City Scavenger Hunt Ideas

City scavenger hunts are a great way to help discover corners of a city you never knew existed. It also helps you to appreciate the special character that every city possesses. A scavenger hunt can involve both actual objects and images taken with a camera. Build a list and send people out with a set amount of time to find as many items on the list as possible. The person who finds the most items is the winner.

Objects

Objects found in a given city should be cheap to acquire, though not necessarily easy. Restaurant menus make good options. You may have game participants get several from different types of restaurants. Bus schedules and subway tickets are also good choices. Look for business cards from different companies, bank deposit envelopes, coffee cups, brochures from tourist attractions and pieces of currency, such as nickels or quarters from a particular year. As with any city scavenger hunt, you should limit your search to safe parts of town and conduct the hunt during the daytime only.

Photos

If you want to get a grand view of the city you are in, a photo scavenger hunt is great way to do it. Start with the city's major landmarks--statues, historic buildings, shopping districts, amusement parks and sporting venues. Try to include a few landmarks which no other city has, such as the cable cars in San Francisco. From there, look for more special photo opportunities. Consider street performers, people walking their dogs, the most outrageous dress, the longest car or shots of the scavenger hunting team in a specific location. If you would like, add a series of tasks to the list. You might include taking a ride on a city bus, for instance, or buying a hot dog in a specific location. Be sure to require photos of the team members performing these tasks.

Information

Information makes a good way to explore the city without worrying about gathering a great number of items. Provide a list of questions for the teams to answer. Make these questions that cannot be answered by going to the Internet. Examples include the third word on a plaque in a given town square, the cost of the cheapest plate of spaghetti you can find, the number of doors in the building at a specific address, the number of baseball diamonds in a specific park or the advertiser on a billboard at a particular location. Scavenger teams should take pen and paper with them when making the list. The winner is the one with the most correct answers.

References

• Diva Girl Parties and Stuff
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development