Think of a cute slogan to go along with the scavenger hunt theme such as:
-(Your Name)’s Amazing Race
-(Your Name)'s Mystery Theater
And include some detail about what will be going down at your party:
-Clues to find cool loot
-Recipe contest
-Blindfolded taste test
-Wacky picture taking
Instead of putting all the info on each invite, only put a piece of info and then make a note to see another invitee to get the next piece of info. For example: Lisa gets an invite that tells her the date of the party and a message that tells her to go see Megan for the next clue, which is the time of the party. Do this so all your friends have to get together to piece together all of the invite deets. This gets the scavenger hunt started in advance!
Staking it out
Set a time limit for your scav hunt. The best length of time would probably be an hour.
Once your guests have RSVP'd you can break 'em up into teams. Teams of three-five work best, but partners are cool, too.
Figure out a list of what everyone needs to find. These things could be hidden objects, everyday household items, or a mix of both. If you and your friends have digi cameras, you could even make part of the scav hunt interactive by making a list of photos your pals'll have to snap. You should also...
Buy all the ingredients needed for your guest's mystery recipes.
Create a list for the hunt
Never done a hunt before? We’ve got some great ideas for what you could include on your list:
Hidden Objects: Go to your local dollar store or Target/ Wal Mart and pick up some cheap, fun items:
Bath salts
Bubble bath
Candles
Notepads
Cute pens
Hair accessories
Nail polish
Earrings
Picture frames
Chocolate
Post-It notes
Or you could DIY and get together a bunch of fun, li'l objects that you've got around the house and want to get rid of.
Make sure to keep track of what you bought and make a note on your list that there are hidden objects around the house and yard that need to be found in addition to the other items. Make it a puzzle and give clues, such as “There’s something in the yard that makes every day better” (chocolate) or “It can be green, blue, pink, red, or purple… Find it in the kitchen” (nail polish). These hints will let your friends know there is some loot waiting to be found in certain areas of the house. (Note: Have your mom, dad or a sib hide the loot so you don’t know where it is either!)
Household Objects: These are the objects that take some creative thinking to find. Here are some ideas:
Something soft and yellow
Something that makes a crinkly sound
Something made from string
Something that makes noise
Something wet
Something cold
Something smelly
Just give a description of what you want to be found and then tell your gal pals to hold on to it as they keep on huntin’.
Camera clue: Keep your digital cam close and look for opportunities on the list to snap a pic of (this is why it’s good to be with a team):
Two girls performing a secret handshake
Jump roping
Creating a toilet paper dress and the final product
Making a fishy face
Balancing a spoon on someone’s nose
Someone doing a handstand
Get as creative as you want and think of the wackiest thing you can to put on the list (just make sure it’s doable).
Examine the findings
Once you have your list, type it up and print out a copy for each of the girls to look at while hunting. (If you are doing all the categories, you should have about 5-10 things to find in each)
At the end of the hour, get back together and see who got the most items on the list.
Give a prize to the team with the most on the list, the group that was the most creative and unique and a prize to the team who took the wackiest pictures. (Going through the pics is a great way to laugh about the silly things you had to do. Plus, you could create a scrapbook later on).
Mystery meat...and more
Worked up an appetite from wrangling all those items together? Time for another scavenger hunt! This time, hide print-outs of easy to make recipes around your house. (For some great, easy ideas CLICK HERE!). Once each group gets a recipe, it's time to cook 'em up.
Each team gets a half an hour in the kitchen to make their recipe. While the one team is in the kitch, the other teams can hang in the living room, gab, watch a movie and paint nails. Once the cooking team has their half an hour, they come out, blindfold everyone and have each girl try their grub. Then, the blindfolded ladies have to guess what the mystery dish is. Once someone has guessed correct, it’s time to chow down. Then the next team can get started on their recipe. Do this until every team has had a chance to cook something.
Spend the rest of the night eating your yummy food, watchin’ mystery movies (we love Nancy Drew) and playing games like Clue or the classic Hide 'n' Seek.
-Liz Lebedda