HT Games
Prepare for Your Scavenger Hunt
Advance preparation is essential to your hunt's success. Check with mall management to be sure scavenger hunts are allowed -- some malls do not permit them because of concerns about property damage or disrupting the flow of business. If your scavenger hunt involves the participants taking photographs in the mall, verify that this is allowed. In all cases, participants should be reminded to be respectful of shoppers, property and public facilities while in the mall, and younger players should be accompanied by an adult.
Hints for a Traditional Mall Hunt
Depending on the size of the group and the ages of the participants, mall hunts typically have from 12 to 20 steps for players to accomplish; participants are usually divided into teams. Hints for a basic scavenger hunt might include "get a free ketchup packet from the food court," "locate the restroom nearest to the mall's west exit" or "get a credit card application from Store ABC." A simple option is an alphabet hunt in which teams must find and write down something beginning with every letter of the alphabet, each from a different store or location.
Hints for a Themed Hunt
Teams are given a list of related items -- for example, things needed for the first day of school or 12 items you would take on a camping trip. Participants must then follow hints like "this is needed to carry your books" or "I keep mosquitoes away" to locate a backpack or mosquito repellent. If store owners allow it, players may photograph the specific items in the stores where they are found; another approach is to simply write down the item, its price and a description and the store where it can be purchased.
Scavenger Hunts for Older Teens
Riddle hints are popular with older participants. A reference to "a soft construction site" would send the players to a shop where stuffed animals are built; "a speedy bamboo eater" would suggest a well-known stop at many food courts; "more dates here than you could ever imagine" refers to a shop that sells calendars. Older players also enjoy action-oriented hunts in which hints direct them to involve others; for example, asking someone to photograph the team in front of a specific store or asking three people to put on silly hats and be photographed.
Best Shoppers Hunt
Set up a competitive hunt in which teams must find the best buys on a list of items; the teams find specific items, write down their prices and locations in the mall, and the group finding all listed items for the lowest total price wins. Another option is to give each team a set amount of money (actual cash or as a stated spending limit) to find or purchase as many items meeting a certain criteria as possible. Teams may be directed to find 10 different items of the same color totaling $20 or less, for example.