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Game Ideas

Virtual Scavenger Hunts

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Virtual Scavenger Hunts
(aka a Video Conferencing Scavenger Hunt)

CreativeYouthIdeas.com focuses on youth and those who work with youth. But scavenger hunts have been popular with youth, adults, and children for decades. They became more popular with “The Amazing Race” and reality TV shows a few years ago. And today scavenger hunts are as popular as they have ever been. So it doesn’t matter whether you are a youth leader in a church, a leader of a team, or manager of a group of employees. This is something you can use.

Scavenger Hunts take a variety of forms. They have a variety of rules, and you can adjust them for different themes, locations, and age groups. They are great for building community and fostering teamwork. They also allow everyone to exercise a little bit of creativity. They are proven to generate lots of fun and excitement.

Video Conference Scavenger Hunt

I’ve adapted this for the current Covid-19 quarantine conditions present in countries. Play it on a Zoom Call or using any other video conference facility. It works as long as you can see individual participants on the call. You’ll also want to take screenshots so you can share the pictures of this fun activity for later. If you don’t have a video conferencing tool, you can play it using other tools. Simply have everyone take a selfie fulfilling the criteria for each item on the list and send it to you.

CONSIDERATIONS

How do you play the video conference scavenger hunt?

  1. Individual or Team? Everyone on the call can play as individuals with individual scores. Or you can choose to divide everyone into teams and use an accumulated team score instead.
  2. All items at Once or One item at a Time?
    a. All at Once – Give everyone the entire “numbered” list and have them report back within the allocated time. Fulfilled items on the list contribute to the score. Number the list so you can know which item on the list they are trying to fulfill.
    b. One Item at a Time – Give everyone ONE item at a time and have them report back within the allocated time.
  3. Timed?
    a. How long? – Is 1 minute enough time to scavenge for the items? 5 minutes? Impose penalty points for each second/minute they are late appearing on camera.
    b. Early Bonus? – One variation is to provide bonuses for whoever is back on camera early or for the first person back. This speeds up the game.
  4. Unique to Score?
    This is a variation in how you score the scavenger hunt when you encourage multiple items. If anyone else has the same item, then that item does not contribute to the score. In other words, the items displayed must be unique and not shown by anyone else to get the points. For example, imagine if they must collect as many colors of socks as possible. If more than one team has “Black” socks, then no team gets a point for black socks. If only one participant or team has red socks then that scores the point.
  5. Substitutions Allowed?
    I usually do not allow a picture, written words, drawing, or model, of an item as a replacement for the actual item. Can they substitute a photograph of an object for the actual object at 50% of the point value? Can a map wadded up into a ball of paper serve as a creative substitute for a globe and get full credit?

SCORING
How will you Calculating the Score for the Video Scavenger Hunt?

  1. Known or Unknown? Set a specific point value for each item on the list. The score may be known to participants or unknown. You can set a specific point value for simply fulfilling each item on the list. More difficult items could be worth more points than simple items.
  2. One Item, One score? – For most options, each item on the list counts only once for its point value. For example, if the item is a baby picture. Three pictures of you as a baby do not get you extra points. Some items may specify multiples such as “The most buttons.” Then you need to decide, if two buttons are exactly the same, are they counted. Or is it 1 point for each unique type of button?
  3. Bonuses? – Are there bonus points for creativity and quality? You can give Bonus points to the most creative / best entry per item.
  4. Judges – All decisions of judges and facilitators are final.
  5. Tie Breaker? – In the case of a tie, the person or team which was back on camera first is declared the winner.

RULES
What are the Rules for the Video Conference Scavenger Hunt?

  1. One picture, object, situation per item on the list. You don’t get points for duplicates of the same thing.
  2. Get permission if you need an item that belongs to someone else. You don’t want to get in trouble for rummaging through someone else’s possessions. Be sure to return anything borrowed!
  3. Always number your submissions. This helps the judges know which item on the list you are trying to fulfill.
  4. Crude language, inappropriate behavior, and offensive actions are not allowed.

CREATIVE IDEAS FOR THE
VIDEO CONFERENCE SCAVENGER HUNT LIST

Here are some suggested Ideas for the Video Conference Scavenger Hunt. (Be Creative and adjust as needed or create your own ideas)

1. Acting on Camera

  1. Dance Moves – 15 Seconds of Best Dance moves – Best dancer scores the most points
  2. Impersonation – famous or imaginary
  3. Best Standup Comedian Joke
  4. Karaoke Song
  5. Machine sounds with your mouth
  6. Best animal Impersonation

2. Alphabet

  1. One item collected from around the house beginning with each letter of the alphabet. How many can you get in 60 seconds?

