10 Tips for a Successful Halloween Scavenger Hunt

If you are planning a Halloween party this year, a scavenger hunt can be a fun way to get everyone involved in the festivities. To hold a successful Halloween scavenger hunt, be creative and, at the same time, don't forget safety. Here are 10 tips for a Halloween scavenger hunt.

1. Make the difficulty of your Halloween scavenger hunt, the number and types of items on the scavenger hunt list, and the location of the hunt appropriate for the ages of participants. A scavenger hunt in your neighborhood or at the local mall is fine for teenagers. For younger children, restrict the hunt to your home and/or yard.

2. Pick an appropriate Halloween scavenger hunt list. For a traditional Halloween scavenger hunt theme include Halloween-related items such as a copy of a Halloween DVD, a bottle of black nail polish, a pointed black witch's hat, a copy of any book from the Twilight series, Halloween candy corn, a picture of Count Dracula, and a set of fake fangs.

3. Given the prevalence of camera phones these days, include some photos on your scavenger hunt list. For example, you might ask for a photo of a Halloween decoration that includes a bat and a spider, a picture of a scarecrow or a picture of a large jack-o-lantern.

4. Another fun Halloween scavenger hunt theme is the costume hunt. Give each team a list of items needed to make a Halloween costume. For a pirate costume, for example, ask them to bring back a black eye patch, one gold or silver hoop earring, a black headscarf, anything with a skull and crossbones on it, a map, a plastic sword, a black belt and a parrot.

5. If your Halloween scavenger hunt will be in your neighborhood or at your local mall, require each team to stay together at all times, rather than scouting for items individually, which may be faster but not nearly as safe.

6. Alert your neighbors ahead of time if your Halloween scavenger hunt will be in your neighborhood, so that they are prepared for the knocks on the door and the requests for unusual items. Ask each scavenger hunt team leader to introduce themselves and their team at each home they visit and to explain what they are doing.

7. Have a way to contact each scavenger hunt them at all times and be sure that they are able to contact you. Ask them to check in with you periodically (perhaps every 20 or 30 minutes) so that you know all is well.

8. If your Halloween scavenger hunt is at night in your neighborhood, limit the area of the hunt, know what route each team will take, and give each team plenty of flashlights with fresh batteries. Also, be sure that all team members have reflective tape on their clothes.

9. Set a time limit to complete the hunt and be sure that each team has a watch or cell phone so that they can keep track of the time.

10. Give prizes to the team that found the most items, the team that completed the hunt the most quickly, the team that was the most creative in completing the hunt and so on.

Source:

www.halloween-website.com, Scavenger Hunts