Let us guess — the last time you participated in a scavenger hunt was likely as a child, checking locations or hidden items off a lengthy list.
As an adult, a scavenger hunt can be an exciting way to explore a neighborhood or city, even if it’s an area that feels relatively familiar. If you’re an expert event organizer, scavenger hunts can be a great addition to your events business.
Attendees love an annual tradition, and with the National Scavenger Hunt Day landing on May 24 each year, everyone can unleash their inner child for one day.
Don’t have a clue where to start? We’ll give you all the clues to point you in the right direction!
Read on to learn the best scavenger hunt ideas to entertain your guests — whether you’re in the mood for an intricate treasure hunt or a holiday-themed adventure through a city.
If you still want more ideas after exploring the 35 in this article, download this template for an additional 20 — for free!
Explore scavenger hunt ideas by themes
10 Exciting adult scavenger hunt ideas
10 Fun scavenger hunt ideas for kids
5 Scavenger hunt team building ideas
5 Festive Christmas scavenger hunt ideas
5 Ideas to promote your scavenger hunt
What is a scavenger hunt?
A scavenger hunt is a game where players collect or identify specific items or locations, usually within a certain time limit. They’re fun but have a challenge element — think Escape Room. So players need to prepare themselves to answer clues to find missing items throughout their journey.
Scavenger hunts can be indoors or outdoors, and they typically include an app or a simple printable scavenger hunt list to keep track of what individuals or teams find. Plus, this helps you judge the winning team at the end of the game.
The scale of a scavenger hunt is entirely up to the organizer, who can host a hunt in a small park or spread it across an entire city.
Players can participate individually or as part of teams, and you can determine prizes to award to the attendees who find the most items or locations.
How can you turn a scavenger hunt into an event?
You can easily make a scavenger hunt an event by opening it up to the public. Create your event and sell tickets (on Eventbrite, obviously) so anyone can join in on the fun.
There’s no minimum or maximum number of players, so you can invite tens, hundreds, or thousands to participate. There are also no rules for the items guests find — the more difficult, the bigger the end prize should be.
You’ll need to provide each participant with a list of items or locations to find or collect, set a time limit, and provide any other necessary instructions (e.g., setting a team name, designing team shirts, location boundaries, taking photos of finds).
You can also add an element of competition by awarding prizes to the team or individual who collects the most items.
10 Exciting adult scavenger hunt ideas
At their core, scavenger hunts are all about exploration, puzzles, and accomplishment — things that people of all ages can enjoy. There’s no age limit to fun! If you’re planning a scavenger hunt for grown-ups, ensure it’s properly organized so that all participants have the information they need to compete.
Scavenger hunts that cater to adults aren’t all that different from the ones you enjoyed as a kid. They’re just more age-restricted, a bit more bougie, and less likely to give you nightmares.
Here are 10 adult scavenger hunt ideas you can try your hand at organizing.
1. Date night scavenger hunt
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Couples are always looking for date nights that are a little bit different. That’s why a scavenger hunt for couples is an amazing idea to get lovers doing something out of the ordinary while spending some quality time together.
Scale up your hunt and include catering or drinks options at the final location to let couples celebrate together.
Want to see adult scavenger hunt ideas for couples done right?
Check out DNB North Events. They create immersive, self-guided scavenger hunts for couples in cities all over the USA — including fun tasks and challenges to bring couples closer together.
Take a look:
2. Cooking scavenger hunt
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This idea is perfect if you operate a farm-to-fork venue or you’d like to explore collaborations with local food vendors.
Cooking scavenger hunts can support teams in collecting ingredients to kickstart a cooking workshop. They’re also a great option for planning a corporate event or a business-to-business (B2B) scavenger hunt designed to stimulate networking.
JK Community Farm does an amazing job at these hunts. Their Meal Scavenger Hunt sends friends and families on an adventure around the farm to collect fresh ingredients before cooking a delicious seasonal dish.
3. Comedy scavenger hunt
This type of scavenger hunt centers on making the participants laugh.
That’s what Alley Kat Adventures is doing for her Whimsical Wolf Creek Scavenger Hunt series — which includes a range of wacky challenges guaranteed to split sides.
Participant’s tasks might be silly, embarrassing, or just plain funny. Think taking photos in funny attire, doing a cartwheel, striking a goofy pose, or convincing a stranger to do the Chicken Dance.
This idea is a great way to break the ice with new people or to have some laughs with old friends.
4. Cruise ship scavenger hunt
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Host a scavenger hunt on a cruise ship to introduce guests to different parts of your ship if you’re hosting a longer cruise event.
But even for shorter cruises, a scavenger hunt is a fun activity to pair with a booze cruise to get guests moving and laughing — or the perfect solution for families that need to keep kids busy on a boat trip.
