If social distancing has taught us anything, we now know that—when done right—virtual games and other fun activities can be just as enjoyable as in-person gatherings. Video calls can be used for birthday parties, high school reunions, date nights, team-building events, family bonding, or just a casual night with friends. If you’re looking for a way to spend quality time with your favorite people, our virtual scavenger hunt ideas offer a fun way to get the gang together for an event to remember!
A Virtual Scavenger Hunt at Your Fingertips
When you’re ready for adventure and don’t have time to plan a DIY event, why not try one of our in-home adventures? Visit the ScavengerHunt.com store to grab an explorer pass for more frequent fun, or add a multi-home party pack to compete with friends and family!
What is a virtual scavenger hunt?
A virtual scavenger hunt is like a traditional scavenger hunt, but clues are delivered online. These hunts use video conferencing software, like Zoom, Google Meet (formerly Hangouts), or other custom interfaces to connect peers or loved ones around the globe.
Virtual hunts require a list of items to be found or things to be done, much like a treasure hunt. Each challenge is timed and activities can be done online or completed separately, with proof of completion posted to a central site or app. An Internet scavenger hunt is often considered a virtual hunt, but a virtual hunt doesn’t necessarily need to be fully done online.
While the list of things to do can differ greatly, clues often require some amount of problem-solving. They can even be delivered in the form of tricky riddles, like these scavenger hunt riddles for tweens. When it comes to a virtual experience, the trick is finding ways to allow people to compete remotely.
What are the benefits of a virtual scavenger hunt?
Scavenger hunts are always a blast, but virtual hunts offer the option to connect with others online. This expands your options, as far as your guest list is concerned. You can create an event to host friends, family, or coworkers around the world.
They give participants a way to make the most of their time at home, get interactive, and have some laughs. Everyday objects and surroundings become your props and playground.
Virtual scavenger hunts can be used as educational tools, team-building exercises, onboarding events, or just for a fun night in.
How do you win a virtual scavenger hunt?
There are a couple of different ways to score points and win a virtual scavenger hunt.
1. Competitors can send proof or answers to the event facilitator without typing or speaking them aloud. Rather than offer points for each task, successfully completing one challenge simply earns you the clue for the next task.
2. Participants can blurt out answers or send pics/videos as soon as they’re ready, thereby collecting the points and ending that particular challenge.
The second option is more interactive than the first.
The winner of a virtual scavenger hunt is either the person who racks up the most points (in total) or finishes the entire hunt before anyone else.
Virtual Scavenger Hunt Task Ideas
When doing an online scavenger hunt, it’s important that the challenges are tasks that can be shown in a selfie, pic, or video. They must be able to be done quickly and (above all) should be interesting and entertaining! For example:
1. Recreate the last pic in your device’s camera roll.
2. Share a video of a pet performing a trick.
3. Find a deserted building using Google Maps/Street View.
4. Go get a piece of fruit and eat it before the timer ends.
5. Balance a book on your head and walk around the room.
Virtual Scavenger Hunt Task Themes
1. Virtual Photo Scavenger Hunt
A hunt for pictures works really well for a virtual event! All you need is a set of prompts for photos that can be taken in any location. Give attendees a time limit to produce a pic.
You can challenge attendees to take scenic shots or find objects and show proof with pics. If you want a funny virtual scavenger hunt, try specifying ridiculous poses and let the hilarity ensue! For example, participants might be asked to provide photos:
- attempting a headstand
- doing an Elvis Presley pose
- imitating the face of a funny emoji
- showing off their two favorite kitchen utensils
- donning a recreation of a popular dress from the Met Gala
For more suggestions on themes and clues, check out this ultimate guide to photo scavenger hunts.
2. Virtual Google Maps Scavenger Hunt
This is one of our favorite virtual scavenger hunt ideas for the classroom. To set up this hunt, find some interesting places on Google Maps before the video call begins. Then, send in the clues for each location to your attendees during the call. Each participant must guess which location the clue is pointing to and look up the place on Google Maps. The person that finds the location first, wins the round.
Check out these fantastic printable scavenger hunts created by teachers, for teachers!
