People are always interested in learning how City Hunt builds the most innovative and exciting scavenger hunts anywhere and are constantly asking for scavenger hunt ideas. Here is a short tutorial on how to build a scavenger hunt, City Hunt-style.

There are many different types of scavenger hunts. Some of the scavenger hunts City Hunt creates include corporate team building scavenger hunts, bachelorette party scavenger hunts, birthday party scavenger hunts, and pub crawl scavenger hunts. City Hunt has created scavenger hunts all over the world and currently offers New York City scavenger hunts, Philadelphia scavenger hunts, and Chicago scavenger hunts. This “How To” describes how to build a basic scavenger hunt using clues and picture tasks.

The first step is to decide on a date, time, place, and theme (optional) for your scavenger hunt adventure. Next invite the participants-It is a lot more fun if your invite comes in the form of a clue mailed to the participants.

The next step is to separate the participants into teams. You may let the participants decide which teams they are on but we highly recommend that you create the teams yourself. Each team should be 2 – 5 people.

Each team is going to need a digital camera. Polaroids work well too, but you are able to take fewer pictures, and they are not as easy to share online after the adventure.

Ask a member of each team to bring a camera if you don’t have enough. If you want to screen all the photos after the event make sure everyone brings the software and cords for their cameras.

Now start to build the scavenger hunt! We’ve found that the best scavenger hunts are between 1 and 3 hours.

For a 1 hour scavenger hunt, you’ll want to write at least 10 clues that lead around the course.

To begin building the scavenger hunt, decide on a list of locations that you want the participants to go to. These locations should be interesting or historic in some way.

Next you will write clues that lead to each location. Clues are the puzzles that participants have to solve to get around the scavenger hunt. There are an infinite number of ways to write clues. They could be pictures, poems, songs, crossword puzzles, or anything else you can think of!

If you have a fair amount of teams (over 5) half the teams can go around the course clockwise, the other half can go around counter clockwise. This will prevent teams from backing up and just following each other.

We recommend using as many different types of clues as possible. That way every time the teams get a new clue, they will be surprised!

When teams solve a clue, it should lead to the next location where they may find their next clue.

Next you will want to come up with a list of rules and write them down on an official rules sheet. The rules can vary from hunt to hunt, so they are really up to you, but we recommend that you at least make the teams stay together through the entire course.

Next make a map of the scavenger hunting grounds. If the participants know their way around the hunting area well enough, this is not necessary.

Next you will want to make a list of pictures that participants can take throughout the course. Each picture may have a certain point value. The pictures should be fun. Some may be easy, some may be hard. Make sure the point values reflect their level of difficulty. You may either make a long list of pictures that people may take at any time during the scavenger hunt or you can make several shorter lists that teams get with each clue.

Now it’s time to have the scavenger hunt! On the day of your scavenger hunt, make sure that you have all the needed supplies – Cameras, clues, pens and pictures. You should also consider giving each team a clipboard as well. Before everyone arrives, you’ll have to plant the clues around the course. Make sure you put the right clues in the right places.

When everyone arrives, put them on their teams, pass out the supplies, explain the rules and send them on their way!

When all the teams are back, you can collect their cameras and download them onto a computer to show all the teams all the pictures. That way everyone gets to see how much fun everyone else had!

Finally add up the points that each team received for their pictures. You may also award points for number for clues solved or award points for how quickly the teams finished the course.

Announce the final scores and give prizes to the winners. Then have a party to celebrate all of your hard work!

Find out how City Hunt can design an ultimate adventure for you! Check out the different events we plan or work with us to customize something new! Call Ben Hoffman at 1-877-HUNT-FUN (1-877-486-8386) Ext. 53 or email ben@cityhunt.org for more details.

  

For more information on other types of scavenger and treasure hunts, we highly recommend two books:

• Marnie’s Scavenger Hunt Handbook

• Treasure and Scavenger Hunts: How to Plan, Create, and Give Them!