We did this photo scavenger hunt with 200 Sr. High youth at our last camp. Here’s how it works.
We made sure each group had a cell phone that could take photos and email them. I made sure they all had my email address.
I gave each of them two sheets of paper. The first had a contact photo sheet with photos of objects around the camp ground. They might be of a fire hydrant, a corner of a sign, or a side of a building. The second sheet had a list of items, poses, and people.
We assigned points. 200 points for each item from the contact sheet they could find and take a photo with their group in front of. 50 points for each item from the list they could include in the photo.
Each team could submit only 15 photos to be judged. They figured out the best way was to combine as many objects in the photo as they could. For instance get a photo of everyone behind the fire hydrant, sitting on yellow chairs, with a musician. 200+50+50=300 pts.
We also told them that there was a bonus for the team who came back at the designated time. We told them the time was somewhere between 7:00 and 7:30 p.m. This eliminated the need to finish first, and run all over camp, with some fast runners ahead, and leaving others in the group behind.
The Good: When I have done scavenger hunts in the past, the problem usually comes as groups try to race from one clue to the next. Half the group runs ahead, the rest lag behind. By making a designated time to aim for, and weighting it heavy with points, most of our groups returned in that 30 minute window.
The Bad: Though cell phones were not prohibited, some felt that using them for a game encouraged their use more than should be.
How to make the contact sheet: I took about 30 minutes and rode around camp taking photos. I then came back and loaded them into picasa and printed a contact sheet for each group.
How to make the list: Well I have listed our extra items list below. Sort it and edit it to fit the needs of your camp, retreat or youth meeting.
(I created this while at Methodist District Camp at Lakeview in Palestine. If you would like the photos and items selected specifically for this camp just leave a comment and let me know.)
Extra Items List
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