How to Host a Scavenger Hunt Party

Decide on the area that you would like the scavenger hunt to take place in. For example, a child's scavenger hunt party should be confined to one building, or to a small area outside. A scavenger hunt party for adults or teens who have access to cars or public transportation can span a much larger area.

Make a list of items that partygoers are supposed to find. Items may be concrete and specific, such as "a pine cone" or "a person with one earring," or they may be more open to interpretation, such as "something prickly" or "something that looks like it belongs in the 1950s."

Divide guests into teams, making sure to put people who work well together on each team. You may want to make sure that there is at least one person with a "leader" personality on each team as well.

Copy the list of items so that each team shares one list. Put a line next to each item so that teams can check them off as they find them.

Provide each team with a bag to collect items in. Alternatively, provide each team with a digital camera so that they can take pictures of items that they cannot bring back with them (such as a person, building, or street sign).

Estimate how long it will take for all of the teams to finish finding all of the items on their lists, and announce a meeting time based on your estimate. Tell the teams that they should all convene at a specific place at that given time for refreshments and the rest of the party's entertainment, if applicable.

Judge teams based on the number of items they have found. You can also judge them based on the most creative example of each item on the list, as well as the funniest or the hardest to find.