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Scavenger Hunt Games for Youth Groups

Youth groups, such as music, sports and church clubs, provide young people with opportunities to spend their free time in a safe, constructive and exciting way. When organizing games for a youth group, include a scavenger hunt on the list. Scavenger hunts challenge the youth and allow them to build communication skills, and they can be adapted to almost any space or time limit.

Holiday
- Create holiday hunts based on the current holiday. For example, organize a Valentine̵7;s hunt by giving the youth a list with Valentine-themed items like a Valentine̵7;s card, a small plush animal, a heart-shaped balloon and Valentine̵7;s candy. Hide the items around the area and give each team a list. To make it more challenging for older youth, you can create riddles or questions that the players must answer to figure out what items they are looking for. The first team to find 10 out of 15 Valentine items wins the game. Alternatively, hide plastic bats, vampire teeth and candy for Halloween, or ornaments, pine cones and snow globes for Christmas.
Indoor
- Indoor scavenger hunts are ideal when the forecast indicates inclement weather. Create a magazine scavenger hunt by making lists of things the players can find in magazines. Some items might include a recipe, a bird, a baby, a water bottle, a necklace and a red car. The teams must find the items in magazines and cut the items out. The team who finds the most items in 10 minutes wins the hunt. Another idea is to hide certain items, like party favors, around the indoor area. Make a list of the items and the team who finds the most items wins the hunt.
Mall
- Take the youth group to a mall and assign an adult to go with each team. Make a list of items the players must find, such as a fast food receipt, a perfume sample, an employment application, a pencil and something soft. The first team to find 15 out of 20 items wins the hunt. Another idea is a photo hunt. Give each adult on the team a digital camera. Make lists with things the players must do like photograph someone in the group with a security officer, someone wearing 6-inch heels, someone standing next to a mannequin and someone getting makeup done. The first team to complete 10 out of 15 things and bring the camera back for proof wins the hunt.
Outdoor
- Organize an outdoor hunt in which the players must gather items they can find outdoors. Include items like something green, three different types of leaves, a black rock, something that will hold water and something you can recycle. Make lists with 25 items and give one list to each team. The first team to find at least 20 of the 25 items wins the hunt. Alternatively, hide the items for the players to hunt. Hide items like a compass, a map, a bag of dirt, a water gun and a flower. The team who finds the most items wins the game.

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