ResourcesActivities

Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger Hunt

Theme
General
Age Range
7-18
Type
Activities
Number of Participants
4+
Timescale
30-60 minutes

Quick overview

Teams must work together be the first to collect a list of items from around an area.

Supplies you’ll need

Large bin bag (one per group with spares), list of items (one per group), pen (one per group).

Prep

Create a list of items they need to collect and ensure there is enough of each of those items that every group is able to collect said items.

Leading the Activity

If your normal place to do this activity is too small, you may like to do this activity in a park.

Divide the group into teams of 3–8 people and give them the supplies above. Depending on how long the list is, you will want to change timing accordingly.

The teams must collect as many or all the items on the list within the allotted time limit and the winner is the team who collected the most objects on their list. They have the bin bag as this allows them to carry all their items.

If you are in a large area you may want to have a whistle or something that can help bring them all back together at the end.

Depending on how easy or hard an item is to find, you may like to add a point value to each item to add an additional consideration to the game.

Variations

  • A–Z Scavenger Hunt: Give the young people a list with just the alphabet on it; they must try and find an item that begins with each of the letters.
  • Scavenger Hunt Switch: Instead of having a pre-written list, give a piece of paper to each team and ask them to write a list of ten items that could be found in a designated area. Once each team has created their list, collect them in, shuffle them and redistribute them. Each group must then collect all the items on their list before the allotted time is up.

God Link

  • Gods Desire for relationship with us – Just as we search tirelessly for the items on the list, God is tirelessly trying to bring us back into full communion and relationship with him. Romans 5:8, Ephesians 2:4-5
  • Pilgrimage – In both these activities we go on a long journey to seek after some reward. Just as in the scavenger hunt, we learn more about ourselves, those we work with and build relations with them, pilgrimage teaches us many lessons about ourselves, God and builds our relationship with him.
  • Importance of perseverance – As with our relationship with God at times, in this task we can experience times of frustration, worry and may feel like giving up; but by pushing through, following the rules and maybe looking at it from a different perspective we eventually succeed. Proverbs 8:17
  • Body of Christ – Both the Church and this activity involve us working with others and only succeeds when everyone works together as a unit. Romans 12:5, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, Ephesians 3:6 and 5:23, Colossians 1:18 and Colossians 1:24