How to Plan a City Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger hunts are life-size puzzles that encourage teamwork, physical activity, creativity and problem-solving. This indoor/outdoor game is easily adapted to suit the needs of different groups and backdrops. Hosting a scavenger hunt in the city can be as challenging for the planner as the participants. There are many factors to consider when planning such an urban adventure including time, distance, posting limitations and safety. However, with careful planning you can keep your gang on the hunt for hours -- and loving it.

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  Younger kids and teens may grow bored with a long hunt. CLOCK image by SKYDIVECOP from Fotolia.com
  

  Set limits. Decide how long you want the hunt to last; a scavenger hunt may last a couple hours or months.
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  Create a budget. Include the cost of food, transportation, prizes and additional labor.
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  Determine means of transportation. Decide if participants will walk, bike, use public transportation or drive cars. Adjust budgetary limits accordingly.
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  Map the hunt. Center the hunting grounds near a practical location such as your office building or party venue. Use a city guidebook or personal experience to mark off an area for the scavenger hunt.
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  Cities have rich, cultural history; incorporate local landmarks into the scavenger hunt. NYC Pier image by Andrew Kazmierski from Fotolia.com
  

  Review the search area and limitations. Make sure participants will have enough time to travel between clues. Estimate travel time from information provided in the guidebook, personal experience or using a map service such as Google Maps.
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  Develop a theme for the hunt which is relevant to your group and purpose. For example, a Civil Rights themed hunt in New York is appropriate for a human rights non-profit.
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  Create clues. Choose objects, riddles, phrases or words that will inform participants of the next location they must visit. Adjust the difficulty of clues for the age group and experience level of participants.
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  Set-up a system that will verify participation and mark progress during the hunt. Players may collect items, report to a hunt organizer with status updates or use collected information to answer a question at the end of the hunt.
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  Scavenger hunts offer businesses free publicity and a stream of customers. muffin store image by StephenD from Fotolia.com
  

  Call businesses and building managers for permission, if you wish to hide clues on private property. Keep in mind the urban environment; clues left unattended in public places may be taken or moved.
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  Establish emergency procedures and safety guidelines; these may be based on existing regulations or best practices.
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  Contact volunteers, assistants, participants and employees to verify roles and responsibilities during the scavenger hunt. Request written consent if safety and liability is a concern for young participants.