How to organise a Treasure Hunt?

1. Planning the Hunt

The first thing to consider when organising a treasure hunt is the number of participants, as this will determine almost every other aspect of the activity, including the size of the area, number of spots, routes, and volunteers required.

For example, if there are 10 teams with 4 participants in each team, an area of approximately 1 km² should be sufficient. A total of 15 spots should provide enough variety to ensure that teams do not follow identical routes.

Each spot should ideally be 8–10 minutes' walking distance from the others. This helps ensure that the hunt is fair and that teams spend a similar amount of time travelling between spots.

Each team should be assigned five spots. While routes may overlap, no two teams should have all five spots in exactly the same order. Once the routes have been finalised, the clues or hints for each spot can be prepared.

Example of a Hint

Spot: Café Coffee Day

“A lot can happen over coffee. Right beside a jar of cookies, the Raw Street that witnesses the highs and lows of the teenagers who school there now holds the clue that will lead you to the next.”

Hints should be creative enough to challenge participants while still providing enough information for them to eventually identify the location.

2. Preparing the Hints

After preparing hints for all 15 spots, decide how each team will receive its hints. There are two basic options:

• Online hints: Hints are sent to the team through a messaging platform by the team's designated helpline.

• Offline hints: A member of the organising team remains at the designated spot with the hint and gives it to the team when they arrive.

At some spots, participants may be required to complete a small task before receiving the next hint.

Offline hints work particularly well in places such as cafés or restaurants where an organising team member can comfortably remain for an extended period. Online hints can be used in parks, open spaces, or other locations where tasks can easily be completed.

Prepare a specific task for each spot. Tasks should be simple, safe, fun, and relevant to the activity.

Examples of Tasks

• “Take a picture of a team member disposing of trash responsibly and send it to your helpline.”

• “Take a group picture with a stray animal and send it to your helpline.”

When designing tasks involving animals or members of the public, ensure that participants do not disturb, frighten, or put themselves or others at risk.

3. Setting Up the Helpline System

Each team should have access to a designated helpline. Ideally, there should be no more than three teams assigned to one helpline volunteer.

Helpline volunteers should remain at the base camp throughout the hunt. Their responsibilities include:

• Keeping track of their assigned teams.

• Sending teams their online hints.

• Giving teams their assigned tasks.

• Recording points and penalties.

• Monitoring the progress of each team.

• Helping teams that are unable to solve a clue.

• Communicating with the organising team when necessary.

The helpline system is particularly important for maintaining communication and ensuring that teams remain within the designated area.

4. How the Hunt Works

At the beginning of the hunt, each team receives a starting hint that leads them to their first spot. At the first spot, they receive a hint that leads them to the next spot, and the process continues until they have completed all five spots.

Whenever a team reaches a spot, they must first send a group picture to their helpline as proof of arrival. The helpline volunteer then instructs them on what to do next.

If the spot has an offline hint, the helpline volunteer will ask the team to locate the organising team member stationed there. The team must show its group identification card before receiving the hint.

If the spot has an online hint, the team must complete the assigned task and send the required proof to the helpline. Once the task has been verified, the helpline volunteer sends them the next hint.

5. Materials and Preparation

Several items should be prepared before the hunt begins:

• Survival kits for each team.

• Gifts or prizes for the first three teams.

• Participation prizes for all other teams.

• Team identification cards.

• Maps showing the designated area.

• Clues/hints for all spots.

• Task instructions for each spot.

• A list of helpline numbers.

• A system for recording points and penalties.

Survival Kits

Each team's survival kit can contain:

• Drinking water.

• Small refreshments.

• The team's helpline number.

• A card displaying the team's group number.

• Any other essential information or emergency contacts.

The group-number card should be shown to the organising team member at an offline spot before the team receives its next hint.

A map of the designated area should also be provided to every team. This helps participants understand the boundaries of the hunt and prevents them from wandering too far from the designated area.

6. Scoring System

Points should be awarded based on time, successful clue-solving, and the use of the helpline.

(a) Time

All teams must return to the base camp by the stipulated time.

Points can be awarded according to the order in which teams return:

• 1st team: 10 points

• 2nd team: 9 points

• 3rd team: 8 points

• And so on.

• Last team: 1 point

(b) Finding the Spot

Points can also be awarded based on how quickly a team identifies the correct location:

• 1st attempt: 5 points

• 2nd attempt: 3 points

• 3rd attempt: 1 point

f a team uses the helpline to help identify a spot or solve a clue, 1 point should be deducted.

The winning team is the team with the highest total score at the end of the hunt. In the event of a tie, a predetermined tie-breaker should be used—for example, the team that returned to the base camp earlier could be declared the winner.

All the best!

Written by Johanna, president of Kolkata ICEU.