For inspiration, look at Pittsburgh Pirate Ship’s Treasure Hunt. This hunt enables guests to follow clues hidden around a working pirate ship to uncover a hidden treasure.
5. Architecture scavenger hunt
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An architectural scavenger hunt is a perfect way to introduce event guests to unique facts and architecture they won’t find anywhere else. It’s ideal for a corporate, industrial, or educational event for a nonprofit.
The American Institute of Architects Central New York Chapter’s 2024 Architecture & Design Scavenger Hunt has totally nailed this concept. Their hunt puts teams against one another to explore hidden gems around Syracuse before hosting a huge afterparty.
6. Haunted scavenger hunt
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Planning a Halloween event? A haunted scavenger hunt is a fun accompaniment — especially if you’re working with a spooky heritage venue or a unique outdoor property.
But your haunted scavenger hunt doesn’t have to be a Halloween-themed event. Just look at Tinna L.’s upcoming Haunted Scavenger Hunt, which explores graveyards and spooky sites around New York City before capping things off with post-hunt drinks at a secret location.
You can even take your haunted hunt to the next level by collaborating with local acting troops to create more immersive experiences.
7. History scavenger hunt
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A historical hunt is ideal for introducing guests to little-known facts about their hometowns. You can design your hunt to showcase hidden gems and collaborate with several unique venues to create a citywide experience.
This is a fantastic opportunity to partner with local guides to share info at each clue site. However, you can also substitute an in-person guide with a smartphone app to guide guests from clue to clue.
That’s what Urban Adventure Quest does for their Amazing Scavenger Hunt Adventure series. Hunters use an app to reach each location — learning about their city’s history every step of the way.
8. Zombie scavenger hunt
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Over the last decade, zombies have crawled to the forefront of pop culture — so why not host a zombie-themed scavenger hunt like Epic Experiences and their Zombie Scavenger Hunt event series?
This is a great opportunity to collaborate with local actors to create an immersive experience. You can even encourage guests to dress up and stage a costume contest at the end of your hunt for an extra prize.
9. City tour scavenger hunt
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If you want to explore a new city or town, organize a scavenger hunt where players need to source specific landmarks or solve puzzles across various places.
Need inspiration?
Check out CyberActivities, Inc. and their Scavenger Hunt event series. This smartphone-led hunt takes attendees on a 90-minute tour of a US city. You can host a scavenger hunt in your local city or branch out to a new area for the day and encourage guests to make a day of it.
The tasks might involve visiting unique shops or restaurants or finding art installations. This type of scavenger hunt can be tailored to any city, so it’s perfect for travelers.
10. Poetry scavenger hunt
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A poetry scavenger hunt is a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with local poets and support your local arts scene. Alternatively, you can design clues around famous area poets — or stage a themed costume contest celebrating famous poets or poems.
For a unique take, look at O, Miami’s The Commodore’s Quest: A Poetry Treasure Hunt. Instead of using a poetry event theme, their event uses poetic clues to help guests complete the hunt.
10 Fun scavenger hunt ideas for kids
Scavenger hunts can keep kids entertained at a large event. They keep kids engaged, moving, and having fun — what’s not to love?
To get the creative juices flowing, here are 10 fun ideas for young scavenger hunters that you’ll love.
11. Bingo scavenger hunt
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Bingo is a multi-generational game that’s great for adult scavenger hunt ideas. You can even include prize giveaways for families that win the bingo hunt or integrate historical elements to make it more educational for kids.
That’s what Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site did for their Scavenger Hunt Bingo. This scavenger hunt took families around a museum in a bingo game that taught them all about the games kids played in the past.
12. Outdoor education scavenger hunt
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Those looking for fresh air and exercise can participate in an outdoor scavenger hunt, taking place in a locale like a nature preserve where you’re surrounded by plants and wildlife. Tasks might involve finding specific plants or animals or solving nature-themed puzzles.
Want a unique take on this?
Explore the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast’s Habitat Scavenger Hunt for some ideas. Their event was suitable for 6–10-year-olds and educates kids on the ecosystem, plant, and animal life.
13. Museum scavenger hunt
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The museum industry was worth $16.7 billion in 2023, so there’s definitely a market to tap into. Plus, museum scavenger hunts are the best educational activity if you own a heritage venue or partner with one or more local museums.
For lessons in best practice, check out ThingstodoDC.com and their Scavenger Hunt of the Smithsonians.
This team event split participants into groups so they could explore all the coolest exhibits of one of America’s biggest and most important museums.
14. Photography scavenger hunt
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Plugged into the creative community? Try hosting a photography scavenger hunt.
This is a great way to encourage guests to show off their creativity. Simply plot your scavenger hunt around scenic spaces and let your guests take care of the rest. You can even create and distribute awards for the best snaps.
