11 Best Office Scavenger Hunt Ideas and Tips

Office scavenger hunts often involve finding items or completing tasks within or near the workplace.

These activities are designed to build relationships between team members and practice essential skills, contributing to a stronger company culture and job satisfaction.

They encourage teamwork, communication, and problem-solving among colleagues. By engaging in these team-building activities, employees can enhance their ability to work as a group, leading to improved employee engagement.

This may leave people asking, “How can we conduct a workplace scavenger hunt for our team?” 

Here are some of the best office scavenger hunt ideas to help create a more positive work environment and boost team spirit. Book a demo with us to discover how your team can enjoy fun team-building activities both virtually and in-person. 

1. Everyday Office Scavenger Hunt

You can use everyday office items in a scavenger hunt to promote exploration and interaction in the workspace.

This approach encourages team members to become more familiar with their office environment in a fun and engaging way.

Your scavenger hunts can have these simple challenges that team members can do in a matter of minutes.

• Find specific office signs.
• Take selfies with the company’s mission statement.
• Make a rainbow out of paper clips.
• Collect unique sticky notes.
• Interact with co-workers from different departments.
• Create clues that lead to hidden office supplies.
• Complete tasks related to the company’s core values.
• Identify the oldest piece of technology in the office.
• Find creative ways to use a rubber band.
• Discover a book or resource that contributes to professional development.

The best thing about these tasks is that team members can efficiently complete them during their break, slip them in between tasks, and walk around the office space.

Such activities help team members be more aware of their surroundings, fostering a sense of community and friendly competition within the office.

2. Desk Adventure: Office Scavenger Hunt

This scavenger hunt offers a fun way to spice up daily work routines.

You can conduct this quick scavenger hunt by focusing on items typically found on office desks or tasks your team must accomplish at their desks.

This mini adventure transforms the familiar workplace into a playful environment, challenging team members to view their desks in a new light.

Your scavenger hunt list can have team members perform the following challenges.

• Organize desk items by color or size to improve workspace efficiency.
• Create a to-do list for the day using colorful sticky notes.
• Find the oldest work-related document and decide whether to archive or dispose of it.
• Identify an unused item on the desk that can be donated or repurposed.
• Share a productivity tip or tool that has been beneficial.
• Find and document the item with the company logo closest to your desk.
• Write a thank-you note to a colleague and anonymously leave it on their desk.
• Locate the oldest email in your inbox and organize or archive it.
• Create a mini-artwork using only stationary and display it on your desk.
• Swap a book or magazine with a colleague, recommending something to read.

This scavenger hunt is a great and fun way to get things done and is adaptable for both virtual and physical office environments.

It encourages team members to perform tasks creatively, promoting interaction across remote teams or within the physical office space, fostering a sense of unity and enjoyment for all team members.

3. Unique Office Finds Scavenger Hunt

You can incorporate unique and challenging items into your scavenger hunt list to encourage creativity and critical thinking within your team.

This twist on the traditional scavenger hunt pushes the boundaries of conventional office activities and sparks innovative thinking.

Your office scavenger hunt list can include these unique items to get your colleagues interacting and searching together.

• Find the oldest coin in a colleague’s wallet.
• Identify a piece of technology no longer in use for work purposes.
• Get a book recommendation from a colleague based on unique criteria like a hobby or interest.
• Locate a hidden message left somewhere in the office by a sneaky team member.
• Take a picture with the office’s most unique decor item.
• Locate and photograph the most colorful item in the office.
• Find a piece of office equipment or tool whose function is unknown or unclear to most and learn how to use it.
• Search for and take a selfie with the office’s hidden gem (a rarely noticed art piece, plant, or decoration).
• Collect a business card from each department or team and learn one new fact about what they do.
• Identify the item with the most buttons in the office and determine what each button does.

Participants will always find something new in their workplace, even in the most familiar spaces.

This type of scavenger hunt adds an element of surprise to your daily routine in the office and strengthens bonds as team members work together to complete challenges and go out of their way to learn about the rest of their company.

4. Office Energizer Scavenger Hunt

Promote movement and interaction among team members with physical challenges and activities that can be done within the office environment.

This approach can lead to a fantastic team-building scavenger hunt, especially suitable for teams that spend much of their day in front of a screen. It is a lively way to inject energy and fun into the mundane daily routine.

You can include the following physical challenges, which members can do throughout the day or week.

• Organize a team relay race in the hallway.
• Create a group dance routine in the break room.
• Compete in a friendly office chair race.
• Conduct a scavenger hunt that ends with a group stretching session.
• Find and take a picture with the most plants in the department.
• Host a mini yoga session led by one team member.
• Set up an impromptu game of office tag.
• Arrange a team juggling challenges using soft office supplies.
• Build the tallest standing structure out of office materials.
• Conduct a quick scavenger hunt for items that could be used in a workout.

Your completed tasks can be tracked as soon as you do them, and the one who does the most gets bragging rights or even a small prize.

This scavenger hunt is a great way to get the body moving and keep energy levels high throughout the workday. It encourages team building and creates an atmosphere of fun while promoting health and wellness among team members.

5. Brain Teaser Office Scavenger Hunt

Engage participants’ problem-solving skills with riddles that lead them to discover specific items or locations within your department.

During the scavenger hunt, you can create clues to riddles that encourage the team to think critically and creatively. You will be surprised by how much you can indirectly say about the objects in your workplace.

Splitting everyone into smaller teams adds a competitive edge to your workplace scavenger hunt, making it not only a team-building activity but also an exciting challenge.

