A Photo Scavenger Hunt is a great way to make your party memorable.  In teams, capture some great photos while also accomplishing some interesting missions!  Earn points as you complete each challenge.

Setup for Photo Scavenger Hunt

Each team will need some kind of camera to capture photos. A smartphone can be useful because the photos can be emailed or sent to you during the game.  Another good choice is to use Polaroid/Instax cameras that create instant photos.  Probably the cheapest place to get them is through Amazon through our Party Games Guide special:

As you prepare this activity, there are many ways you can design the experience.  Do you want the experience to be crazy and memorable? Do you want the players to see historic sites around the city?  Do you want it to be easy or very challenging?  These are some factors to consider, which also depend on how far you want your players to walk around (only a few blocks away, versus all over the town?)  and how long you want the Photo Scavenger Hunt to take.

To begin planning, take a sheet of paper and brainstorm a list of 10-15 interesting tasks that would make a good picture.  If you prefer to work from our modifiable template, you can download and print a photo scavenger hunt template here.

Tasks should be a mix of funny, challenging, and creative.  On the task sheet, some items could include, for example:

• A photo with a big rodent
• A human pyramid that has more than six people in it
• A photo with an unintentionally funny street sign
• A photo with a pink colored car
• A photo with someone who has a huge beard
• A photo with people who spell out “YMCA” with their bodies
• A photo with a cat
• A photo with everyone making a “duck” face
• A photo with nobody’s feet touching the ground
• A photo with someone famous

You can set various rules.  For example, does everyone in the team have to be in the photo, or just a certain number?  If you want to keep each team together, then you should require all team members to be in the photo.  Are there boundaries for the gameplay? If so, you should specify the limits for where people can go.  Are there different point values?  You can make harder challenges worth more points and add bonuses if you wish.

If you are feeling especially creative, you can combine some elements of the Treasure Hunt game idea.  For instance, you can have story elements or give parts of an unfolding story or unlock new challenges when teams successfully email or text their photos to you.

Set a time limit (30 to 120 minutes, for example) and have everyone come back to a predefined place.

When you have the list prepared, make enough copies for each team.

How to Play Photo Scavenger Hunt 

This game works best when you have teams of four to eight people.  Give to each team copies of the task sheet and also one camera (or they can use their existing cameras on their phones).  It’s very important to explain all the guidelines carefully, including the boundaries, time limit, and meeting place when time is up.

After everyone understands the rules, let everyone go.  When time expires, have all members reconvene and present their photos along with their checklist.  Award points and optional bonus points for extra creativity or effort.  Announce the winners and give optional prizes if you wish!

The Photo Scavenger Hunt is one of the best teambuilding party games that is sure to create great memories that will last a long time.  Be safe and have fun!