I have been hosting scavenger hunts for almost 3 years now and I have really learned a lot about the value of grace and flow prior to the start of a hunt.
Many activities you can just jump in when you arrive with no preparation and it works out great. However for my challenging, active scavenger hunts, there are a number of factors that when followed prior to your hunt, will increase your enjoyment and success on this experience.
1. Choose the right time of day. It really is best to start the hunt mid morning to mid afternoon. The reason for this is it does take a decent amount of energy and focus and it can be a lot harder at the end of a travel day or after doing a hard hike. If you are a family and have a tired, cranky kid at the end of the day, its going to be very difficult on an active, challenging activity that requires some positive energy to pull it off. So it is better grace and flow to wake up in a leisurely way and get to the starting point after a nice breakfast. That is a good set up for success.
2. You have uploaded Whats App and we have exchanged a few messages the day or so before your hunt. Yes, I know you are busy traveling but this gets us used to communicating this way and if you are trying to upload or find on me on whats app in the parking lot when the hunt is starting its not a good set up to a relaxed start.
3. I will be asking you for a creative team photo, your team name and after we start a team cheer. These are not random requests. This is the actual start of the game and we can build on these early tasks later. When you have team members that balk at these simple pregame missions, it doesn't bode well for your success.. Sure, you can only do the clues you like and skip this stuff but as an experienced hunt host, people not doing these early tasks makes the much harder ones coming a harder to do, maybe not even possible. Can you imagine going on Wheel of Fortune and tell Pat Sajak you don't really feel like spinning the wheel?
So be ready to be a little silly( not TOO silly, I promise) and to be challenged.
4. Be ready for something different. This isn't like any other hunt out there. So come with a blank slate.
Trust me as your host and together we will co-create this experience. Yes, I design and host it but you are the magical element, when you decide to play full on, there is a lot of joy, creativity and discovery to be had.
