How to Have a Garage Sale Scavenger Hunt

A Garage Sale Scavenger Hunt is a fun outdoor adventure game which can be enjoyed by groups of all ages. It is a great group activity for young adults, families and even church groups since all of the items are donated to charity. All you need are a few vehicles, gas, a list and some cash. The goal of the game is to see which group can find the most items at local garage sales without going over the set spending limit.

To have a Garage Sale Scavenger Hunt, start out by creating a scavenger hunt list of items that are relatively inexpensive and commonly found at garage sales. Then divide up into groups and develop your strategy. Will you check the local paper for garage sale listings? Or will you just drive around town looking for garage sales? Make sure you are playing the game on a day which typically has a lot of garage sales in your area.

Before heading out to the garage sales decide on a set spending limit. The amount can vary depending on the spending abilities of your group members and the type of items on your list.

Sometimes church groups will know of a specific need for an item such as a crib or couch for one of its members. In this case you may want to have some form of communication between the groups so that only one crib or couch is purchased. A cell phone with text messaging would be an excellent way to communicate when an item has been found.

Next decide when the official end time will be and where you want your group members to meet. It's often fun to end the game with an outdoor picnic so everyone can see what items the other groups have found. The leader of the group may want to come up with a prize for the team that found the most items on the list.

After the Garage Sale Scavenger Hunt is over, consider donating the items to your local charity. It's a great way to give back to the community.

Here are some suggestions for scavenger hunt items:

If you are going out as individuals, find a book that starts with the first letter of your first name. If you are going out as a group, come up with a group name and find a book that starts with the first letter of your group.

If you know of a family that has had something tragic happen such as a house fire, try finding clothing in their specific sizes to replace the ones they lost.

See if your group members can find something small like a thimble.

Have your group members look for something funny, such as an item that has a Barney on it.

Look for items that would be useful for a specific occupation, such as finding items that a plumber might use.

Have your group members find objects that are a certain color such as orange, green or purple.

Sometimes looking for something specific can add to the challenge, such as to find something that was made in 1970.

Other times a broad category can be the most fun, such as "Find the weirdest thing." It's a hoot to see what people come up with.