3. Virtual Color Scavenger Hunt
This activity doesn’t involve fiddling around with gadgets too much—even those who aren’t very tech-savvy will enjoy the color hunt. This is also one of the best scavenger hunts for the little ones.
The premise is simple. During the video call, shout out a color to the rest of the group. They have 30 seconds to find something around them that has the same color. They must show it to the others on the call to win a point.
To make things a little tougher, come up with other combinations that your attendees have to find. For instance, ask them to find something with blue polka dots or red stripes. Online games like this are ideal to help children learn colors and patterns.
4. Virtual Number Scavenger Hunt
A numbers hunt is similar to a color hunt, but it uses numbers in prompts instead. During the hunt, give each attendee a shot at picking a number between 1 and 10. Apply that number to a prompt on your list. For example, ask them to show you five round objects.
Fun games are the best educational tools. Plus, the funnier the objects, the more entertaining the hunt will be!
5. Virtual Trivia Scavenger Hunt
Everybody loves a good dose of trivia! For such virtual scavenger hunt ideas, pick random trivia questions from the internet and create a list of clues. As each question is read aloud, participants will be given a certain amount of time to guess. The first person to give the right answer collects the points for that round.
Try to make the questions difficult enough that the answer isn’t known by anyone offhand. The trickier, the better.
Trivia hunts make great virtual team-building activities, especially for remote teams and new hires. As an alternative, you could make questions about the company. Have employees search the corporate website for answers
6. Virtual Re-Enactment Scavenger Hunt
Face off with friends as you re-enact famous photos, movie scenes, and memorable moments at home. The catch is that the attendees never know what’s coming and they have to find costumes and other materials around the house.
Your virtual guests might be tasked with dressing as popular characters in cartoons or trying to gather props to imitate a popular painting. The possibilities are endless! Points can be given to the fastest or participants can vote on the best each round.
7. Virtual Social Media Scavenger Hunt
For this hunt, all the prompts must involve going through social media posts, be it on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Therefore, it works best when a call is made up of a group of people who are already social media friends. Each task will involve finding a photo, video, story, or status that meets certain criteria.
For example, you can ask your attendees to find out a photo of someone playing ice hockey, a summer vacation pic, or someone doing a shot. Points can be assigned to each task and the participant who accumulates the most points wins!
8. Virtual Wikipedia Scavenger Hunt
If your friends love deep dives on the internet, they’ll love Wikipedia virtual scavenger hunts. Each challenge should include two seemingly unrelated Wikipedia pages. The idea is that each scavenger hunt participant must try to come up with a way to get to the second page from the first one, only by clicking and following related links. The first person to do it wins the points for that task.
The more random the pages and unbelievable the connection, the more fun the game is. In case two or more players make their way to the second page at the same time, compare to see which player had fewer clicks.
Wikipedia hunts can be made into effective team-building exercises, especially if a job entails research or Internet savviness. They’re also a terrific twist on an otherwise average night for friends who often find themselves mindlessly searching the Internet to pass time.
9. Virtual Vacation Scavenger Hunt
People all over the world have been stuck at home throughout the pandemic and so many of us are itching to get back out and explore. This virtual scavenger hunt idea offers a wonderful way to reminisce about the good times and open your mind to new potential destinations.
Ask attendees to produce specific types of vacation memorabilia, find pics of certain locations, or search the Internet to come up with spots that meet the criteria named in a clue. As always, you should add a time limit for each task and offer points to the first person to produce the requested material.
The best thing about a vacation scavenger hunt is that it can help you make the best of a night at home while reminiscing with friends or family and looking to the future!
10. Virtual Netflix Scavenger Hunt
If you love binge-watching series and movies on Netflix (who doesn’t?!) this virtual scavenger hunt will be right up your alley. The best way to carry out this hunt is by incorporating it with a Netflix Watch Party. Use Netflix sync tools to share the experience online.
Gather your group around so you can watch your favorite movies or shows on Netflix. Ask participants to spot small, inconspicuous objects in the background of the show (like a vase, a painting, a red car, or brown shoes). The person that spots the object gets the points. Don’t forget the popcorn!
