Ideas for a Scavenger Hunt in the Dark

Scavenger hunts can be fun additions to any party. One way to increase the difficulty is to have that scavenger hunt in the dark. Supply the teams with torches or flashlights. A more time-consuming but creative idea is to have a glow-in-the-dark scavenger hunt, and there are several options for these scavenger hunts, and the supplies are easy to get or to make.

Gather several different types of small objects, which you will need to paint. Items could be fruit, coins, rulers and even trinkets from the dollar store. Glow-in-the-dark paint can be purchased at most retail stores with an arts and craft section. Paint the objects well in advance so they will have time to dry and get enough exposure to the light. After they have dried, test each item out in a very dark room to make sure the paint is bright enough for your guests to see. If money isn't a big deal, then you could purchase actual glow-in-the-dark items, which can generally be found at concerts and museums. Another fun idea is to have guests paint their faces and hands with glow-in-the-dark face paint so they will be able to see each other.

One creative twist to a glow-in-the-dark scavenger hunt involves coins. Paint the different values different colors. For example, paint pennies pink and dimes blue. Teams try to find a certain amount of coins that you specify before the game starts. The team to find the right amount of money wins. Prizes could equal the amount of money teams needed to find.

There are a few other creative ways to hold glow-in-the-dark scavenger hunts, but they would require being outdoors or in a venue big enough to use. The first idea is a symbol scavenger hunt. Paint small symbols, such as stars, flowers, squares and triangles on larger items in the yard or in the venue. Give teams a piece of paper with the symbols on it and a pen to write down the symbols' locations. The team that finds them all wins.

Another creative way to have a glow-in-the-dark scavenger hunt is to use scrambled letters. Paint letters on larger items and have them scrambled up. Teams need to find the letters, unscramble them and make the correct words. Provide clues for any team having a difficult time figuring out the words.