That’s what Snapshot Quest did for their Photo Scavenger Hunt Game. Their event series got participants to decipher clues to get the perfect shots — and it involved some healthy competition to land the best shot!
15. Library scavenger hunt
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Want to create an educational event that encourages kids to learn? A scavenger hunt in a library is a must-do.
Collaborate with your local library and set up clues designed to get kids to open books and read. You can even set up craft stations and food truck catering for families to make a day of it.
Get inspired by Redford | Detroit Public Library’s Library Scavenger Hunt. Their event took families on an adventure around the library, rewarding prizes for everybody who finished the hunt.
16. Detective scavenger hunt
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Like mysteries? Try planning a detective scavenger hunt like Questo – City Exploration Games did for their recent Time Traveling in Seattle with a storyline to keep guests interested.
It works much like a murder mystery party — but you can adapt it to suit younger ages. It’s also ideal for outdoor event spaces or cool older heritage venues.
17. Easter egg scavenger hunt
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Want to boost your spring event? An Easter egg hunt is a great activity. After all, Easter is one of America’s favorite holidays — and everybody knows how an egg hunt works.
This one is perfect if you’re working with a venue with a lot of outdoor space.
You could even take your hunt to the next level like Scottsdale Quarter did with their Hide & Peep event. They added face painting, balloon animals, and lots of goodies to keep kids happy before and after the hunt.
18. Family scavenger hunt
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Family scavenger hunts are a terrific opportunity to help rekindle family connections. Your hunt could see families work independently or with other families to form small teams — while clues and challenges should focus on family connections and togetherness.
That’s exactly what the Great Start Parent Coalition did for their Summer Family Scavenger Hunt. Each family was assigned a team and took part in challenges all over town to earn prizes.
19. Adventure scavenger hunt
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Fancy something a bit more wild?
Create an adventure hunt to incorporate into a wider outdoor event like Church on Five did for their recent Kids Adventure Camp.
You can theme it to match great explorers or adventurers and include a range of age-appropriate obstacles kids must undertake to reach each clue.
20. Retail scavenger hunt
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A retail scavenger hunt for kids can help support local businesses. Collaborate with local retailers and multiple shops to spread clues for a list of items across your downtown area — with workshops or fun activities at each stop to keep children busy while parents shop.
You could even partner with shops to provide special discounts for hunt participants when shopping at each location. That’s what Lakeshore Learning did for their Lakeshore’s Crack the Case! (King of Prussia).
5 Scavenger hunt team building ideas
Scavenger hunts are built for team building events. They force friends, colleagues, or even total strangers to share their knowledge and skills to solve problems.
But if you’re looking for ideas to give your scavenger hunt team building activities some extra ‘oomph,’ here are some of our favorite ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
21. Virtual scavenger hunt
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Go virtual with a scavenger hunt to find items online or in participants’ homes or nearby venues. For example, The Kitty Party’s Virtual Team Building Scavenger Hunt series encourages remote teams to find belongings around their kitchen to complete the hunt.
A virtual hunt can be fun with remote co-workers and teams where most of the team works from home. Your participants can easily share their objects via a platform like Zoom by holding them up to the camera.
If you’re using Eventbrite, you can even take advantage of our integration with Zoom for a seamless virtual experience.
Ready to learn more?
22. Escape room scavenger hunt
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An escape room is the ultimate team-building exercise. Add in a scavenger hunt, and you’ve got a recipe for one unforgettable event.
You can even take it outside like Escapely’s Scavenger Quest Dallas 2024 series. By adding a unique pirate event theme and a huge after-party, this outdoor escape event looks like rip-roaring fun.
Alternatively, hire a large venue to host multiple escape rooms simultaneously.
23. Treasure hunt
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This is a classic scavenger hunt where players must find hidden objects or solve puzzles to progress toward a treasure (or a prize).
You can hide clues around your event space, throughout a neighborhood, or across an entire city.
For example, Black History Committee of Gadsden County’s Gadsden County Treasure Hunt saw teams of sleuths competing to solve clues, leading to a treasure trove of prizes worth $10,000.
24. Walking tour scavenger hunt
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Walking tours introduce teams and individuals to new areas. They’re also perfect for team-building scavenger hunts because they facilitate shared experiences between team members that can help colleagues get to know each other.
If you need inspiration, check out Scavenger Hunt Walking Tours’ myriad of Scavenger Hunt series.
Their series of in-person scavenger hunts take teams on walks through amazing cities to discover hidden gems, exercise, and have fun. What’s not to love?
25. Riddles scavenger hunt
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This one can be as simple or complicated as you wish! By focusing on riddles to unlock clues, attendees can try something out of the ordinary.
