I happened to come across this story about how unique scavenger hunt ideas can help out others and while not strictly a scavenger hunt with rules, the outcome is more than just one winner. Have a read and be inspired…
Scavenger Hunt List for Kids
The great thing about being a child is the seemingly endless curiosity a child has for his or her environment. I personally saw this in my nieces and nephews. They never seem to tire of running around, picking up random items (most often, the owners of the place never knew that these items existed) and devising ingenious ways to play with them.
I was at my cousin’s house the other day for some quality bonding time. But first, we needed to get the kids busy. I saw my cousin’s creativity at her best: she looked for a blank sheet of paper, wrote some items on it, and asked her kids to look for all of the items found on the list.
Seeing that her kids were little more than 5 or 6 years old, she made sure that they were familiar with what they were looking for. She sent them away with the list, bidding them to come back when the dinner bell rings.
As the kids were searching, we were baking afternoon snacks. I asked her how she is, now that she has her hands full with her three toddlers, her full-time job, and household chores. Her husband also works full-time. Her answer was simple and straight-to-the-point. “I wouldn’t say it’s hard, because it isn’t. Rather, you are forced to tap into your inner child so that you can find ways to keep them busy. Or else, well, all hell does break loose.”
She rang the bell, and the kids dutifully went back and presented to us their finds. Some of the items include an angel figurine normally residing on top of the spinet piano, a box of crayons (must be complete, or else it won’t get points), a lollipop, an orange rose from their garden, one of my cousin’s husband’s slippers, and drawings of trees, houses, and cars. Whoever collected the most number of items got the first pick among the cupcakes we had baked and lovingly designed.
As I looked at them, their faces flushed and still breathless from excitement, they reminded me how much fun it was to be a kid. Maybe next time, I’ll ask my cousin if I can join in their scavenger hunt game.
Scavenger Hunt Ideas From The Library
When I went through the library doors one day, the librarian motioned to me and cheerfully said, “Steer clear of the third floor. Two classes are holding a scavenger hunt up there and you don’t want to be there.”
I still went. Not that I don’t trust her judgement, but my curiosity got the better of me.
I went up, just in time to hear their teachers hand out lists and instructions. They were only supposed to search within the floor. Anyone caught going down will be immediately disqualified. They only have thirty minutes to complete the items on the list, and they are not allowed to consult with other groups. I can see the excitement in the kid’s faces as they waited for their teacher to say the magic word: “Go!”
I sidled up to the group near me and found some interesting items on the list. I figured that these kids were about in the third grade, and they were tasked to find an assortment books belonging to just about any subject: Science, Geography, History, Literature, and so much more.
However, the list only contained an assortment of numbers and letters. After checking with the Librarian, I found out that these were call numbers of each book. The children were tasked to go through the card catalogue and retrieve the book that bore that specific call number. It was ingenious! Is there a better way to teach how to use the card catalogue?
The list was impressive, but the last item made me smile. At the end of the list, each team was tasked to have a slip of paper with a call number written onto it: the catalogue number of their favorite book. I didn’t have the chance to find out what the kids’ favorite books were, though. Perhaps next time, Iíll get to do so.
Scavenger Hunt Ideas For Christmas
It’s Christmas time again and what better way to enjoy the holiday than with an old fashion Scavenger Hunt. Here’s a little story from my Brother that demonstrates some great scavenger hunt ideas you too can use this Christmas. Read On…
Every Christmas, I always have the feeling that my house isn’t my own anymore. People are always coming in, hanging out, and even sleeping here. My siblings and my cousins, in particular, love bringing their kids to my home. I guess the coolness of the winter season does make it conducive for just lying around and relaxing, but as the host, I couldn’t help but feel pressured to entertain them and make them feel comfortable.
I don’t know what they like about my home exactly. The whimsical decorations? The way I make hot chocolate? The way I just let them tinker with anything they liked? Perhaps all of the above. I always made it a point to have a game ready for the kids, if they were up to it. Most of the time, they were.
Their favorite game was the good old Christmas scavenger hunt. Being the youngest, I was designated as the ‘caretaker’ of our parent’s house, since I was the only one who is not married or has no children. Add a couple of hyperactive kids to a weird and eccentric combination of relics from the past you get the picture.
Since it’s Christmas, I figured that the kids would enjoy having a Christmas-themed game. I gave them a list of items scattered all around my home. It didn’t need to be all Christmas-related; sometimes I sneak in something like ‘a Betamax tape’ or ‘a silver Walkman’.
After all the fun and games, we rest by the couch, listening to old carols, a cup of hot chocolate in hand. Sometimes we play on old board games that the kids have accidentally unearthed during their hunt.
The scavenger hunt I design need not be as extravagant as those organized by professionals. The goal is just to pass the time, and maybe introduce the kids a little bit to times that have gone by.
Unique Scavenger Hunt Ideas That Help
Today I happend to come across a very unique and innovative scavenger hunt idea that not only entertains but also provides a service back to the community. I a nut shell, the Third Level Crisis Intervention Center of Traverse City, Northern Michigan has decided to run a hunt that will see participants answer questions that homeless youth face on a daily basis.
The Scavenger Hunt will be help outdoors where each participant or team will be give a list of things like “find out where a homeless person can take a shower”. Each item will have a point value and in the end, the points are tallied and a winner will be awarded. Along with the hunt is an opportunity to raise money and a prize will be rewarded to the participant/team who gets the most.
Such a unique idea this is. Just goes to show that there are plenty of scavenger hunt ideas and some can be very worthy and more rewarding than winning the hunt.
So get your thinking caps on and see if you can come up with any great ideas that will serve as well as entertain. Post your ideas below to share with everyone else.