Fun Scavenger Hunt Ideas for Teens That Will Keep Them Entertained for Hours (2024)

Are you looking for a fun way to keep your teenagers entertained? A scavenger hunt is the perfect solution! They will be entertained for hours as they try to find all of the items on the list. Not only is it a lot of fun, but it is also a great way to get them moving and exploring their surroundings with their friends. Scavenger hunts are perfect for a birthday, sleepover or just hanging out with friends. Here are our tips and ideas that your teens are sure to love!

Before we get started, lets talk about scavenger hunts. There are two ways to complete a scavenger hunt. One option is a game in which players must find and collect or take photos of specific items or actions. The other way to play requires players to follow clues in order to find the hidden prize. This scavenger hunt with clues is also called a treasure hunt. Both are great fun for kids, teens and adults alike!

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Scavenger Hunt with Clues

This scavenger hunt is sometimes called a Treasure Hunt. It can be played individually or in teams. The idea is to solve each clue or riddle which will lead you to the next clue and eventually to the prize waiting at the end.

You can either write your own clues or find a scavenger hunt already done for you. These printable scavenger hunts include suggested answers and hiding places making set up a breeze. They are a little tricky so your Teens will need to really think to solve these.

Teen and Tween Scavenger Hunt with clues

Teen Outdoor Scavenger Hunt

Teen Treasure Hunt Riddles

Teen Scavenger Hunt Clues

Tween Scavenger Hunt Riddles

Holiday Scavenger/Treasure Hunts

Christmas ScavengerHunt

Halloween Scavenger Hunt

Valentine's Day Scavenger Hunt

Easter Scavenger Hunt

Fun Scavenger Hunt Ideas to Keep Teens Engaged

Playlist Scavenger Hunt:Create a list of songs in different categories such as “songs from the 80s” or “songs with animals in the title.” Divide the teens into teams and have them search through streaming services like Spotify, Pandora, or YouTube to find as many songs as they can within a certain amount of time.

The team who finds the most correct answers wins! This is a great way to get teens moving while also introducing them to new music that they may not already know about.

Photo Scavenger Hunt:For this, divide your group into teams and give each team a list of items or photos that must be found within a specific area (indoor or outdoor). The items could be anything from trash cans, graffiti art, or people wearing certain colors. Once all the items are collected, have each team draw their findings onto one piece of paper so that it looks like a collage. Whoever has made the most creative drawing wins!

Selfie Photo Challenge:For this version, have each team create a unique selfie for every item on their list. Once all theselfiesare taken, the most creative and wackiest one wins! Some challenges could be to take a photo of a team member doing a handstand, posing in front of a local landmark, or finding a specific item.

Movie Quote Challenge:If you have movie buffs in your group then this game is perfect for you! Give each team a list of quotes from classic movies that they must match up with their corresponding film titles within a certain amount of time. The first team to finish with all correct answers wins! This challenge will help teens become more familiar with classic films while also sharpening their knowledge on movie trivia.

Movie Scavenger Hunt:This scavenger hunt takes place while watching a movie. Provide teams with a list of items to find or actions to perform during the movie, such as a character wearing a green shirt, a car chase scene, or a character saying a specific catchphrase. Whoever finds the most items or finishes their list first wins!

Food Scavenger Hunt:This scavenger hunt takes place in a grocery store or farmers’ market. Provide teams with a list of food items to find, such as exotic fruits, unusual vegetables, or specific ingredients for a recipe. You can also include challenges like finding the most expensive cheese or taking a group photo with a food vendor.

City Scavenger Hunt:This hunt takes place in a city or town. Provide teams with a list of clues to solve, such as finding a specific statue or solving a riddle to find a hidden landmark. You can also include challenges like taking a group photo in front of a mural or finding the best street performer.

Nature Scavenger Hunt:ThisNature hunttakes place in a park, beach, or other natural setting. Provide teams with a list of items to find, such as a pinecone, a bird feather, or a seashell. You can also include challenges like taking a group photo in front of a waterfall or building a mini sandcastle.

