Back to School Scavenger Hunt Ideas for Students

Let’s kick off the back-to-school season with a bang! Students are excited to be back, ready to dive in and tackle challenges ahead of them, while teachers eagerly await their arrival on the first day of school. Whether you teach kindergarten, preschool, or upper grades, a classroom scavenger hunt is the perfect way to start the first week of school with energy and excitement.

Scavenger hunts are a great way to engage students both in class and virtually, and we love sharing ideas for student engagement in the classroom. This back-to-school scavenger hunt can include simple clues that help students find items like a pencil, marker, or desk—great for teaching early routines and helping them know their classroom better.

Whether as a class, a grade, or an entire school, students will have a great time getting out of their seats to participate in this active scavenger hunt with their peers.

If you’re using Goosechase to run your event, you can click the buttons below to add these Missions to your account as a duplicate experience. Still planning your scavenger hunts with printables or on paper? Look at our How It Works page to see how easy it is to get started on Goosechase!

Why Use a Back-to-School Scavenger Hunt?

A back-to-school scavenger activity helps ease nerves, especially during the first week of school. It turns the classroom into an adventure where students can explore the school building and visit key locations such as the art room, gym, hallway, and cafeteria. Teachers can make it purposeful by adding color-coded clues or using templates that guide students around the room and the school.

For example, students might follow a school tour map or scavenger hunt to find classroom supplies, learn where things are stored, and understand daily routines. It's also a great way to help them start the school year feeling confident and connected.

Using Goosechase to Create a Sense of Community Among Your School

Break the ice and incorporate an active classroom scavenger hunt to build community within your classroom and school environment. Students learn new concepts and new things about themselves, their classmates, and you as their teacher.

Whether you're prepping for an open house or day one, Goosechase helps teachers save time with editable, ready-to-use templates.

Check out some of the Missions that you can include in your community game!

• Guitar Hero (Video) - Channel your inner lead guitarist. Grab a real guitar or use your air guitar to jam out to your favorite Guitar Hero song! Bonus points for creativity!

• What Language is That? (Video) - Learning new languages is challenging, but also rewarding! Find someone who speaks another language. Ask them to teach you a simple sentence. Take a video and write the sentence in English in the caption.

• Say Cheese! Photo/Video) - We LOVE our Principal. Go on a hunt and find them! Take a photo. Bonus points for the funniest photo.

• Welcome! (Photo) - Being a new student at school can be scary! Let's be great friends and introduce ourselves. Find someone at our school new this year and welcome them with a handshake.

• We Are The Champions (Video) - Coming out on top takes a lot of hard work and dedication! Show us your best "We are the Champions" celebration! Bonus points for props.

Using Goosechase as a way of Learning New Things About Your Students

As a teacher, getting to know your new students is one of the best parts of the job! What did they do over the summer? Did they create anything interesting? When is their birthday? What are their hobbies? Typically, students participate in Get-to-Know-You activities and questionnaires to do so! However, these are all questions that can be taken to the next level with an interactive and engaging Goosechase Game! Go even further by reviewing the submissions with your students when the game has finished!

Check out some Missions that you can include in your Get-to-Know-You Game!

• Happy Birthday to You! (Photo) - 12 months out of the year - someone has got to have the same birthday month as you! Find this person and take a picture together. Include your birthdates in the caption. Bonus points if you find someone who has the same exact birthday as you!

• Summer Camping Trip (Photo) - Summertime calls for camping! With your group, using items in our classroom, create a fake fire pit. Take a photo around the fire pit pretending to roast marshmallows!

• A Dog is a Person’s Best …. ? (Photo) - Talk about your pets in your group. Take a picture of the person in your group who has the most number of pets! Write the kinds of pets and their names in the caption!

• Early Bird ( Photo) - The first day is an important one! Don't want to be late. Take a picture of the person in your group who woke up the earliest this morning. Include the time they woke up in the caption.

• Brand New Grade (Video) - A new school year means learning new things! Let's hear what you are most excited about learning this year! Take a short video.

What is Goosechase?

At Goosechase, experience is everything. Originally inspired by scavenger hunts, Goosechase is an online platform that enables organizations and schools to engage, activate, and educate their communities through delightful interactive experiences. Sign up and try creating a free recreational Experience, or check out our Pricing!