Around town scavenger hunts can be a fun social activity for any adult or adult-supervised gathering. The hunts are an effective way to get players to explore the people and places in your town. The games also help everyone get moving and burn off some energy. Scavenger hunts are highly versatile and easy to match to any event’s theme, from a pirate scavenger hunt for a Halloween party to a landmark scavenger hunt for a birthday party.
Hidden Treasure Scavenger Hunt
Help guests learn about the secret parts of your town by hosting an around town scavenger hunt that focuses on hidden locations. Provide each group with a digital camera and a list of small or hidden locations where they need to take a group picture. Combine easy and difficult tasks, with corresponding point values, to create a long list so that each group can devise a strategy about which pictures they should pursue.
Instead of listing a big slide in the west section of a local park as a scavenger hunt location, use riddles and/or hints. For example, write, “A bright red slope where children play” as the riddle and “In the community lawn and toward the side where the sun does set” as the hint.
Location Scavenger Hunt
Throw a location-based scavenger hunt that makes players run around town to specific spots. Break players into small groups and give each group a digital camera. Provide a list of large or obvious locations where each team must take a group picture and retrieve a specific item. An easy list can use a fast food restaurant for the group picture and a napkin for the item. A harder list can use a specific, fancy salon and a business card.
Make the around town scavenger hunt more challenging by listing each location and item as a riddle. Instead of writing fast food restaurant and napkin, write, “There is a restaurant with a happy clown. It can be found in any town. Use soft paper to wipe off your finger, or the greasy smell will linger.”
People Scavenger Hunt
Around town scavenger hunts are a great way to meet new people. Give each group a digital camera and a list of people that they must include in a group picture. An easy list can include a blonde woman, an old man, a teenager in sneakers and a boy walking a dog. A difficult list can include a red-haired waitress holding a tray of drinks, a tall man in a dark blue suit, a bald policeman in uniform and a short teenage girl in pink pants.
Assign point values to each task on the scavenger hunt list, according to difficulty. For example, a picture of a blonde woman could be worth one point and a picture of a bald policeman in uniform could be worth five points. Add up each team’s total points to determine the winners.
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Writer Bio
A writer since 2000, Aya Pauli has covered a variety of topics including food, fashion, beauty, health, parenting, education, decor and crafts. Her award-winning recipes have been published in food magazines such as "Taste of Home," and she is also the author of a salad cookbook. Pauli's craft projects appear in major manufacturer websites, including Dow Styrofoam. She also holds a CDA in early childhood education and works as a preschool teacher in Wyoming.
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