Best 20 Scavenger Hunt Ideas for Adults: Treasure Clues, Riddles, Template & Clues for Adults

Whether as a casual event or as your next office team builder, a well-planned adult scavenger hunt list can be just as fun for grown-ups as it is for kids. While there’s no shortage of resources available online to help you organise a scavenger hunt for the latter, there’s less content out there when you’re trying to plan a game for your next social gathering for an older crowd. To help you out, we’ve prepared a list of some of our favorite scavenger hunt ideas!

One distinct thing that makes scavenger hunts more fun is that (most!) participants are responsible enough to hop in a vehicle and cover more distance! The following ideas for scavenger hunt clues include our favourite four-wheeled cars or the roads they are driven on. Please follow all traffic laws, and ensure that a passenger films all footage taken from a moving vehicle!

• Clown Car: Make a photo or video fitting as many people as possible into a standard 5-seat vehicle.
• Sparkle and Shine: Take a video of other members in a vehicle going through a car wash or in a public place.
• Abbey Road: Click a photo of your gang recreating the Beatles’ famous album cover at a quiet street crossing or around the city's most famous landmark.
• American Muscle: Get a photo of a Ford Mustang, a Chevrolet Camaro, or a Dodge Charger.
• Squeaky Glass: Find a vehicle door with a roll-up window handle, and take a selfie with a team member rolling up the window with the handle.

Hit the open road and turn streets into your scavenger hunt playground daily! These great ideas for car-themed challenges make creating a scavenger hunt full of laughter and creativity. Every stop offers your team the next clue to a memorable adventure.

Pro tip: An adult scavenger hunt that includes car-themed challenges can easily be adapted for any group by using a smartphone to capture photos and videos. Encourage teams to get creative with angles, props, and costumes, and write the clue clearly, so participants know exactly what to do at each stop. Make a scavenger hunt fun, flexible, and engaging on the go!

Include these Mission clues around to encourage conversation and interaction among your participants as they discover hidden stories about each other while seeking out ways to complete the Missions below!

Use your hunt app to track each Mission and decode the message hidden within every clue. These activities are entertaining ways to step out of your comfort zone, spark conversation, and create memorable moments with your team. Every photo and challenge brings a new story to uncover, making your scavenger hunting more engaging than ever.

• Foreign Exchange: Take a shot of any foreign currency denomination bill or coin.
• Esquire: Take a photo of a team member striking a professional pose in front of an office wall featuring fancy-looking degrees and professional certifications.
• Living History: Take the quiz with as many people as possible who were born in different decades! You'll get bonus points for each decade beyond two!
• Fried Chicken: Click a shot of somebody showing off their tan (or burn) lines from a recent outdoor excursion in sunny weather!
• They’re Adorable! - Take a picture of somebody sharing a printed photo of their children that they always keep. This can be fun and interesting. 

Pro tip: Get creative with your clues from the starting point! Write the clue to encourage participants to explore and interact, then pair it with a photo or video task for extra fun. Don’t be afraid to customize each Mission to fit your team or location, and scatter indoor scavenger hunt puzzles around different areas to keep everyone moving and having fun.

From baby boomers to millennials, we all love to reminisce about the years gone by and recall the good old days. See if your older participants remember these nostalgia-filled Mission clues scattered around the house! 

• I’ll Be There For You: Take a video of your team members on a couch singing the Friends theme song. It can be added to the team building. Claps must be included!
• I’m flying!: Find your epic location and get a photo of two members reenacting the famous Jack and Rose scene at the front of the Titanic.
• Saturday Night Fever: Take a video of a member performing their best disco moves. Bonus points for costumes.
• One Small Step For Man: Record a video of members quoting Neil Armstrong’s famous words as they enter the location of your choice.
• Jazzercise: Take selfies of team members leading a Jazzercise class. Bonus points for extra people or costumes!

Pro tip: These nostalgia-themed Missions can be easily adapted for any team size or event, including a surprise party and team-building goals. Encourage participants to use smartphones to capture photos and videos, add props or costumes, and let creativity shine, making the scavenger hunt really fun and memorable for everyone.

We will soon live in an age when a younger generation will not understand the meaning behind the term rewind and will associate Amazon with the online store instead of the forest. Challenge your team members to find some of these technological relics that are too old to run the Goosechase App!

As we dive into this nostalgic tech scavenger hunt, it’s not just about hunting objects-it’s about reliving memories that shaped an era. Encourage your team to reminisce about the sounds of dial-up connecting, the thrill of beating Minesweeper, or the satisfying click of a VHS rewind in an office scavenger. 

These relics are more than just items; they’re conversation starters and laughter triggers, reminding everyone how far technology has come. By blending fun with history, your scavenger hunt becomes a bridge between generations, letting team members appreciate the ancient gadgets and the modern tools we often take for granted.

• Dial-Up: Find a computer or laptop running Windows XP or older. Snap a picture of the Start Menu for proof!
• Minesweeper Champ: Find and take a photograph of a team member holding a computer mouse with a roller ball on the bottom.
• Rewind: Find and photograph a member holding a video or tape cassette. Any video or tape cassette will do.
• Shiny Frisbees: Find an electronic device with a slide-out disk tray and photograph the tray extended.
• Hello Moto: Take a click of a member holding a folding cell phone.

Pro tip: Turn your tech relic hunt into a mini escape room by adding combination lock-style challenges where your team must solve riddles to unlock the next Mission. These tasks can be easily adopted for any combination lock, team size, or location, making the hunt interactive, memorable, and fun to step back in time.

Q: How can you adapt these scavenger hunt ideas for virtual or remote teams?

A: Adapting scavenger hunts for virtual or remote teams involves leveraging technology and focusing on tasks that can be completed from various locations. Utilize video conferencing tools for briefings and wrap-ups, and apps or platforms - like Goosechase! - where participants can submit photos or videos of completed tasks.

Design challenges that can be done at home or in a neighborhood, encouraging creativity and problem-solving. Include tasks that promote team interaction, such as finding items that tell a story about a team member, to foster connection and engagement.

Q: Are there any tips or strategies for ensuring that all participants stay engaged and motivated throughout the scavenger hunt, especially in larger groups?

A: Engaging them in a large-group scavenger hunt requires careful planning and variety. Include a mix of tasks-some quick wins to keep up momentum and others more challenging to foster collaboration.

Use a scoring system that rewards creativity and teamwork, not just speed. Regular updates on team standings can spur competition and motivation - sharing the Goosechase leaderboard is a great example of this! Incorporate surprise elements or bonus challenges to maintain interest. Ensure the hunt is accessible to all participants, offering tasks that cater to different skills and interests.

Q: How can organizers measure the success of their scavenger hunt in terms of team-building outcomes or participant satisfaction?

A: Measuring the success of a scavenger hunt can be done through feedback and observation. Post-event surveys, or Goosechase Missions, ask about enjoyment and teamwork, and provide direct insights and detailed instructions for their satisfaction.

Observing teams during the hunt can give clues about collaboration, communication, and problem-solving effectiveness.

Tracking whether the event met its objectives, like increased camaraderie or improved communication, helps gauge team-building outcomes. Also, consider if the event fostered new connections or insights among team members as an indicator of success.

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!