Treasure hunts are a simple and fun way to spend time with your children, build team spirit among your employees or have a good time with friends and family. This type of competition motivates individuals or teams to collaborate and develop their ingenuity.
Find out how to organise a memorable treasure hunt in this article:
Summary
1. Establish a general theme
Your treasure hunt will be more fun if it is themed, especially if you choose the theme taking into account the interests of the attendees.
If you are organising a treasure hunt for a child who likes pirates, organise your game and riddles around this theme.
Short of ideas? Here are some options: Disney princesses, dinosaurs, ancient Egypt, the jungle, Indiana Jones, carnival, camping, fairies, mysteries, current affairs, TV programmes, video games, etc.
For a corporate event, you can choose a more neutral theme, such as the 80s, sports or wine. You can use an easy-to-use and quick-to-set-up online registration solution to better organise and prepare for your treasure hunt.
2. Prepare the clues
Players must use the clues you have prepared to get from one place to another. Look for clues on the internet to use them as they are or for inspiration, or you can also make them up, adapting them to the age of the players.
- For adult players, as they need more complex clues, puzzles work very well.
- For younger players, you can use fun clues, such as rhymes or songs. If the players are young children, you can use photos as clues.
Choose an appropriate number of clues depending on your available time and the number of players. Pay special attention to ensure that the clues are related to the theme of your treasure hunt.
3. Create original and meaningful prizes
Choose prizes related to the treasure hunt theme. Need ideas about what to give as a prize? Here are some of them:
- For a general audience: candy, pencils, toys, chocolate money, light necklaces, tickets to sporting events and larger prizes such as holidays can be offered as prizes.
- For companies: gift vouchers (FNAC, Decathlon…), bottles of wine, chocolates, gourmet hampers, books…
If you plan to serve snacks or treats, ask if any players have allergies or other dietary restrictions. This is part of the general safety precautions before organising your treasure hunt.
4. Hide the clues
When handing out clues around the house, office or outdoor area, ensure the players do not see you doing so. If children are playing, ensure they can safely access the clues and that their height does not prevent them from finding them. Place the clues in different places, away from each other.
5. Why organise a company treasure hunt?
What skills are developed through a treasure hunt? A team-building event is a complex company event. You can organise an entertaining activity, but it has to have a purpose. The advantage of a treasure hunt is that it is an original event, which takes place in a group and is relatively easy to organise. The puzzles and mini-games that can be included allow almost all the objectives of a team-building activity to be achieved: team cohesion, improved communication and, of course, fun.
- Group cohesion and effective work:
The treasure hunt is, first and foremost, a game of teamwork. This activity provides a suitable framework to improve the group’s competencies and enable them to work collaboratively. Group cohesion is also strengthened by meeting new people and collaborating in a different way. It is often advisable to mix teams from different departments so that employees can meet new people in a fun environment. - Communication and performance:
Team-building exercises, such as treasure hunts, require communication between attendees. The treasure hunt must be methodical to avoid getting lost in the details. Your team members must show active listening and organisational skills to beat the opposing teams. Therefore, this original game can be a way to boost an organisation’s productivity and its members’ performance.
So a treasure hunt is a unique activity that requires good organisation, whether it is for your employees, your children or for a specific event.
Weezevent’s tools offer quick and easy options for managing a treasure hunt, such as online registration and attendee management.
