National Scavenger Hunt Day (May 24)
National Scavenger Hunt Day celebrates one of the most fun and flexible activities for all ages—whether you’re tracking clues around your house, neighborhood, or even online.
It’s a great excuse to get creative, solve puzzles, and explore something new.
Observed each year on May 24, this holiday brings out the treasure hunter in everyone. It’s also one of the more interactive weird holidays in May.
When is the Holiday?
National Scavenger Hunt Day is celebrated annually on May 24.
Who Invented It?
While no single person is credited with inventing the holiday itself, Elsa Maxwell is often associated with popularizing modern scavenger hunts.
A socialite and party planner, she made them trendy in the 1930s.
The History of the Holiday
Scavenger hunts have evolved from simple party games to digital challenges. The earliest forms involved list-based collection games.
But in 1932, Elsa Maxwell hosted one of the first organized scavenger hunts for elite guests, sparking mainstream interest.
Over time, they’ve become staples at parties, classrooms, and even corporate events—often adapted for educational or team-building purposes.
Top 5 Facts About the Holiday
- The word scavenger originally referred to street cleaners in medieval England.
- Elsa Maxwell’s 1930s scavenger hunts often included absurd tasks—like finding a bald man’s signature.
- Geocaching, a GPS-based modern hunt, has over 3 million active caches worldwide.
- Scavenger hunts are used in classrooms to teach everything from math to reading comprehension.
- “The Amazing Race” and “National Treasure” both popularized scavenger-style plots.
Activities to Celebrate
Classic Backyard Hunt: Set up a list of household or garden items for kids to find. Add challenges like “find something red” or “something with a funny texture.”
Themed Indoor Hunt: Turn your home into a treasure island, haunted mansion, or secret spy mission using printable clues and props.
Nature Hunt: Use a checklist for things like feathers, pinecones, or bugs—perfect for spring and summer learning.
Holiday Scavenger Hunts: Adapt hunts to match holidays like Easter, Christmas, or Halloween. Hide themed items and write rhyming clues.
Photo Hunts for Older Kids: Give teens a creative challenge to photograph scenes or objects on a list. Extra points for funny poses.
Educational Classroom Hunts: Reinforce learning with printable hunts focused on math problems, science concepts, or historical facts.
Puzzle-Based Escape Hunts: Combine scavenger clues with problem-solving steps to make an at-home escape room.
Neighborhood Adventure: Give your child a clipboard and a list—chalk markings, street signs, and natural objects make great targets.
Camping or Road Trip Hunt: Keep kids engaged outdoors or in the car with printable camping or travel scavenger hunts.
Solo or Team Play: Set a timer for extra excitement, or work in pairs to build cooperation and communication.
Links to Resources
Here are a few popular free scavenger hunt printables:
Zoo scavenger hunt – Great for a family day out. Kids look for specific animals, behaviors, or habitats as they explore the zoo.
Neighborhood scavenger hunt – Easy prep outdoor fun. Use chalk, street signs, or yard items as part of the hunt. Ideal for after-school or weekend play.
Beach scavenger hunt – Perfect for summer vacations. Includes shells, sandcastles, and beach creatures to spot or collect.
Summer scavenger hunt – A general warm-weather option with colorful, seasonal prompts. Great for park days or backyard play.
Halloween photo scavenger hunt – Kids or teens snap pictures of spooky decorations, costumes, and seasonal scenes. Encourages creativity and tech use.
Book scavenger hunt – Turns reading into a game. Kids hunt for elements like character names, specific genres, or plot twists in their books.
Lego themed scavenger hunt clues – A hands-on indoor activity where kids solve Lego-related riddles and build along the way.
Star Wars scavenger hunt clues – Themed around characters, quotes, and galactic settings. Great for May the 4th or Star Wars fans any time of year.
Related Holidays
National Video Game Day (July 8) – Celebrates digital adventures, some of which include quest-style gameplay and scavenger mechanics.
Sherlock Holmes Day (May 22) – Honors the iconic fictional detective known for solving complex puzzles and unraveling mysteries—perfect inspiration for clue-based hunts.
National Puzzle Day (January 29) – A day dedicated to brainteasers, riddles, and logic challenges—ideal for those who love the mental side of scavenger hunts.
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