The Essential Photo Scavenger Hunt Guide

Scavenger hunts can be a fun and innovative way to get people to explore their surroundings, connect with their friends, and get in the competitive spirit. All you need for a successful scavenger hunt is a curated list of things to find, a team to play with, and a theme to tie everything in! Coming up with photo scavenger hunt ideas can also be just as fun as the hunt itself!

Technology has introduced a new way to participate and has revamped the scavenger hunt we know and love into the photo scavenger hunt. A photo scavenger hunt makes hunting for items more fun, expands our options, and gives you keepsakes you can keep forever to remind you of the fun you had. Tieing in photos is the best way to show proof, make tasks more accessible, and get everyone involved and having fun.

We put together a guide with everything you need to know to plan the perfect photo scavenger hunt for your next team-building exercise or your next get-together with your friends.

A photo scavenger hunt challenges your group to complete tasks, find unique items, or do something and photograph it as proof for the whole team to see at the end. The best part is, no one ever has to feel left out! These are designed for big groups, teams, or individual play. They are a great experience for team building, virtual parties with friends, family reunions, or events to get members of your club connected. No matter the group, everyone involved will have the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with everyone and connect with individuals they wouldn’t always have the chance to connect with.

You have the opportunity to make a photo scavenger hunt unique to you and your group. Whether you're searching for clues as a bachelorette game or celebrating someone’s 50th birthday, a photo scavenger hunt can bring everyone together for some good, competitive fun! In the end, you’ll have photos to share with friends and family that you can cherish for years to come. 

All you will need to put together a crowd-pleasing photo scavenger hunt is a theme, rules, and a group of friends or colleagues!

Choosing a theme can help you decide the types of challenges or photos everyone will need to retrieve. You may be asking individuals to take a photo of themselves looking angry or finding as many purple objects as possible. From sightseeing to photographing random acts of kindness, there are endless opportunities for themes that fit your teams needs and personalities. Whatever approach you decide to take, make sure the items on your list are easily accessible for everyone that's playing. 

Pro tip: Consider adding in riddles or questions to make it more challenging. 

When creating rules, make sure the rules are clear and concise for everyone. Here is a list of a few simple rules to consider:

• You may only submit one photo per item on the list
• No trespassing or entering on private property
• Set a time duration for the hunt
• All plays must show proof of the accomplished item on the list
• All players must have photos submitted before the end of the game

These are just a few rules to consider for you to add to make your game successful. You may consider expanding the rules based on the objective or the theme. 

Planning and organizing an entire photo scavenger hunt can get complicated. Consider looking into apps or resources that can help you stay organized and allow the organizer to still have fun with the group for your photo scavenger hunt ideas.

The best part is, you have the opportunity to get as creative as you want with the challenges. Consider what you want this photo scavenger hunt list to be about. Is it a birthday party or a team-building exercise? Maybe it's a family get-together or an after-work game night. Whatever it is, you can choose a theme that fits your group. From nature-themed findings to wacky tasks that need to be photographed, the possibilities are truly endless with a photo scavenger hunt. 

For example, maybe you are planning a team-building exercise for your team at a marketing agency. You may want to consider what your team likes to do outside of work and how you can use a photo scavenger hunt to put their creativity to the test and help them think outside of the box. Maybe, you are looking for a more sensory-focused challenge or one for your work-from-home employees that involves finding particular items around their homes. Whatever approach you decide to take, it’s crucial to think about your audience, their interests, and how you can make group photo scavenger hunt ideas fun for everyone. 

One of the best ways to get everyone involved is to consider moving your event to a virtual event through a trusted source. It also makes it easier to share your photos with everyone, keep everything organized, and decide on the winners at the end.

In today’s day and age, virtual events and activities allow you the opportunity to connect with people, no matter where they are in the world. All you need is a game plan, challenges that are possible to complete in each environment, and a way to share all of the photos.

At Elevent, we offer virtual scavenger hunts that can help make the organization aspects of the challenge easy for everyone. Our virtual photo scavenger hunt ideas provide opportunities for everyone to get involved, no matter where they are and can help you stay organized through an app-based or web-based system.

If you are looking for a hassle-free, organized virtual event, consider these virtual scavenger hunt experiences:

Virtual Scavenger Hunt Game Show

Have you ever dreamed of being on a game show? Then this might be your time to shine! This is a 5-in-1 experience that combines the excitement of a game show, blind contour challenge, a photo challenge, a scavenge hunt and is finished with a mystery finale. This 5 round game will keep everyone on their feet and ready to play for a whole hour. Whether you are looking to have some fun at a family reunion or an office party ice breaker, this virtual event will have everyone laughing and having a good time.

Virtual Scavenger Hunt Game Show can host up to 200 guests for $55 per person.  Click here to learn more. 

60 Minute Virtual Scavenger Hunt

If you are looking to explore new areas, learn new stuff, and get competitive with your friends or colleagues, this may be the scavenger hunt experience for you. Get ready to hit the ground running as you race against the clock to find all the needed items on your photo scavenger hunt list with your teammates! With this virtual scavenger hunt, everything is virtual and expertly organized. From leaderboard scores to the photos for the challenge, everything will be tracked and organized by us. So you can join in on the fun too. The best part is? The winner wins a free in-person scavenger hunt in any city of their choice.

60 Minute Virtual Scavenger Hunt can support up to 500 guests for a price of $25 per person with a one-time fee of $300.  Click here to learn more. 

Team-Based Virtual Scavenger Hunt

This 90-minute online adventure is designed to get everyone laughing and thinking creatively. Your team members will have to solve 50 engaging missions involving text, video, and photo missions submitted via an app. The host will show the best photo submissions at the end of each round and keep everything organized and running smoothly. 

Team-Based Virtual Scavenger Hunt can support a group up to 150 guests for a price of $45 per person.  Click here to learn more.  

There will even be a prize at the finale to get everyone excited and put in the competitive spirit. Consider this team-based virtual scavenger hunt for your next team-building exercises for your colleagues as an end-of-the-quarter work event or to show your appreciation. Everyone will be thanking you for this experience for years to come!

The perfect photo scavenger hunt is created through the connections that are made, the fun that is had, and the people you are with. Take this opportunity to take time to get to know your colleagues or rekindle friendships. This group activity provides the perfect amount of flexibility to make the game unique to your group and let everyone in on the fun that can be had. There is no right or wrong way to put together a successful photo scavenger hunt. 

Don't forget, the most important rule in a photo scavenger hunt is to have fun!

If you are looking for an easy and accessible version of a photo scavenger hunt, a virtual photo scavenger hunt may be the right solution for you and your group’s needs. 

Originally published at Nov 4 2021, 11:00:24 AM. Updated on May 4 2024.