3. Animals (Stuffed or Pets)

  1. Display as many animals as possible. Each type of animal is one point.
  2. Biggest stuffed animal
  3. Most unusual animal

4. Buttons

  1. Who has the most loose buttons?
  2. Most buttons of a specific color
  3. Most unusual buttons
  4. Biggest Button

5. Dress Up

  1. As a child, we all dreamed of what we would be when we grow up. Some examples are astronauts, doctors, a chef, a policeman or policewoman, a prince or princess, a movie star. You have 5 minutes to gather your props and appear on camera as the person you wanted to be when you grow up. Creativity counts.
  2. Best Beach outfit
  3. Best Sports Attire
  4. Dress as a Biblical Person
  5. Dress as someone else on this call
  6. Dress up as your favorite superhero
  7. Best Disney Character
  8. Best Traditional costume
  9. Best Halloween costume

6. Books

  1. One point for each book by a specific author
    (Example: Books by Dr. Seuss)
  2. Oldest book
    (According to copyright)
  3. Most books’s in a series

7. Coins

  1. Most coins from other countries. Each country gets one point
  2. Oldest coin
  3. Coin with the year of your birth

8. Colors

  1. How many items can you display of a specific color.
    – Something Lime Green
    – Something turquoise
    – Something Neon Pink
    – Etc

9. Deck of Cards

  1. Who can build the tallest house of cards in 1 minute?
  2. Most decks of Cards – 1 point for each deck
  3. Most unusual deck of cards
  4. Fastest to put them in numerical order and by suit
  5. Fastest to sort them into stacks by number (4 cards of each)

10. Entertainment

  1. Official merchandise of favorite superheroes. 1 point for each superhero represented
  2. Each item from a Disney movie or story counts as one point.
  3. 1 Point for each Disney Cartoon on DVD
  4. 1 point for each DVD with a specific actor in the movie
    (E.g. DVDs with Tom Hanks or DVDs with Robin Williams)
  5. The oldest movie on DVD
  6. Most DVD’s in a series

11. Faces

  1. Happiest Face
  2. Saddest face
  3. Strangest Face
  4. Funniest Face
  5. Most face masks – 1 point for each unique color/ style

12. Food

  1. Most Fast food containers from local take out orders
  2. Most fruits. 1 Point for each type of fruit.
  3. Chips – 1 Point for each brand of chips
  4. Breakfast Cereal. Most types of breakfast cereal. Must be shown in the original boxes.
  5. Candy Crazy – Who has the most candy lying around? 1 Point for each brand or type of candy.
  6. Canned Food – Most unique items of canned food – 1 point for each unique item no one else displays
  7. Longest Expiration Date
  8. Most Unusual Food
  9. Most types of drinks

13. Hats

  1. Wildest Hat
  2. Most hats
  3. Oldest Hat
  4. Ugliest Hat

14. Holiday Decorations

  1. How many types of Holiday Decorations can you round up? Easter. Christmas, etc. 1 Point for each holiday represented.
  2. Christmas Decorations – How many different types of Christmas decorations can you show.
  3. Best dressed up for Christmas
  4. Birthday Party Favors

15. Home

  1. Most house plants
  2. Prettiest house plant
  3. Most unusual house plant
  4. Neatest storeroom
  5. Biggest Sofa
  6. Biggest TV
  7. Cleanest bedroom
  8. Most interesting piece of furniture
  9. Most unusual coffee cup or tea cup
  10. Most Useless Item
  11. Funniest Sign, Poster or Painting

16. Measurements

  1. Most items used to measure something (i.e. ruler, etc)
  2. Something of a specific length
    1. Something that is 1 meter long
    1. Something that is 1 cm thick
    1. Something that holds 1 liter
    1. Something that weighs 1 kilogram

17. Music

  1. Most CD’s by a Specific musical group or artist
  2. Most Musical Instruments. 1 point for each type of musical instrument
  3. Extra points if you can play a song
  4. Biggest speaker system

18. Oldest

  1. Oldest Antique
  2. Oldest Newspaper
  3. Oldest Coin
  4. Oldest Book
  5. Oldest Photo

19. Photographs

  1. Cheesiest Photo of you with someone else
  2. Earliest Photo of you as a baby
  3. Old Photo with the most people in it who are on this call. Cannot be taken today.
  4. Oldest Family Photo

20. Random Items

  1. Beach – Each Item found or used at a beach counts as 1 point
  2. How many inflated balloons can you display in 1 minute?
  3. Baby Items – Each type of item used by a baby is counted as one point
  4. Biblical Items – Most items found in the Bible.

