-prize drawing at an end-of-the-hunt party July 31.

Participating businesses and organizations are contributing prizes for the drawing, such as store merchandise, gift cards, admission tickets and more.

All participants will receive at least a small prize at the party, Treick DeBoard said.

A list of participating locations – including restaurants, art studios, museums, retailers and even the State Theatre – can be found at www.bookishmodesto.com/-bookishkidsummer.

The “Waldo” children’s book series was created by Martin Handford and features the character hidden within crowded illustrations.

Bookish is in the Roseburg Square Shopping Center, 811 W. Roseburg Ave. in Modesto. For more, see bookish@bookishmodesto.com.