How To Have An Indoor Scavenger Hunt In The Winter Months 


How To Have An Indoor Scavenger Hunt In The Winter Months 

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The cold temperature of the winter months is no joke! While the snow outside may look beautiful and inviting, once you step foot out in the winter wonderland, it’s safe to say that the time you can actually spend outside dramatically decreases. No one likes the continual feeling of their nostrils freezing together, right?

Luckily, there are ways to have fun indoors when it’s just too darn cold to spend a lot of time outside! That’s right…This winter, it’s time for you and your family to have indoor scavenger hunt fun, no matter where you are!

If you are looking for a way to introduce the concept of fun to yourself and your crew without having to worry about your actual indoor location, here are some crazy fun and simple indoor scavenger hunt tips for you!

Indoor Scavenger Hunt Fun for the Winter Months

Any time that you enter a building or a store, adventure awaits! You can literally turn ANY errand into an indoor scavenger hunt!

Be Like Santa…Make A List And Check It Twice!

All good scavenger hunts need a list. Let’s focus on the mall as a prime example. Yes, the mall is great on its own, but once you add in the excitement of “looking” for certain things, the mall will suddenly take on a whole new feel. Having a list makes this happen!

The great part about scavenger hunts? You can literally make it however you want! For your Mall Scavenger Hunt, the focus could be on shoes, jewelry or even scents…by planning ahead and making a list, you’re taking charge of setting it up to be a success.

Save Money And Use Your Camera Instead.

While it may be tempting to have everyone buy the items on your created scavenger hunt list, that just isn’t affordable to do! Instead, remind everyone to bring a camera (or use their cell phone camera) to just take pictures of the items. It’s a simple way to document that they were found! And it’s the perfect way to have that “proof” without anyone having to spend a dime!

Have Your Prize Planned Out Beforehand!

I’m just gonna say this once…but people love scavenger hunts. And that love is often followed up by a true competitiveness to want to win. I don’t know what it is, but it’s like something “clicks” inside those hunters. They suddenly seem to have their eye on the prize.

Before handing out the scavenger hunt lists to your participating members, make certain that you already know exactly what the prize is going to be. It doesn’t have to be anything pricey or astronomical! It just needs to be known and communicated so they know what they are trying to win.

Some great prizes for scavenger hunts that won’t break the bank? A $10 gift card to the mall, a coffee from Starbucks, a pound of candy from the candy store…you get the idea! And if you’re feeling really generous, you could even have a prize for the top two or three hunters as well. That just depends on how nice you’re feeling!

Be Respectful Of Your Surroundings During The Scavenger Hunt. 

No matter where you decide to hold the scavenger hunt, make certain that everyone follows the rules. No running, yelling, pushing…and be aware of those around as well. Having an indoor scavenger hunt should be fun for everyone, even those who are just on the sidelines watching!

Indoor Scavenger Hunt Ideas

  • Home items like pantry items, toiletries, dvd’s?, specific shoes, stuffed animals, people or places in photos hung up or placed around.
  • Grocery Store can be a scavenger hunt for sure.  Try items like exotic fruits unlikely to be bought regularly, name tags of deli staff, ice cream flavors, ingredients on foods, signage,
  • Mall, pick one area or store depending on your age group. Similar to grocery stores, nametags, brand items or unusual items not usually bought by your crowd.
  • Restaurant, think decor, nametags, menu items, cars in parking lots, etc..
  • Library (quietly shhhhh) book names, signage.  I’m certain your librarian will have loads of great ideas for you!

This winter, take the fun and games inside with an indoor scavenger hunt. But be aware…they are addictive! So much so that you and your crew may start making every errand outing a blank canvas for hours of scavenger hunt fun!

Matt R

Hi, my name is Matt and I'm the founder of Barefoot Budgeting. This site is dedicated to one thing... helping you budget and save money.

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