21. Shoes

  1. Most Shoes
  2. Most unusual shoes
  3. Biggest sized shoe
  4. Most worn out shoe

22. Shopping

  1. Largest Shopping bag
  2. Most name brand shopping bags
  3. Highest Priced item – Must clearly show the original price tag
  4. Most shopping receipts
  5. Who has the largest Cardboard Box?
  6. Strangest shaped box
  7. Highest stack of boxes
  8. Highest receipt Amount

23. Shirts

  1. Ugliest Shirt
  2. Funniest slogan on a shirt
  3. Most worn out shirt
  4. Most outdated fashion

24. Socks

  1. Most colors – 1 Point for each color
  2. Most Unusual socks
  3. Ugliest socks

25. Souvenirs

  1. Most souvenirs from places you have travelled with the name of the location printed on it
  2. Most unusual souvenir
  3. Cheesiest souvenir

26. Time

  1. How many clocks do you have? 1 point for each clock.
  2. Most Unusual clock
  3. Oldest clock
  4. Biggest clock

27. Umbrellas

  1. Most umbrellas
  2. Biggest Umbrella
  3. Worst Umbrella
  4. Most Unusual Umbrella

I adapted this idea from my ebook, Creative Scavenger Hunts

Game Ideas

Video Charades

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Charades is a popular party game for a reason. It’s fun. It gives participants a chance to be creative. Everyone loves solving a mystery. And it gives you a chance to be a little crazy. Fortunately, with a few little tweaks, it is also easy to play on a video conference.

Charades can be played, simply for fun, but it can also be used as a teaching tool. When you combine actions with a phrase or keyword, you make it more memorable. You can create categories based on key objects, key characters in a story, important places, or key events.

Introduction
The essence of Charades is pantomimes: you must act out a word or phrase without speaking or making sound effects. This is usually done in person, but it can also be done in an online video meeting.

Adapting for Online Video

Video
The first requirement is a video platform which allows everyone to connect by video. Each participant will need a camera and will need to connect by video. They can connect using a computer, a mobile phone, or even a tablet. Ideally, they will need to have a hands-free video setup. This can be accomplished with a tripod, or by propping the video camera up against a book.

Chat
The second requirement is the ability to group chat via text. Most video platforms will have a text chat option built-in. You can give group instructions via group chat and give the secret phrases to the mime using private chat.

Game Description
In this version, participants all can compete as individuals or as teams.

Game Materials
A numbered list of keywords or phrases. These can be created simply for fun, or they can be extracted from a lesson.

Game Preparation
You will need to create a list of items relating to your lesson. Number the list so that participants can randomly choose one using numbers. You can privately text them the clue so that only they know the next phrase.

Game Play

  1. Divide players into two teams or have them play as individuals.
  2. Choose who will mime first.
  3. In teams, or as individuals, the other players must guess what is being acted out. The mime must rotate so that everyone is required to mime a clue before someone can go again.
  4. Each time a new mime begins, he must choose a number for the next phrase to act out.
  5. A timer can be used or simply set an alarm on your phone or watch. It must be something everyone can hear. You can also simply ring a bell or bang a pan to let people know time is up.
  6. As one person mimes his teammates watch and try to guess the word. In the case of team play, his teammates start shouting out what they think is being portrayed. Players can guess as many times as they want. Guessing is NOT done in turn!
  7. The mime usually starts by indicating through motions (no words allowed) some indication of what they want to mime
  8. They will indicate how many words are in the phrase by holding up the same number of fingers as words. They might also indicate which word they are miming first by holding up a finger for that word. Usually, they will put the number of fingers flat against their arm to indicate the number of syllables in a word.
  9. They can also use other clues along the way to guide the answers:
    • “sounds like”: cup your hand around your ear
    • “little word”: bring your thumb and index fingers closely together.
    • “Longer version of the word”: pretend to stretch an elastic band.
    • “Shorter version of the word”: chop with your hand.
    • “close, keep guessing!”: frantically wave hands to keep the guesses coming.
    • “Knows”: Point to your nose to indicate that someone “knows” the word and is correct.
  10. Continue until all the words in the phrase are correct.
  11. If the Mime’s team guesses correctly before the timer is emptied, the Mime’s team gets one point and post the score in the group chat. It is now the opposing team’s turn to mime and guess a new name or phrase from a new slip of paper.
  12. If the Mime’s team does not guess correctly before the timer is emptied, they do not win the point. The opposing team then gets ten seconds to make one guess to win the point. If the opposing team guesses correctly, they win the point. It is then their turn to mime and guess a new name or phrase. If the opposing team does not guess correctly, no one wins the point. It is now the opposing team’s turn to mime and guess a new name or phrase.
  13. Play then alternates between teams with each phrase to be mimed.
  14. In the case of individual play, everyone else tries to guess and the first person to get the complete correct phrase wins a point. If time runs out no one gets a point.
  15. At the end of gameplay or the end of your clues, the team with the most correct guesses wins!
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