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.
Halloween Scavenger Hunt Prizes
Halloween Scavenger Hunt Prizes, what to give the winner as a gift?
You’ve got the list items all sorted, your guests have all confirmed they are coming and the decorations for the night have been put up. Now for the prize for the winner. What does one give on a Halloween Scavenger Hunt to the winner?
There are many choices really. From scary Halloween costumes, to masks, or a photo of a cemetry, but a really memorable prize would be a photograph of them out on the hunt, on a digital camera and printed off whilst the hunt is still on, then framed in a Halloween styled frame. Or you could give the winner goblets, black and red candles, black jewellery, a certificate written in red ink that looks like gross blood. Or why not treat them to a night out on the town.
The choices are endless when it comes to Halloween. Just use your imagination and think about things that you would like to win if you were a hunter on Halloween.
Happy Halloween Hunting 
Halloween Scavenger Hunt Ideas
So, you’ve decided to have a Halloween Scavenger Hunt. Time is running out and you’re panicking as to how you’re going to entertain all the people attending your hunt.
Being Halloween, there’s no better time than to hold a scary, ghoulish type hunt. If you have run out of time and are unable to buy too many items for your hunters to find, another really great option for keeping them entertained and busy is to purchase cheap throw away cameras, and pick scary Halloween type places and objects around your hunt area for your hunters to find and photograph. Instead of picking the winner, by who has the most on the items list, a prize can be given to the first person or team that manage to photograph all the items on the list you will have written up and be the first back to a particular place still with camera.
The best part about this option, is that once the hunt is over, if you wanted to collect all the cameras you could get them developed send them to your friends and have a great time laughing over all the silly pictures.
If children are attending your hunt, a great way to keep them occupied is buy packets of candy, like snakes, chocolate frogs, and other scary looking foods that only kids love. If children are to stay inside, place items around the house or back yard and have your hunt there. You would be surprised how excited children get, when they are scavenging for stuff in their own yards.
Don’t forget to have some Halloween decorations for the house, and if the weather outside isn’t too great, organize a hunting game inside, for both adults and children.
You could hide items around your house, just make sure nothing can be broken, supply lists to find the items, bring food, like chocolate mousse with wriggly worms in it, and make bright red punch with floating eyeballs in it. There are so many ways your imagination can flourish.
If you don’t wish your house to be the centre of your hunt, find a hall, or pick a restaurant and hold it there. Either way, let your creative side come out and make a hunt to remember.
Halloween Scavenger Hunt Items
By now you’ve got your Friend list sorted, have written down your plan for your hunt, now all you need are the items.
Below is a list of items that will surely bring the scare out on Halloween…
Plate of gummy worms
Black jelly beans
Skeleton
A broom stick
Witches cone
Black cape
Fake blood
Face paint
Matches
Marshmallows
Acorns
Cross
Fangs
Pumpkin seeds
Spider web
Tombstone
Candles
A dvd of a scary movie
A bible
Twilight books
A cheap crested ring (black)
Green goo
Devil horns
Miniature pumpkin
Black light globe
Bolts
Fake axe
A picture of count Dracula
Plastic sword
Eye patch
An October magazine
A piece of black liquorice
Green gello
Something with the number 13 on it
A house that looks haunted
A skeleton tattoo
A scarecrow
A mustache
Someone named jack
A black button
Something mouldy
A piece of broken mirror
A dead end sign
A sign issuing a warning
A stranger wearing part of your costume
A local monument wearing a witch hat
The front of a museum
A home with tombstones in the front
Something poisonous
Rusty nail
Paper ghost
Popcorn ball
Paper lanterns
Picture of a crow
Toy rat
Fake body parts
Rubber snake
Exploding gum
Giant spider web
Wands
Glow in the dark stars
Warts
Gory severed arm
Fake nose
Rusty chain
Fake knife
Fake skull
Slime
Smoke bombs
Stink bombs
Picture of a dead ghost like tree
Colored contact lenses
Black tshirt with a skull on it
Twilight products
Beetlejuice video
Glow in the dark fangs
Photograph of a cemetery
Spiders web
Scary masks
Black light bulbs
Monster outfit
Zombie costume
Fake skin
Candy corn
Black jelly beans
Chocolate icecream with choc chips
Dead man sign post
Black curtains
Black beach towel
Trick or treat candy
Box of orange sweets
Lantern
Black thong necklace with cross
Scary costume for a dog
Severed head
Photo of a crow/raven
Book “the Raven”
Series of Halloween books
Fake black roses
Black tablecloth or one with spider web on it
Keep out sign
Photograph of a black cat
Photograph of someone dressed as a mummy
Toilet paper
Old newspaper clippings
Obituaries
The dictionary page with the meaning of Halloween
Red and black earrings
A postcard with a witch on it
A wig
Dusty torn boots
Orange basketball deflated
Fake chainsaw
Hammer
Axe
Sound recording of rattling chains
Glow in the dark eyeballs
Toffee
Princess outfit
Pitch fork (fake)
Photograph of the front of a museum
Photograph of a mummy
Fake obituary of a team member
Fake coffin
Book of ghost stories
Flashlight
Bag of black edible snakes
Liquorice
Pillow case for treats
Glow in the dark skeletons
Fake smoke
Dungeon entrance sign
No entry door mat
Fake gun
CD of scary songs
Alice Cooper Tshirt
Black Sabbath Tshirt
Black underwear
Fake scabs
Burnt skin
Photograph of the entrance of a morgue
A picture of a crypt
A broken statue
Fake razor blades
Cowboy hat
Frankenstein mask
Green face paint
Anything that glows in the dark
Ripped clothing
Ball and chain
Glow in the dark stars
Glow in the dark spiders
Decorate pumpkins
Tiny shrunken heads (fake)
Cowbell
Pirate outfit
Sword
Scavenger Hunt Ideas Of The Future
Well Fox and the Simpson’s have certainly put on a winner for their 20th anniversary this year. They have decided to do a good old Scavenger Hunt to help celebrate this remarkable milestone they have reached. To pull this off, Fox have gone all out and stuffed Simpson’s characters all over other prime time shows. And it may not just be the cameo appearances, there are rumours of merchandising showing up in some of the shows.
Could this be the future of scavenger hunt ideas?
Nowadays with access to You Tube, Flicka and the like, it makes for interesting scenes for scavenger hunts, particularly on the internet. Imagine a picture hunt on a service like Flicka where you search for certain keywords then need to find certain photos or drawings. Never has it been so easy to image such scavenger hunt ideas and more importantly pull them off.
Ahh my brain has gone into overdrive thinking about the possibilities.
I’d love to here yours. Either post a comment below or send your ideas to team@scavengerhuntideasblog.com.
New Scavenger Hunt Ideas
Here’s this weeks pick of the web for Scavenger Hunt Idea’s. Enjoy
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Scavenger Hunt Ideas for Homeschool Fun! | Homeschool Bytes – If you are trying to be creative with your homeschool lesson plans, why not consider a scavenger hunt? They are easy to organize and tons of fun for all ages.
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Kids Scavenger Hunt Ideas – Take the Scavenger Hunt inside with this amazing indoor search board game. Can you find a tape measure, an ugly shirt, and something that begins with the.
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Scavenger Hunt Ideas – Our Top 3 | Best Party Games For Kids – Image via WikipediaA scavenger hunt is a game played by two or more people. The game can be played against individual or competing groups. A list of things to.