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Scavenger Hunt
Try these hints for a successful hunt
  • For safety, you can control the game area by setting boundaries (e.g., just the living room, just the yard).
  • Use a time limit – it can add excitement as the clock winds down.
  • It’s okay to reward the winner(s) – but it’s nicer to reward everyone who plays. A healthy treat might be a good choice!
  • It’s fun to “theme” your hunts (e.g., Halloween, pirates, vegetables, nature, colors). A nature hunt, for example, could include a search for acorns, pine cones or certain color leaves. Put your own imagination to work – dream up some really fun items for kids to find.
  • Decide on how you will score the hunt. Will certain items have a bigger point value?
  • If you’re hiding clues, keep a “master list” for yourself. If you have a big or complicated game, it’s easy to forget!
HERE’S A CLUE TO FIND FUN!

The world is full of mysteries to explore and clues to gather. Are your kids ready to channel their inner adventurer? Then it’s time to try a Scavenger Hunt! Scavenger Hunts are not only fun but flexible – they can be played indoors and out, and can be simple or complex, letting you adapt them for kids of all ages. It’s a wonderful way to encourage kids’ creative thinking, cooperation with others, and the ability to notice things in their environment.

How to Play
Scavenger Hunts are all about clues and discovery. There are two main approaches you can choose:
  1. Give each team only one starting clue. When they find that clue, there is another clue at that location leading them to the next one.
  2. Give players a list of questions they must answer that link to the items they must gather – and let them go in whatever order they choose.
If you have younger kids playing...
  • Use a simple approach, perhaps just one list with a limited number of items
  • Use pictures in place of some words
  • Help kids learn new words by reading the clues with them
If you’re an older kid playing...
  • Try using more than one list of items. You can also give each team a different list
  • Make the clues more complex. Instead of writing, “look in the freezer,” you could write “look for a place where it’s like winter inside”
  • Turn older kids loose with digital cameras to “collect” their objects. In some variations of the game for older kids, teams go out with a digital tape recorder to “collect” sounds.
Need some item list ideas? Click here.

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