Hosting a Birthday Party Scavenger Hunt

We've all been on a scavenger hunt at some point in time - and they can be so much fun! Not only is it a challenge to move from place to place to find the item in question, but you can really enjoy some fun time with friends as you go through the process.

Though you may have never thought of it as such, this can actually make for the main portion of a birthday party, rather than as a small side game. Though it does require some serious planning on your part, it can be a lot of fun for you and the kids. This party theme and the ideas that follow are designed for older kids or teenagers.

You may very well need to ask for some help from friends in the planning and execution of the scavenger hunt, but that's half the fun! If you really want to spice it up and make it that much more exciting for the kids, then assign teams and leave clues for multiple locations. Here are some excellent ideas to create a scavenger hunt birthday party.

Assign Scavenger Hunt Teams

Once you figure out how many kids are coming to the party, assign teams at random. Assign each of those teams to an adult that will drive them from location to location. This is where you will need to get other adults in on the act, but chances are they will be thrilled to be a part of it. Ask some of the guest's parents, family, or friends to act as drivers and tour guides. So long as they put safety first, they can be perfect to cart the kids around from location to location.

Be sure that you have scouted out the route and any potential alternate routes that drivers may take well in advance. Keep it all close to home, but be sure to use any landmarks or cool spots where the kids can go to in order to find the items in question.

Once you've mapped it out, create an envelope for each team that provides a clue as to where they need to go and what they need to get. Keep it simple - you don't want the kids to get frustrated or take too long, so be sure that it's on their level and still promotes fun.

Keep With Cool Local Spots

You want to keep it easy and fun, as that's what will keep the kids attention. Go for simple landmarks such as parks, stores, restaurants, or other areas where they can easily identify based on the clue. Some scavenger hunt ideas:

• Pick up a hamburger from a local burger place (be sure to give the driver the appropriate amount of money to pay for it.)
• Go to a certain park and pick up a specially hidden sign.
• Buy a certain item from a certain shop in the local shopping centre (again, give the driver or “tour guide” the appropriate amount of money ahead of time).
• At an empty car park, look for a marker - underneath could be a small box of something buried in the ground
  You will have to arrange all of this ahead of time, of course, and then hide the items accordingly, but it's all worth it when you picture the look on the kid's faces. If you have a certain theme, such as a disney princess party, you can hide items like crowns, wands, rings and jewellery etc.

As you are dealing with kids, you don't need to get too carried away with the number of spots or how detailed the clues are, but you do want to make it somewhat challenging to make it last about an hour. Go for things that kids like and can easily recognise so that they can enjoy the moment of figuring out the clue as much as picking up the item in question.

Make the End a Celebration

Be sure to have prizes to give away to each team as they come in. First team to come back to the designated party area gets first prize, but every child should end up with something. Keep with the theme of the places or go for something simple such as a small toy, book or bag of sweets. You could even use your party bags here.

End the scavenger hunt in a fun location such as a park or pool, another idea is to arrange it entirely in a local park, where the clues are certain recognisable landmarks.

You want to create the fun ambiance at the end that the kids can gather at and speak of their experiences. Serve the food at the end, have a cake, and make a big deal about the hunt that they've just been on.

Scavenger hunts are as much about the journey as the destination, so be sure that they have plenty to talk about when all is said and done. This is an activity and a theme that is sure to please kids of all ages!