Outdoor scavenger hunts can be one of the most fun ways to plan a scavenger hunt activity with your friends and family, your students, or your coworkers.
There are so many team building skills that can be reinforced in a scavenger hunt, and your teams will have tons of fun throughout the expericne. If you have been trying to get your group of students or coworkers to bond and get some practice at problem-solving, this is the ideal way to make that a reality.
Making sure that you have the right clues and riddles to use for your hunt is important. In this guide, we'll make sure you have the best ideas, clues, and riddles to plan the perfect outdoor scavenger hunt.
If you're ready to learn more about how to create the best outdoor scavenger hunt around, keep reading!
What are outdoor scavenger hunt clues?
Outdoor scavenger hunt clues are clever phrasings that indicate where an item may be located in an outdoor scavenger hunt but often in a mystifying way that requires some problem-solving.
Outdoor scavenger hunts are planned to take place outdoors, and they are the perfect way to keep busy kids outside having fun or to get adults out of the office or the classroom to take a break. Outdoor hunts can make sure that everyone gets to enjoy the nice weather and explore outdoor areas.
How to Plan an Outdoor Scavenger Hunt
Planning an outdoor scavenger hunt can be really fun. If you have a large place to work with, you can send your teams on an extensive hunt, but even if you have a small space, you can keep them busy for hours. The space that you have to work with will dictate some of what you can send your teams to hunt, so you will need to consider how likely it will be that they will find the things that you have tasked them to look for.
Another factor that you will obviously have to think about is the weather. Clearly, you won't want to run on an outdoor scavenger hunt if the weather is likely to be very cold or very wet. This is often the type of scavenger hunt that is ideal for the summer or the fall when the weather is typically the most ideal or in geographies that commonly see good weather.
Breaking up the monotony of time indoors can be a really nice break for everyone, and it can also offer the chance to write really clever and fun clues for your teams to hunt with. Make sure that you think about the season and that you include the right kinds of clues for winter, spring, summer, or fall. It can be really hard to find certain animals and certain plants during specific seasons, so you will make it much harder for your teams if you do not think about this in advance.
Outdoor Scavenger Hunt Clues and Ideas
The first thing you'll need for your outdoor scavenger hunt is a general theme or area for your hunt. Below are some ideas to get the juices flowing.
1. Take to the City
Metropolitan areas are the perfect backdrop for a team building scavenger hunt for adults. Iconic landmarks, foodie favorites, art, history, and cultural spots can quickly set up the perfect trail of adventure for any scavenger hunt.
2. Get back to Nature
Make a list of animals and plants that people should be able to find in your scavenger hunt area. You will need to be sure that the things that are on your list are common enough that they are relatively easy to find (though you'll definitely want to mix in some more difficult items as well)
3. Drawing Hunt
If you're looking for something pretty basic but with a little extra layer of engagement, have your teams not only find the items but also make a quick sketch. This does not have to be artistic or elaborate, just a small line drawing will do, but extra points can be given for really good drawings.
4. Photo and Video Hunt
Just give your teams a list of things that require snapping photos or recording videos. Maybe encourage participants to include themselves in each submission with a selfie. The first team to get all the things checked off wins!
5. Ready, Set, Art!
Have your teams collect items that can be used to make art, and then have them race back and create something cool with their collected sticks, leaves, and other items.
6. Winter Wonderland Walk
If you are planning a scavenger hunt in the winter, don't be discouraged by colder weather. Winter and the coinciding holidays can serve as the perfect foundation for your hunt. With so many festivities this time of year, you can even narrow this into more of a holiday hunt.
Outdoor Scavenger Hunt Riddles
- Following the clues can be tough, but this is easy! You need to just follow your feet! Answer: look in some shoes
- Some of us might be little, and some of us might be big, but we all save the earth every day. Answer: trees
- I love to eat grass, and I can run on gas. Answer: lawnmower
- I hold your junk and make it go away. I keep messes off the stress. Answer: trash can
- This is a house that is built for a car, but you might also use it to welcome you in the door. Answer: garage
- I can be thin or flat, or even round. I come in lots of colors, and you can pick me up off the ground. Answer: rock
- Most days you climb on me. All you have to do is bend a knee. Answer: stairs
- I might play and scamper or sometimes hide. I have a fluffy tail that is can get very wide. Answer: squirrel
- I come on when things get dark. You will be able to trust me to light up the park. Answer: lamp
- You can find me laying on the floor. I welcome you at the door. Answer: door mat
Outdoor Scavenger Hunt Clues for Kids
- I get bigger when I eat and I get weak when I drink. Answer: fire
- Sometimes I bring good news and sometimes bad. I can also be filled with junk. Answer: mailbox
- I can be tall or short and I come in many colors. Without us, the world would be dull and drab. Answer: flowers
- Sometimes we are above and sometimes we are down. We offer the trees a splendid crown. Answer: leaves
- Back and forth I can take you, higher and higher until you nearly fly. Answer: swing
- Black and white or maybe red and blue. When the wind blows, I can wave to you. Answer: a flag
- I can keep people in or out, and I can be built strong and stout. Answer: wall
- I might hold the future inside my sticks and feathers. Answer: bird’s nest
- I am black and noisy and sometimes portend evil. Answer: crow
- I am an invention that can help you to see through walls. Answer: window
- I might hop and feel squishy, but I can also sing a song that everyone knows. Answer: frog
- I wave in the breeze and smell nice when cut. Answer: grass
- I look like someone famous, or maybe art. I am firm and strong and stand for years. Answer: statue
- I come in various sizes and can be used to make baskets, fires, and more. Answer: stick
- I might burble and sing and I can reflect the sky. Answer: fountain
Outdoor Scavenger Hunt Clues for Adults
- I have four legs and no feet. When you get tired I can offer you a seat. Answer: bench
- Stretch me far and fill up a trough, I can also be used to cool you off. Answer: hose
- In a place like this, a dog can sleep. It might be empty but dogs think this is pretty neat. Answer: doghouse
- With two wheels I can roll and I can take you where you want to go. Answer: a bike
- I can swing open and I can lock up tight. When I am locked, I keep you safe at night. Answer: fence gate
- I can keep people dry when the weather is wet. I can also blow away if the wind picks up. Answer: umbrella
- I can go by lots of names, but I am perfect for when you want a seat. Answer: outdoor furniture
- I can fly and sing a pretty song. I can be yellow and black, or blue and red. Answer: songbirds
- I might sing a little song as I roll along, or I might sit in place and offer colorful signs. Answer: food or ice cream truck
- I am fluffy and white and fly through the sky. Find a unique one of me and take a pic! Answer: cloud
Outdoor Scavenger Hunts for the Win
If you have never planned a scavenger hunt, an outdoor scavenger hunt can be the best way to get your feet wet. This is a really great way to get your scavenger hunters to have fun together and learn about each other and grow in their ability to work together.
If you're looking for an innovative, immersive, and professional team building scavenger hunt, make sure you check out Scavify's scavenger hunt app. We make the process of planning and hosting a hunt for any group super simple while bringing it to the next level with photos, videos, GPS check-ins, QR codes, trivia, and more. The app and platform tracks, automates, and manages everything for you.