Riddles also force teams to have meaningful discussions to determine the answer. That’s what Fern Connections Events did for their Scavenger Hunt in Grapevine, Tx! By incorporating riddles into your clues, the process slows down and brings teams together.
5 Festive Christmas scavenger hunt ideas
Add some festive fun to any holiday event by creating a scavenger hunt based on the reason for the season. You can hide clues relating to Christmas or create tasks inspired by specific holiday traditions.
Here are some of our favorite Christmas scavenger hunt ideas for December.
26. Elf on a shelf scavenger hunt
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That pesky elf is a tradition in many households, and so an elf on a shelf scavenger hunt is a great way to capitalize on something families know well.
It’s also pretty low-budget and easy to set up. Simply hide a few elves in key locations, write some festive clues, and send teams off on their fun hunt! You can even offer festive presents for all your finishers (chocolate, of course.)
You can even adapt this hunt idea to be more educational like the Watkins Museum of History did for their Ellie on the Shelf: Kids’ Scavenger Hunt! Instead of an elf, they had guests search for miniature versions of small cars to win a prize.
27. Winter Wonderland scavenger hunt
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Turn your outdoor event space into a winter wonderland. The weather and season essentially double as your event theme, and you can send families searching for festive presents using Christmas clues.
It’s also worth adding hot chocolate and winter crafts to warm everybody up after their hunt, like the Winter Scavenger Hunt organized for the Dreamland Farmstead.
28. Christmas challenge scavenger hunt
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This is one of our favorite Christmas scavenger hunt ideas to fuse holiday adventure. Create a range of festive challenges that are all Christmas-themed and integrate entertainers and performers to create an immersive festive experience.
For inspiration, look to Cashunt’s Holiday Hijinks The Ultimate Christmas Scavenger Hunt Experience! They included a range of holiday trivia, a photo scavenger hunt, and a holiday mystery where teams competed for prizes.
29. Christmas fun run scavenger hunt
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Want a unique Christmas event that can double as a scavenger hunt? Try a fun run, like Charm City Run Timonium.
Their Christmas Eve Fun Run & Scavenger Hunt saw runners aim to find festive items as they made their way across the course — and even included a costume contest and awards for the best festive attire.
30. Christmas shopping scavenger hunt
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If you’re looking to stimulate footfall for local businesses, try a Christmas shopping scavenger hunt.
You can plant clues at several local shops, integrating festive arts and crafts and participant discounts.
That’s what Tropical Ice Goddess did for their Christiansted Christmas Scavenger Hunt. They even ended the hunt with a dance party — although you could also go for a festive feast or a treat like a hot chocolate bar.
5 Ideas to promote your scavenger hunt
Have an intricate scavenger hunt that you’ve tested with friends and want to open it up to the general public?
With Eventbrite, you can set up your event page, sell tickets to your event, and connect with avid scavenger hunters who want updates on your latest events.
Here are some tips for listing your scavenger hunt on Eventbrite.
31. Come up with a unique name
Create a catchy title and description for your event that goes beyond ‘Fun Scavenger Hunt.’ This will help to attract attention and get people to participate.
32. Consider your target audience when choosing a time and date
Choose a convenient date and time for your event. Make sure to avoid holiday weekends (when most people are likely to have pre-existing plans) and choose a period when it’s possible to complete all the objectives in your scavenger hunt.
H3: 33. Give guests all the info they’ll need
When setting up your event page on Eventbrite, include all the relevant information about your event, such as the date, time, location, and a list of what participants must bring. Peep our best practices for setting up an event listing for more guidance.
34. Share social proof
Consider including testimonials from participants in your previous scavenger hunts. You want potential customers to understand how enjoyable and can’t-miss your events are.
You should also encourage happy customers to take photos or videos of their hunting experiences, post them on social, and tag you. You’ll then be able to share this user-generated content to show your followers how much fun your scavenger hunt activities are.
35. Promote your scavenger hunts on multiple platforms
Ensure you reach your target audience and promote your scavenger hunts with a cohesive event marketing strategy that touches various platforms.
That’s where Eventbrite comes to the rescue.
Eventbrite enables you to plan, promote, and analyze your social media presence on different platforms like Facebook or Instagram to ensure your ad campaigns reach the right people in the right places.
You can even take advantage of built-in email marketing tools to reach out to past and present customers to promote your upcoming scavenger hunts and start moving tickets.
Let’s start hunting!
Scavenger hunts are a fun and exciting way to get your event attendees up and moving. They can be as simple or as challenging as you desire — and you can adapt them for any age group, business setting, or holiday.
You’ve just got to ensure you fully understand your target audience and choose the right partner to help you organize your scavenger hunt. That’s where Eventbrite comes in.
With Eventbrite, you can explore the competition and meet potential collaborators to get inspired, create custom event pages, sell tickets, promote your event on social media, and even send out clues to ticket holders.
