Looking for something different to do with your daughter — a way to spend the day that’s fun, active, and really memorable? Try a scavenger hunt. Impromptu adventures are often the best, but this idea can easily double as your daughter’s next birthday party. Either way, read on to make it happen!
What it is
An on-the-go, half-day adventure that has teams of moms and girls competing to find the most random things in a specified period of time.
How it works
Decide with your daughter whom you’re inviting. Two or three teams of one mom and four girls (including the two of you) works best. You may want to line up your volunteer mom(s) before deciding whom else to invite, as the total number will depend on how many fit in their car(s). Each team will receive a different list of items to find (see below).
They can go to homes (their own, or those of friends, neighbors, or relatives) to grab items, the library to borrow books, or stores to buy the inexpensive things. They can drive as far as they like, but the hitch is the clock is ticking. The first team to home base wins, and all teams must be back by a certain time (aim for two or three hours after the start time). The rest of the evening will be spent laughing, sharing photos, and swapping stories!
What should be on the lists
Small, common things that must be physically brought back (a Snickers, a hotel-size bar of soap, a teddy bear), as well as scarcer and/or larger targets (a pink lawn flamingo, a statue of a historical figure, a woman wearing a blue dress). For these, simply snap a photo with a team member with it as your proof. You can create your lists ahead of time or use ours! We’ve got three ready to go for you — download them here.
Why you should do it
The laughing! You’ll all be roaring for hours. The adults somehow seem to be the ones who get the most into it and lead the team with the funniest antics . . . like when one mom convinces a little old lady coming out of church to let her take a picture in her fascinator, because a flowered hat was the last item on their list! Or the other mom who decided a horse could be interpreted two ways, and had her daughter snap a photo of her astride the pommel horse in the local gymnastics school. It’s hard not to be silly, and that’s a side of you that your daughter probably doesn’t see enough of. Oh, yes. And it costs practically nothing.
How to adapt it for a party
Think of colors and names for the teams, and send invites with team assignments. For example: You’re invited to join the Red Rovers! Wear red to Sara’s Scavenger Hunt Birthday Party. Plan to have pizza and cake when the teams return to home base, and send the girls home with inexpensive picture frames in their team color holding one of the photos of the day as a favor.
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