Scavenger hunts
Scavenger hunts: a little curiosity goes a long way
A scavenger hunt is a game where players look for a list of objects, details or challenges. You can collect answers, take photographs or simply tick off discoveries. Choose a place, agree the rules and start looking.
Seek for iPhone · Today’s Daily Seek is free · Additional hunts require Seek+
How to play a scavenger hunt
Start with the people and place, then choose a list that fits. Five prompts can fill a short break; a longer list gives you more to explore. Agree what counts as a find before starting.
- Choose a safe area and a meeting point.
- Give everyone the same list, or work through one together.
- Decide whether to use a timer.
- Record each find with a photo or a tick.
- Compare discoveries and finish together.
Choose the kind of hunt you want
An object hunt asks for recognisable things, such as a chair or a leaf. An observation hunt asks for qualities: something curved, a repeated pattern or an interesting shadow. A clue-led treasure hunt usually follows a sequence towards a final answer or prize.
For a photo scavenger hunt, leave each object in place and photograph it. Multiple players can find the same thing without taking it away from the next person.
A nine-item hunt to try now
Use these open-ended prompts at home or on a familiar walk. Swap anything that does not fit the area.
- Something yellow
- A reflection
- A repeated pattern
- Something round
- An interesting shadow
- A letter on a sign or label
- Something useful
- Two different textures together
- A detail you had not noticed before
Add competition—or leave room to wander
For a homemade competition, award one point per completed prompt. Agree a tie-breaker, such as the most unexpected interpretation, before you play. Keep everyone inside the same boundary.
You can also remove the timer and aim to complete the list together. In Seek, Explorer has no timer; Speed Rush, Trailblazer and Classic offer timed alternatives.
Play it with Seek
Seek is a real-world photo scavenger hunt game for iPhone. It supplies prompts, checks photographs and awards points. Play solo, with friends or at a chosen place.
Today’s Daily Seek is free. Additional hunts and group play require Seek+. You need an internet connection for the app’s generation and photo checks.
Questions before you play
Scavenger hunt or treasure hunt: what is the difference?
A scavenger hunt usually has several things to find in any order. A treasure hunt usually follows connected clues towards a final destination or prize. The names sometimes overlap.
Do you have to collect objects?
No. You can photograph your finds and leave everything where it belongs.
Can adults play scavenger hunts?
Yes. Use more interpretive prompts, a shorter timer or harder-to-spot details to change the challenge.
Let Seek handle the hunt.
Find it. Snap it. Score it. Start with today’s free Daily Seek.