If you decide to make your scavenger huntone inwhich players must find and collect or take photos of specific itemsor actions there are so many things you could include on your list. Here are some printable scavenger hunt ideas.

How to plan an Outdoor Teen Scavenger Hunt

Location

First you will need to decide on a location. This will depend on how many people will be involved. You could do this scavenger hunt at a local park, mall, outdoor shopping center or at your home or backyard.

Send the Invitations

When you send the invitations, along with advising the date and time, you will need to include some additional information especially for the parents. Let them know where they will need to drop off their teen and explain what you have organized for the day. Also include a pick up time and location.

It is a good idea to split your guests into teams and have one adult with each team at all times. Remind your guests to charge their phones and bring them along to snap photos of things along the way.

Make your List

Have a think about your location and write down some items your groups can find and take photos of. You can create a list of tasks for your teens to complete, such as making a human pyramid, taking aselfie with someone wearing blue or finding an item that starts with every letter of the alphabet. Your teens will love the competitionofseeing who can find all of the items on the list first. Get creative and make up your ownlist or check below for some of our ideas.

Set some rules

Read out some rules to the teams before they start their scavenger hunt. As each group will have an adult with them, this person can deduct any point if they break any rules. Keep the rules simple such as

be respectful
stay together as a group
you must take a photo or video of each item on your list

On the day

If you have a large group of teens you will need split them into groups of about 5-6. A fun way to place the teens into teams is first to work out how many teams you willneed. Then allocate each team a color and get some colored candy to match each team. Put the candy into a bag and one at a time your guests can take out a piece of candy. The color of their candy will determine which team they are in.

If you are having your scavenger hunt outside at a park, mall or around your neighborhood you will need to allocate one adult helper per groupwho will stay with the group to keep them on track and help out taking photos if needed.

Set a time limit and make sure each team knows where and when they need to be back.

Scavenger Hunt List Ideas

Here are some ideas for photos and actions you can include on your scavenger hunt list. Each photo must feature at least one member of the team.

Ideas around your neighborhood

Photo with a stop sign
Photo witha red front door
Selfie with a letterbox with the number 4
Photo of the team on a crosswalk
Photo with an American Flag
Team posing in front of a for sale sign
Photo of the team making a human pyramid

Ideas in your backyard or park

Photo with a bird
Photo of everyone holding a leaf
Photo of the team making a human pyramid
Photo of the team with their eyes closed
Photo of the whole team on a slide
Photo of the team posing as a tree
Photo of the team smelling flowers
Photo of the team jumping in the air

Ideas at a Mall

You can make your own or purchase a printable Mall Scavenger Hunt

If you want to make your own, here are some other ideas fora Mall Scavenger Hunt

Photo of your team's reflection
Photo of everyone in your team holding a piece of candy
Selfie with something beginning with B
Photo of 2 team members with a 'sale' sign
Photo of an Exit sign
Photo of a team member in the elevator
Photo of 2 team members wearing sunglasses
Photo of 1 team member posing like a mannequin in a store

Scavenger Hunt Prizes for Teens

If you want to make the scavenger hunt more exciting, you can offer prizes for the winners. Here are some ideas for great prizes that your teen will love:

A gift card to their favorite store such as Starbucks or Target
Tickets to a movie
A new book
Selection of Candy
A water bottle
Lip balm
Hair ties
Dollar store items such as stickers

Whatever prize you choose, make sure it is something that your teen will be excited to win! With these ideas, they are sure to have a blast on their next scavenger hunt.

Scavenger hunts are a great way to keep your teen entertained and engaged. With these fun ideas, they're sure to have a blast! So get out there and start hunting! Happy hunting!

We hope you enjoyed our ideas for scavenger hunts that will keep your teens entertained for hours!

More Fun Ideas For Teens:

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