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Scavenger Hunt

"The social aspects of an activity can help reduce a person's self-consciousness, increase his self-confidence, stimulate interaction with other people, and generate interest in new subjects by providing those who take part with fun, enjoyment, and a sense of membership or anonymity." (Activities Coordinator's Guide, Department of Health, Education & Welfare)


Get to know each other scavenger Hunt
submitted by Stephie D. Mullis on 9-24-14

Find someone who has jumped out of an airplane
Find someone who has been finger printed by the police
Find someone who has visited Italy
Find someone who was born outside of the United States.

 


Independent Scavenger Hunt
submitted by Debbie Jerge of Activity Director - Bassett Manor Assisted Living on March 29, 2009

Size of Group: unlimited

Equipment: paper & pen

Objective: Residents move throughout facility for physical activity. Residents become more aware of their surroundings. Can be done independently

Description: (This is especially good for the residents when activity personnel are off).
Walk through your facility and make a list of items for example: picture of a barn, EXIT sign, brown floor lamp etc. On YOUR list write item & location. Then mix the items up on a list so that they are not all in an order to be found. Put maybe 15 items on the list and leave a blank for resident to fill in it's location. If they turn in completed & correct answers I give out prizes-mini candy bars or ?? This gives residents a reason to walk through entire facility and makes them more aware of their surroundings.


 

THE BASIC SCAVENGER HUNT

GROUP SIZE: any number

EQUIPMENT: clue sheets for participants

DESCRIPTION: Each individual in the group is given a list of items to collect. The first person or team to collect all items and submit them is usually the winner. Listed below are different types of scavenger hunts that may be planned.

EXPECTED OUTCOME: Increased social interaction and communication.


MAGAZINE SCAVENGER HUNT
submitted by Debbie VanMeter of Fairfield Adult Medical Day Care Center on January 20, 2000

Objective: Increased communication,cognitive and fine motor skills.

Description: Provide each participant with a couple of magazines and then call out items for them to locate in the magazine. A point is given for each item found and shown to the leader before move on to next item. Items to hunt.... picture of a house, car, family, baby, angel, flowers, plants, trees, bride, recipe, dog, cat, wild animal, children, T.V., desert, perfume, man in a suit, box or bowl of cereal, computer....


PHOTO SCANVENGER HUNT

Teams are given assignments to collect photographs using a Polaroid camera. Here are some example assignments:

1) visit your local tattoo parlor and get a picture of the group pretending to get a tattoo
2) visit the Chinese restaurant and get a picture of the group with the owner
3) visit a pond or lake and pretend like the group is going to dive into the pool
4) visit a play ground and have the group sit/pose on a play equipment
5) visit a pet store and get a picture with an animal
6) go to the airport and get a picture with a stranger

Make up your own categories/assignments. Each team can have different assignments. When done, each team meets at a local fast food place to share pictures, stories and fries.

The driver must not speed, and there should be no time requirements for points.


WEEK LONG SCAVENGER HUNT:

Participants are given a list of items to collect. They have a full week to collect these items. Teams with most items found is the winner.


SIGNATURE SCAVENGER HUNT

Participants hunt autographs of various people (staff, volunteers, & residents). Set your own time limit.


PUZZLE HUNT

Set up various puzzles through-out the facility. Teams of participants must locate each puzzle with a map of the facility showing the locations of the puzzles. Once at the site, the teams must solve the puzzle. After all puzzles are solved (or not solved), they return to the activity room to determine the winner. Give different point values for different puzzles and for the 1st team to finish. This program is for higher functioning clients. Keep the puzzles fun and solvable. Add your own rules to make the activity running smoothly (like "no running to and from puzzle sites").


NATURE SCAVENGER HUNT

If you don't have access outdoors, bring nature indoors. Give participants a list of items "stored" at each nurse's station, administrative offices, etc. There, participants can find twigs, rocks, flowers, etc.


HOLIDAY THEME SCAVENGER HUNT

St. Patrick's Day, Valentine's Day... all present opportunities to set-up a the med hunt.


THINGS TO HUNT....

  1. signatures of various people
  2. an old menu from the cafeteria/dining room
  3. newspaper ad for a tire
  4. magazine ad for a perfume
  5. any Dear Abby column
  6. a paper clip
  7. eraser shavings
  8. the word GAME from any published magazine or newspaper
  9. a self-portrait
  10. a completed crossword puzzle

 

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