11. Virtual Food Scavenger Hunt
Nothing brings people together like food! Gather your group online and come prepared with a scavenger hunt list related to food items. You can have attendees find ingredients in their kitchen, or create specific dishes within the allotted time.
Combine the two for a “Chopped” experience. First, have rounds that require participants to find bowls, pans, and utensils. Then, have them retrieve ingredients that meet the requirements set by your clues. Finally, for the grand finale (and major bonus points), see who could come up with the most magnificent creation, using all the ingredients, the fastest!
12. Virtual Arts ‘n Crafts Scavenger Hunt
This makes a wonderful digital scavenger hunt for kids!. The objective is to make a craft with various items found around the house. For instance, let’s say you set out to make a Mother’s Day card. Each round involves finding an item or material described by the clue or prompt, for use in/on the craft.
- Use tiny dried peas and glue to make the letters M-O-M on the front of the card.
- Find a flower and apply it under the word “Mom.”
- Create a construction paper flower pot.
- Find something to fill the pot (like cotton balls, torn pieces of a toilet paper roll, etc.)
If you’re working with young children, you could share a list of materials before the event to ensure that parents or guardians have the items stashed in places the kiddos can search.
Award points to the first person to complete each round and declare a champion at the end, but really, with this activity, everyone’s a winner!
13. Virtual Workout Scavenger Hunt
We love this virtual scavenger hunt as it combines two things in one—not only will you be able to bond with your loved ones, but you’ll burn some calories while you’re at it. To do this scavenger hunt, think of challenges that require participants to gather items commonly found in homes, preferably in different rooms. For example:
- a pen, a piece of fruit, and a pillow
- a wooden spoon, a remote control, and a cotton ball
- toothpaste, a tee-shirt, and tongs
If you want to make it even more challenging, use riddles to make each attendee try to figure out what it is you want them to bring back to their seat! Points for each round go to the individual who gathers and shows the items the fastest.
14. Virtual Fashion Show Scavenger Hunt
See which of your family, friends, or colleagues could be America’s Next Top Model! This hunt is sure to get some laughs. Before the hunt, come up with a list of outfit prompts. Attendees will get points based on the speed and accuracy of their responses. You might ask your models to:
- Use something found in their kitchen as a hat.
- Create an outfit out of items found in their living room.
- Design a superhero costume.
- Wear an outfit that resembles something they wore in junior high school.
Don’t forget to ask the models to do their best runway walk and strike poses!
15. Virtual Book/Magazine Scavenger Hunt
Ask each participant to come prepared with the same number of books and magazines. Before the event, create a list of items they will look for in their stash of print media. As you read each, one by one, the attendees will need to look for it in their books and magazines. Here are a few examples.
- Find a photo of a model posing with jewelry.
- Spot an ad for shaving cream in the magazine.
- Find the word ‘family’ in your novel.
- Find a photo of a model wearing a green dress.
Points go to the fastest finders. In the end, the scavenger hunter with the most points wins!
BONUS – Virtual Scavenger Hunt Happy Hour
If you’re organizing an adults-only virtual gathering, there’s nothing better than a scavenger hunt to get things going. To turn your party into a happy hour, all you need is some alcohol!
Take any of our scavenger hunt ideas and add a drinking element to it. For example, anyone who fails to produce results fast enough must take a shot. If someone gets a task completely wrong, they drink. Take a look at this guide to virtual scavenger hunt happy hours for more ideas!
Closing Thoughts
We hope this list of ideas helps you plan epic scavenger hunt games for your crew. If you are planning an event and simply don’t have the time to create your own, you may be able to find a free printable, but to make sure your event goes off without a hitch, contact the experts! We can put together a custom online scavenger hunt that meets your needs and exceeds your expectations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Check out these virtual scavenger hunt ideas, create some clues, and set up a video call so you and yours can engage in some friendly competition. Short on time? Try a ready-made scavenger hunt.
Zoom scavenger hunts aren’t just possible, they became hugely popular during the pandemic. Any of these virtual scavenger hunt ideas can be done on Zoom or just about any other video platform.
Gather employees for a team-building trivia or Wikipedia scavenger hunt or check out these other virtual scavenger hunt ideas. If team members are just meeting, don’t forget the virtual icebreakers!