6 Pro Trips To Plan A Scavenger Hunt For Your Next House Party
If a dinner party feels too passé and monotonous, make your next social event a bit more exciting with a scavenger hunt that promises the thrill of a chase and the joy of finding the ultimate prize! Hosting a scavenger hunt can be a tad tricky, more so if you plan to expand it into the neighbourhood. You might want to acquire necessary permits and permissions from your apartment complex or surrounding areas where neighbours might find party guests prowling and sniffing for clues.
A scavenger hunt requires your guests to find multiple items before reaching the end so it requires much planning too. Still, if done right, a scavenger hunt can be the ultimate social event of the season, as long as you have a compelling prize in store!
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Here are a few tips on hosting a scavenger hunt and making it a success during the holiday season:
Plan For Indoor And Outdoor Clues
Clues and riddles are aplenty in scavenger hunts so draw up a rough map of your neighbourhood and hide prompts in both, indoor and outdoor settings. You can kick start the hunt from your home so guests know where to arrive, at the beginning. From here, choose a mix of spaces like an errant tree or a phone booth or even a neighbourhood cafe. During inclement climes, try to keep all your scavenger swag indoors, within the apartment complex or in your home.
Pick An Exciting Theme
Here is where you can go all out and pick something outrageous that transports your guests into a different era. You can hunt for pirate treasures, decipher Vatican codes or uncover the deepest secrets of the freemasons. If you live in a city with rich heritage, you can also host a scavenger hunt based on the histories and mysteries around your neighbourhood.
Hand Out Walkie Talkies
Yes, we live in the age of smartphones, but to make matters interesting, take these away and issue walkie talkies so team members can chat with each other on a shared frequency. A walkie would also give the hunt a more thrilling vibe especially if participants split up in search of clues and have to communicate with each other upon finding their loot.
Make Clues Interesting
Clues and riddles are most integral to a scavenger hunt. Unlike a treasure hunt, this contest involves accumulating different items until you reach the finish. Clues have to draw on the theme of the hunt and lead to these collectibles. For an added adventure, you can turn each item into a riddle so the mystery can be solved only when all the articles are brought together. Compose riddles yourself or find ciphers online to make the contest interesting.
Divide Guests Into Teams
Split your guests into teams once they arrive. You can draw straws or pick out colour coded walkie-talkies to divvy them up into different groups. Since a hunt is about setting up clues and riddles in different places, have a limited number of teams so it is easier for you to plan and keep track of the varied trails.
Give Out A Prize For The Winner
Along with all the loot that guests accumulate, make sure there are stunning prizes waiting for the winning team! A scavenger hunt requires much legwork and brain activity so you have to reward your guests for participating. Have tons of festive party favours like candles, incense, sweets in store for gifting needs.
Concluding Notes…
A scavenger hunt can be an elaborate but rather fun event to put together. Guests can immerse themselves in the theme and set off prowling for their loot with exciting prizes awaiting them at the end. Put a bit of creativity into forming riddles and treasure maps to make the experience super thrilling.
