Scavenger Hunt for Adults – Planning & Ingenious Hiding Places

You crawl through bushes, search for secret messages under park benches and crack tricky codes? Then you are either a detective, crazy or… are on a scavenger hunt for adults!

Nothing enhances a special occasion like an unusual and clever game. And yes, of course, this is especially true for adults! After all, when do you allow yourself the time to let off steam as a responsible work, relationship and family person?

That’s why one of the best birthday surprises is a cool and personalized birthday game for adults. If you’re a friend or partner of the birthday boy or girl with enough time to prepare, a scavenger hunt for adults is ideal for this. (Of course, the same also applies to other occasions like a bachelor party, an anniversary, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, etc.).

How to Plan a Scavenger Hunt for Adults

First Step: Determine Area & Route

First, you should ask yourself where you want to and can host your adult scavenger hunt. Depending on the occasion, location, time of year, announced weather, accessibility for you (or your co-conspirators), and mobility of the player(s) on the scavenger hunt (walking, biking, driving), the following are possible areas:

• Large garden or park
• In the forest
• In the house
• Posted party location
• In the neighborhood
• All over the city
• Etc.

There are even said to be people who have set up a scavenger hunt across the country for their friends. Who has never organized a scavenger hunt, but should perhaps first start small 😉

After the playable area is determined, you only have to determine the route: best you start with starting point and destination: where should the scavenger hunt begin and where the big prize awaits the participants? For birthday parties or similar gift-giving occasions, it’s a good idea to hide a community gift or a basket full of gifts at the finish line. This is also a great way to turn a gift certificate into a personal and imaginative gift.

How many stops there are in between depends primarily on how long the adult scavenger hunt is to go. (And, of course, how much preparation time you have). 5-10 stations is a good guideline.

The stations do not need to form a straight line on the scavenger hunt area. In fact, it’s just advisable for smaller areas (house, backyard, immediate neighborhood) if you send players crisscrossing the area.

Second Step: Find Hiding Places & Think Up Tasks for Your Scavenger Hunt for Adults

Now it’s time to pick hiding places for the clues and come up with them. If the route and the stations are the skeleton of your scavenger hunt, then the clues and their hiding places are the meat of the whole adventure. So you should spend most of your time and effort on them.

Tip: The easiest way to come up with hiding places and clues is to give your scavenger hunt for adults a specific theme, i.e. a common thread. This ideally relates to the occasion, the main person(s) (birthday boy or girl, wedding couple, etc.) and/or their interests.

Good Hiding Places / Stations for the Scavenger Hunt

House:

• in a flower pot
• between the leaves of a houseplant
• Key board
• toilet cistern
• on a hanging lamp
• in a particular book on a shelf
• in a drawer
• in the oven
• in the refrigerator
• under the carpet
• in the sofa
• under the table

Garden:

• on a tree, e.g. in a branch fork
• flowerbed
• flower pot
• bench
• fountain
• at or under garden gnomes / other garden figures
• in the shed / the arbor
• on the lawn
• between leaves
• at the garden hose
• under a stone
• in a certain bush
• on the terrace
• in a bird’s nest
• under a tree stump
• in rubber boots standing around

Public space:

• Bridge
• statue/monument
• Park bench
• Marketplace
• Snack bar
• Kiosk
• Store
• Library
• Cinema
• City Hall
• Church
• Inn
• Bar
• Playground
• Advertising column
• Zoo
• Park
• Theatre
• Street sign
• Bus stop

In the second and third part of our adult scavenger hunt guide, you’ll learn all about clever puzzles, challenging tasks, pimped hiding places, and other variations of scavenger hunts like geocashing!

Discover more getaway tips on Abenteuer Freundschaft. You’ll also find inspiration for gifts and lots of different ideas for activities with friends, family and your partner on the Leisure Ideas portal.

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