Scavenger Hunt for Kids

Traditionally, a scavenger hunt is a game, where teams are provided with a list of items to collect. This list may include tasks, and points are allotted for each item/task. If played in this method, the team that has the most points win. Otherwise, the team that finishes first is victorious. One of its best aspects is that with a little modification, you can turn it into a scavenger hunt for kids of a certain age group.

Planning a scavenger hunt for small children, will definitely require some planning. One of the first things you need to consider is the age group of the kids and the time they will spend playing the game. If the kids are of a mixed age group, split them into groups ensuring that each group has some young and some older members. Your list should include only those many items it is possible to collect in the designated time frame. If it is an outdoor hunt, you need to assess how far you can let the kids wander safely, and define the perimeter of the hunt. While door to door/neighborhood hunts are very popular kids scavenger hunts, if you have younger children participating, it is wise to restrict it to the yard, park or playground.

Ideas for the Age Group of 5 Years
These hunts need to be kept short and simple. Usually organized during a birthday party, you can have the kids follow clues and collect items that fall into any one category, such as toys or fruits. An interesting children scavenger hunt idea is to hide pieces of a jigsaw puzzle around the house and allow the kids to put it together, once all the pieces have been found. A messy albeit yummy hunt is hiding small treasures in a big bowl of cooked pasta. Every kid gets a turn to stick his/her hands inside the bowl and feel for an item.

Ideas for the Age Group Between 5 and 12 Years
For older kids, the scavenger hunt party game can get more interesting, with brain teaser clues or challenging items to find. A door to door hunt will have the kids collect items such as a bar of hotel soap, a sock with a hole in it, a used stamp and a birthday candle, along with the name of the neighbor they have collected it from. However, if this is the hunt you plan, intimate all your neighbors in advance, and get their consent. Another kind is the fall neighborhood scavenger hunt during which participants need to collect items such as a yellow flower, an orange leaf, a chestnut and an acorn. Other ideas include getting them to find items that begins with every letter of the alphabet.

A popular contemporary take is the Internet scavenger hunt for kids, that has become a rage among adolescents. They require no planning, keep your kids busy at home and best of all, can be educational depending on the one you pick. However, unrestricted Internet access does have its dangers, so one is recommended to monitor their progress or provide them with a list of safe Internet sites to explore.

Scavenger hunts for Teens allows for more flexibility and creativity. Popular options are mall hunts that encompass collecting mall freebies, or carrying out activities such as shaking hands with a mannequin, with subsequent photographic proof. Another popular option is an around the town hunt, where teams collect items such as a receipt for 50 cents worth of gas, a photo of an out-of-state license plate, the best price for steak dinner in town and the business card of a gynecologist. While these are a few ideas, with a little time and effort, you can come up with your own custom scavenger hunt list.