Scavenger Hunt Updates

One of my most viewed posts on this blog is about scavenger hunts, so I’d like to give an update since I have been doing them for about two years now.

Everyone has adored the hunts at my library. The teen and adult librarians have even created their own hunts to go along with the children's ones. We consistently have three hunts available for different age groups, and sometimes, we have four or five if special events are happening.

I still design everything in Canva because it’s easy to reuse and create new designs when they’re all in one place. All of the items are about the size of my palm, and most have some sort of background to help make them more visible. Since most guests know about the hunts now, I haven’t had an item go missing in a long time. I also make sure to keep them away from the play area, since those tend to get picked up by little hands.

Last summer, I decided to host extra hunts since the kids were complaining about doing the same one over and over again. I asked other staff members if they’d like to dip their toes into designing scavenger hunts, and many were excited to help. I broke up the summer months so that each hunt would be available for about two weeks. Staff members signed up for the weeks they wanted and picked a theme. I created a blank document for them to copy and included detailed instructions on how I run the hunts, in case they felt unsure. This was a great experience all around, because I learned from them how to make my process easier, and I had much less work to do since they were leading the charge. None of the people who helped were programmers, so this gave them a chance to experience what I do as well.

Lastly, my library system partnered with OKC Broadway to give out free tickets to their shows. We decided to promote this through additional scavenger hunts, with a few extra ones featuring plays like Beetlejuice.

I’ve started spending a bit more money on prizes. The kids have shifted towards little trinkets rather than things like stickers. I've ordered things like bubble wands, bouncy balls, pencils, and tiny ducks. They all seem to be well liked.

Below are the hunts that I’ve used over the past year. Some are repeats from the last post, and some are ones my coworkers created. Feel free to use any of these ideas for your own hunts!

  

  

 

  

  

  

  

  

 

Takeaway

The families that come to the library love the hunts. Many have made it a part of their library routine and ask for certain themes. I constantly have guests telling me how much they love them.