Almost everyone knows the scavenger hunt from his childhood days. Over hill and dale through the neighboring forest. Steps have to be counted and clues searched for. And all this for a treasure, which usually consists of all kinds of goodies, waiting for the winners at the finish line.
When the term scavenger hunt comes up, most people immediately think of children's birthday parties far in the past. However, it doesn't have to stop at fond memories, because there are plenty of ways to make a city rally interesting and fun for adults, too. The trick is to design a scavenger hunt for adults in such a way that it is neither perceived as infantile clamor, nor as a beer-serious mandatory program.
Everything stands and falls with the right planning. That's why you shouldn't start organizing a scavenger hunt too late. Because it is often underestimated how much work is behind such an action. There is more to it than just thinking up a few games and puzzles and the hiding places that go with them. At the beginning, think about how many people want to participate in your scavenger hunt and in what setting it should take place.
You also need to consider how many participants you will have. If there are more than eight people, it may make sense to divide the scavenger hunters into teams. This ensures that everyone is actively involved in solving the tasks and that a "leader group" does not arise that dominates the rest of the team and solves everything on his own. After all, during the scavenger hunt in the city everyone should have fun and need to puzzle a bit.
Clues that participants come across in the course of the rally should therefore also be water-resistant. You should also make sure that they cannot be easily blown away. Be sure to give some thought to how long the treasure hunt should last: After all, it is important to ensure that the scavenger hunt does not clash with other plans of the participants.
To be on the safe side, walk the route yourself once in advance. After all, you want to prevent participants from encountering unexpected obstacles. It also seems sensible to plan culinary stops conscientiously and, for example, make a reservation at the restaurant of your choice.
If you are now thinking about setting up a city rally yourself, below are a few tips and tricks on how to make it a success for everyone involved:
Of course, there are many more ways to make a scavenger hunt a unique event for you and your teammates. It's best to base your choice of tasks primarily on common interests and hobbies. The decisive factor is and remains the fun of the whole thing.
The most important thing when designing a scavenger hunt for adults is a level of difficulty that is tailored to the group: the tasks must not be too easy, but also not too difficult, as puzzles that are too complicated quickly cause frustration among the players. In addition, you should also pay a lot of attention to making the various tasks in the game as varied as possible, so that boredom does not set in and the different strengths of the players are addressed.
The questions can revolve around areas such as mathematics, language, logic, observation skills or even general knowledge. The inclusion of marching numbers, group tasks or the collection of certain materials can also provide enthusiasm in a scavenger hunt for adults.
In addition, you can involve passers-by in the game. This is particularly useful for a scavenger hunt in the city. You can also incorporate technical aids, such as GPS devices, old cell phones, Polaroid cameras or compasses. By using these additional materials in the game, you have a wider range of possible tasks: Now you can also incorporate scavenger hunt tasks that require photographing buildings, characters, or yourself. As you may have noticed, there are almost no limits to your imagination when it comes to tasks.
The positive thing about a city rally for adults is that you do not have to wait for the right time, because it is actually any time. Whether it's a company outing, a class reunion, a party or a bachelor party - such an event can be organized almost anytime and regardless of the season.
And if you still ask yourself the question: "Why should I walk through forests and cities, solving riddles to find a treasure at the end, which I could also buy myself without further ado? Because as the saying goes: the journey is the destination and in the end the shared experience is the most important thing. Unforgettable memories and a strengthened cohesion in the group are the rewards of a successful scavenger hunt.
Equipped with the above information, you have already taken a big step towards creating your scavenger hunt for adults. However, you will have noticed that there are many things to consider and that developing your scavenger hunt takes a lot of time. There is also the question of whether the participants will like their scavenger hunt puzzles in the end. Therefore, it is worth considering whether you want to plan and organize the scavenger hunt yourself or whether you would prefer to use a tried and tested concept. In the following table, we compare the advantages and disadvantages of both options.
| Organize yourself Pros & cons self-organization |
Book tickets Pros & cons ticket booking |
| Very time consuming | Simple booking |
|
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| Paper only | Intuitive web application |
| Free of charge (except material costs) | Not free of charge |
| Customizable | Not customizable |
A scavenger hunt for adults works much like a scavenger hunt for children. The only difference is that the focus is on adult interests and skills. The puzzles are trickier and require more knowledge. Adults can often cover longer distances as well.
The tasks of a scavenger hunt for adults can be highly diverse. The following options are particularly popular:
The costs of scavenger hunts and city rallies for adults vary greatly. A self-organized scavenger hunt as a family outing is also possible for free or with a very small budget. Tours from myCityHunt are aimed at private groups and cost € 12,99 per person. Corporate scavenger hunts start at around € 30 per participant.
Scavenger Hunt
Treasure Hunt
Escape Game
