How To Plan Your Own Scavenger Hunt (2024)

Happy Scavenger Hunt Day!

Yep, there is actually a national day for it!

To celebrate, we wanted to share some tips on how YOU can create your own scavenger hunt with your friends and family!

By definition: a scavenger hunt is a game, typically played in an extensive outdoor area, in which participants have to collect a number of miscellaneous objects.

It’s heaps of fun and since we know a thing or two about a scavenger hunt, here is your step-by-step guide on how you can create your own thrilling and adventurous scavenger hunt:

How To Plan Your Own Scavenger Hunt (1)

Choose your location(s) and time

We currently service over 978 locations worldwide, but don’t worry, you don’t have to go that far!

There might be an iconic attraction near where you live that could play an excellent location for a scavenger hunt. For example, if you lived in London, you could hide your items/clues around the Southwark area, home of the London Eye!

Give your players a time limit of how long they have to complete the hunt, which adds a bit of competitive pressure on your players to ensure they complete it in time!

Once you pick your location and time, next is the theme…

How To Plan Your Own Scavenger Hunt (2)

Pick a theme

It’s time to get creative with a theme!

There’s all sorts of generic and more exotic themes you could choose from. You could do something as basic as a nature-themed hunt, a food related hunt where you could scavenge for the best food, or if you’re hosting a bachelorette/hen party, you could have fun with that too!

Other theme ideas include Sherlock Holmes where you could hide a bunch of riddles and players have to find the end result, or Harry Potter for players who want to find the hidden objects.

The more creative and in-depth, the more fun it will be for your players.

How To Plan Your Own Scavenger Hunt (3)

Create your lists and riddles

Once you’ve picked your theme, time and location, gather your team together and give them the tools they need to start their scavenger hunt.

This is the most fun, because if you’re organising the list and items - you’re in control!

Assign points to each clue, awarding more points for more difficult items and keep the list secret until the day of the event for the ultimate suspense!

Make sure you keep a list on the side with the places you’ve hidden the objects or clues, so you don’t forget mid-game should anyone get stuck!

How To Plan Your Own Scavenger Hunt (4)

Hide the clues and/or objects

One of your most crucial jobs is to ensure you hide your clues/objects in hotspot areas that your players will find challenging.

But it’s also important that you don’t overwhelm or confuse your players - ensure the clues/objects are hidden in places that aren’t too hard to reach.

Consider the mobility of your players and how far they need to go in order to get the clues.

How To Plan Your Own Scavenger Hunt (5)

Write your riddles/clues

Any scavenger hunt needs the aid of some riddles and/or clues to help your players along their journey.

In order to find the hidden items, you need to write some captivating and brain-teasing riddles or clues and each riddle or clue can bring your players one step closer to the final result.

They can range from mathematical riddles leading to coordinates on a map, the geometric riddles and even riddles that lead your players to a certain attraction or object.

How To Plan Your Own Scavenger Hunt (6)

First one to solve all the clues and grab the final object/figures out the end result wins!

Add an element of competitiveness amongst the group - first one to find all the clues and solve the scavenger hunt wins a prize!

But most importantly, have fun!

If you want to experience a virtual scavenger hunt where you can see your local city turn into a giant playground, our detective day experience is the ultimate scavenger hunt!

Find your nearest adventure here.

How To Plan Your Own Scavenger Hunt (2024)

FAQs

How To Plan Your Own Scavenger Hunt? ›

Give the players a list of items. Hide the items around your location, and have the players search for the items. The first player/group to find all of the items wins. Have the players go door-to-door asking for items off the list.

How to create your own scavenger hunt? ›

Give the players a list of items. Hide the items around your location, and have the players search for the items. The first player/group to find all of the items wins. Have the players go door-to-door asking for items off the list.

Is there an app to create your own scavenger hunt? ›

Create custom mobile scavenger hunts for work get-togethers, family outings, and much more. Whether it's for 200 people or 2,000, Eventzee's feature-filled and user-friendly smartphone scavenger hunt app will get your game going in no time!

How to come up with clues for a scavenger hunt? ›

Here are my Top Five Clue-writing Tips for creating excellent treasure hunt clues:
  1. Use wordplay: I love playing with words when brainstorming scavenger hunt ideas. ...
  2. Employ puzzles: There are so many great puzzles to choose from when looking for treasure hunt ideas: crosswords, wordsearches, sudokus, acrostics, jumbles.
Sep 21, 2009

How many clues are good for a scavenger hunt? ›

If you're running the hunt for kids and want it to be relatively short, you should not have more than 10 items, as it will become overwhelming for them. However, if you're aiming for a longer game with adults who can quickly decipher clues, your items could range anywhere from 20 to 50.

What are common rules for a scavenger hunt? ›

Each team or individual will be given a list of things they are to collect, find, or complete. The goal is to complete all challenges as fast as possible. There will be a fixed time to complete the task for all. Whoever reaches the goal first will be declared the winner.

How do you make a scavenger hunt lesson plan? ›

Post “cards” around the room (or into the halls) with specific learning tasks on them. Prepare an answer page that each student will carry around. Students are told a starting point in the scavenger hunt. After working through the first card (their starting point), students walk around to find the answer.

How can I make my scavenger hunt more interesting? ›

Some creative ideas for an indoor scavenger hunt that is fun for all ages include using emoji clues, making it a themed hunt like a movie or a book, incorporating riddles or puzzles, hiding items in unexpected places, creating a virtual scavenger hunt using apps or online platforms, and making it a team competition.

How to make treasure hunt clues at home? ›

Step 4: Create clues and riddles
  1. Questions: Ask questions and have the answers as the clues. ...
  2. Rhyming clues: Rhyming clues add a level of fun and whimsy to your scavenger hunt. ...
  3. Fill in the blanks: Create clues that give away locations but have some letters removedExample: _N_E_ _H_ B_G _R_E (UNDER THE BIG TREE)

What is the answer to I greet every guest but never say a word? ›

48. Welcome mat. I greet every guest but never say a word.

What is needed for a scavenger hunt? ›

Items You'll Need
  • Pencils or crayons.
  • Bags or boxes for collected items (or a phone or camera if taking photos of items instead of collecting)
  • Printed list of nature-themed scavenger hunt items and experiential activities.
  • Healthy snacks or prizes.

How to make a scavenger hunt for adults at work? ›

Below are some ideas to incorporate into your workplace or office scavenger hunt for employees.
  1. Snap Photos as Evidence. ...
  2. Capture the Fun with Videos. ...
  3. Find Hidden Objects with QR Codes. ...
  4. Check-in to Locations with GPS. ...
  5. Pop Culture Trivia. ...
  6. Ask Open-Ended Questions for Feedback. ...
  7. Drive Interaction with Key Employees. ...
  8. Get Creative.
Feb 1, 2024

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