Scavenger Hunt Birthday Party for Teens

A scavenger hunt birthday party is a fun and active way to celebrate your teen's birthday. It is a great way to get them and their friends moving and having fun

Teens are often the most difficult among us to impress. Too old for many of the theme party ideas that often appeal to younger children and not quite old enough to appreciate some of the more entertaining adult party themes there seem to be very few options available for awesome teen birthday parties that will go down in record books.

 If you are looking for something a little new and different to do this year, try an Amazing Race sort of scavenger hunt for your teen's birthday.

 Be sure to have interesting prizes and a gift for the birthday boy or girl to give in the name of the winners..

Planning the Party

This is a party that needs to be planned ahead of time as permission may need to be given by parents for some of the more exciting scavenged items.

 It's also a good idea to discuss this with other parents as they may have a few great suggestions for items that must be obtained in search of the holy birthday party Amazing Race grail.

 Keep the prizes simple and fun and keep the goals for each leg of the race challenging enough to be entertaining but something that can be accomplished without risking life and limb. Make sure that there is a little more to the challenge than having to go from one house or store to the next and buy, beg, or borrow items.

 Make some of the items things that must be carefully considered and well planned on behalf of the winning team. This makes the entire process more fun for everyone and a birthday party theme that will be remembered.

The first step is to plan the party. You will need to decide on the following:
·         The date and time of the party
·         The location of the party
·         The theme of the party
·         The clues for the scavenger hunt
·         The prizes for the winners

The Date and Time of the Party
The date and time of the party will depend on your teen's schedule and the availability of the location.

The Location of the Party
The location of the party can be indoors or outdoors. If you are having the party indoors, you will need to choose a location that is large enough for the number of guests. If you are having the party outdoors, you will need to choose a location that is safe and has plenty of space for the scavenger hunt.

The Theme of the Party
The theme of the party can be anything your teen wants. Some popular themes include:
·         A mystery theme
·         A treasure hunt theme
·         A sports theme
·         A movie theme
·         A book theme

The Clues for the Scavenger Hunt
The clues for the scavenger hunt can be anything you want. Some popular clues include:
·         Riddles
·         Puns
·         Anagrams
·         Codes
·         Maps

The Prizes for the Winners
The prizes for the winners can be anything you want. Some popular prizes include:
·         Gift cards
·         Candy
·         Toys
·         Games
·         Movies

The Party
On the day of the party, you will need to set up the location and the scavenger hunt. You will also need to have the prizes ready for the winners.

The Scavenger Hunt
The scavenger hunt can be as simple or as complex as you want. You can have the guests work in teams or individually.

The Winners
The winners of the scavenger hunt are the first team or individual to find all of the clues.

The most important thing to remember when planning a party such as this is to keep safety a first priority.

 If possible it is probably best to divide into teams and have one adult per team (even if the teens are old enough to drive) you definitely want to make sure that the parents of every teen involved is aware of what will be going on and that you have contact information for everyone.

This can be a lot of fun, especially if you get the parents of your child to participate by issuing challenges of their own, or becoming a "pit stop" for the process. It's a great way for the parents to be involved and a lot of fun for them as well.
Finish the event with pizza, cake, and video footage (that you planned ahead of time) of the festivities from one location to the next.

It should make for an excellent night to remember not only for your teen but all the other teens involved in your Amazing Race birthday party.

This sort of party is a little more costly then some others may be (unless you plan very carefully). You also might want to include a couple of crafty activities in the Amazing Race or as part of the scavenger hunt in order to prolong some of the events and hand out disposable cameras to each team in order to "capture" some memories and create a scrapbook of the Amazing Race.

If you have a scanner and printer you can make a scrapbook for each guests to take home.
The most important thing about a party of this sort is that you use your imagination to keep things safe and entertaining for all involved.

The Amazing Race/scavenger hunt party has the potential to be a special memory for your teen and his or her friends for years to come.

Go with the flow and remember that it's about fun. If something goes wrong for some reason just pick up and move on to the next event rather than getting bogged down in the details.

One word of caution, plan to have plenty of food on hand regardless. A gaggle of hungry teens can go through plenty of food and pop in an amazingly short space of time.

The End
A scavenger hunt birthday party is a fun and active way to celebrate your teen's birthday. It is a great way to get them and their friends moving and having fun.