How to Plan a Fun Scavenger Hunt Birthday Party - Other

Parents may wonder how to plan a scavenger hunt birthday party for a pirate themed party. Scavenger hunts are very versatile and can actually be created for any theme and any age child. Here are 5 simple steps that will create a memorable birthday party for the guests and the guest of honor.

1. Choose a theme 2. Choose a location 3. Choose a type 4. Make a list5. Gather and prepare the supplies

Choose a Theme

Scavenger hunts can be extremely versatile and can be created for any theme. Using a party theme will help tie the whole party together from the invitations to handing out prizes. Pirate themes are popular and hunting for secret treasure can be a lot of fun. Other parties themes that can be used to create a fun scavenger hunt include:

Diva - this works really well at a mall where they can 'shop' for items on the list Cowboy - Participants must 'round up' the items on the list Mystery - Guests must find the 'clues' to solve the mystery Dinosaur - archeologists must 'dig up' the items on the list

There are many more themes that can be used for any birthday party. Use imagination to create a scavenger hunt to go along with the theme.

Choose a Location for Your Scavenger Hunt Birthday Party

It is important when planning a scavenger hunt to choose a good location. If the party is held at home the hunt could be inside the house, in the yard or even in the neighborhood. Keep the ages of the kids in mind and don't give them to large of an area to work in if they are very young. Scavenger hunts can also be done on location at almost any venue. There are many different places that host birthday parties and adding a scavenger hunt to the activities available can get the kids to really explore the area. A perfect example is a zoo or aquarium where the kids have to 'find' certain animals or other exhibits.

Choose A Type of Scavenger Hunt

Not all scavenger hunts will require participants to bring back specific items. Consider handing out digital cameras to each team and requiring a picture of the items. Another possibility is to get signatures from individuals. This works well when using a list that requires asking people about things. An example is a birthday party at a science museum or children's museum. The guests can get signatures from staff when they find a specific fact or item.

Make a List of Items for the Scavenger Hunt

The length of the list will depend on how long the hunt should last and the age of the participants. Grade school kids can find 5 - 7 items. Middle school kids do well with 7 - 12 items and high school ages probably won't need more than 15 items. 10 items will probably take about 1 hour to find so plan accordingly. If the hunt is not at home go to the location and scout around. Make sure items that are chosen are easy for the age group. Think about height, reading ability and what interests that age. Make a list that is longer than the final list so that there options when making a final list for the game.

Gather the Supplies for the Scavenger Hunt

There are some items that are helpful to provide for each team that is participating in the hunt. If they need to bring items back to show provide a bag that is large enough to carry everything. This can be a decorated bag that fits with the theme or just a paper grocery bag. Provide a clipboard to write on for each team. It is also a good idea to print in large print at the top of the list "Birthday Scavenger Hunt" The participants can show this to anyone who is questioning why they are running around like crazy asking people for stuff. For a photo scavenger hunt provide disposable digital cameras for each team.

Now that all of the plans have been made it is time to sit back and enjoy the game. Give prizes to the winners and if it is a photo hunt it can be fun to print out the photos and send them home with the participants.

Automatic blog by iAutoblog