You can try the following riddles to get your teammates searching throughout your office.

• An object that brightens your day but cannot work in the dark (desk lamp).
• A place where ideas grow but is not a garden (brainstorming room).
• Something that makes a mark but never leaves a trace (whiteboard marker).
• A sentinel standing silent in the hall (exit sign).
• The oldest warrior in the office is still in service (the oldest computer).
• A tool that binds but also separates (stapler or binder).
• A place of refreshment that never quenches thirst (water cooler or coffee station).
• The gatekeeper of knowledge (library or file room).
• A throne that moves at your command (adjustable office chair).
• The silent messenger (email inbox or mailbox).

To further immerse everyone in the team-building activity, you can have a dramatic reading of these riddles, making them feel like quests adventurers must accomplish throughout their journey.

This scavenger hunt encourages creative and critical thinking, teamwork, and collaboration, making it a great way to engage the brain throughout the workday.

It is not just about finding objects but also about connecting the dots, which enhances the team-building experience and even critical thinking skills.

6. Nature Discovery Office Scavenger Hunt

Venture outdoors for scavenger hunt tasks involving your nearby park, landmarks, parking lot, and natural elements. This out-and-about town scavenger hunt can be a great way to get the team into a new environment, akin to an amazing race-type activity.

It becomes even more fun if you have different groups where rival teams compete for a prize, pushing team members out of their comfort zones and into creative problem-solving moods.

NOTE: Have clues scattered throughout an outdoor space, or use existing landmarks as your clues throughout the hunt.

You can include the following tasks on their to-do list.

• Take a picture of a local landmark.
• Collect a leaf from the nearest park.
• Find and photograph a unique storefront.
• Complete a task at a nearby outdoor fitness station.
• Identify a local bird species.
• Gather information from a historical marker.
• Participate in a quick flash mob in a public space.
• Discover a hidden geocache in the local area.
• Leave a positive message on a sticky note in a public place.
• Check-in at a designated spot with a view of the city or nature.

This scavenger hunt encourages creative and critical thinking, teamwork, and collaboration, making it a great way to engage the brain throughout the workday.

It not only brings the excitement of discovery and adventure but also promotes physical activity and appreciation for the local area.

If you are interested in this kind of scavenger hunt, we recommend checking out Escapely’s Scavenger Quest, which turns your whole city into a world full of clues and mysteries that guide you to complete different tasks as a team.

7. Dynamic Duo Office Scavenger Hunt

Foster teamwork and collaboration by pairing participants up and having them complete creative tasks as a team.

These can be random tasks done for fun or to help boost productivity in your daily routine, making them more enjoyable and potentially time-saving means of accomplishing daily tasks.

This unique approach not only injects fun into the workday but also encourages participants to learn from each other’s strengths and work styles.

You can include the following tasks on the list your colleagues must accomplish to complete your workplace scavenger hunt.

• Decorate a cubicle or workspace collaboratively.
• Craft a joint email draft on a given topic.
• Create a two-person handshake or team cheer.
• Complete a puzzle or brain teaser together.
• Coordinate outfits for a day.
• Conduct a two-person presentation on a fun or educational topic.
• Organize a shared workspace for maximum efficiency.
• Participate in a tandem desk cleanup challenge.
• Prepare and deliver a joint pitch for an innovative office improvement.
• Hold a mini-debate on a light-hearted topic with judges.

This scavenger hunt will help improve teamwork between co-workers, especially if you change the teams around to ensure that everyone gets to work with someone new. It also teaches every person to adapt to different circumstances.

By engaging in these team-building activities, colleagues can build relationships and enhance their ability to collaborate effectively.

8. Festive Office Scavenger Hunt

Infuse the holiday spirit into your workplace with a themed scavenger hunt featuring relevant and festive tasks and challenges.

This team-building scavenger hunt allows the team to celebrate major holidays through an engaging party game. You can even plan the activity according to different events celebrated around the world.

For remote teams, these virtual scavenger hunts are a great way to explore and appreciate the diverse ways team members celebrate based on their cultures and traditions.

Here is a list of tasks you can adapt depending on the festivities you are celebrating.

• Find and take a picture with a holiday decoration.
• Dress up in holiday-themed attire for a team meeting.
• Share a holiday recipe from your culture.
• Take a selfie with a seasonal drink.
• Write a short holiday poem or jingle.
• Craft a homemade holiday decoration.
• Share a photo of a holiday market or festive location in your city.
• Participate in a virtual holiday-themed trivia quiz.
• Create a festive greeting card for another team member.
• Finding a holiday-themed virtual background for video calls.

Conducting these kinds of team-building scavenger hunts ensures that days important to workers are acknowledged, helping them feel appreciated along the way.

This approach is a fantastic way to add a twist to the festivities in the office, making the holiday season even more memorable and fun for everyone involved.

9. Artistic Museum Exploration Scavenger Hunt

Experience an interactive scavenger hunt at various museums. This offers a unique team-building opportunity that can be a great learning experience for your team as you find objects in places of art and culture.

For teams that can meet up, you can visit a physical museum to conduct the scavenger hunt and immerse each member into the world of art and history.

Meanwhile, virtual teams can engage in a virtual scavenger hunt through online versions of museums worldwide, making this activity accessible and equally engaging for everyone.

You can do the following tasks for this team-building scavenger hunt.

• Identify a piece of art described by a riddle.
• Take a selfie (or a screenshot in a virtual visit) with the oldest artifact.
• Find a work of art that matches a specific historical period or style.
• Create a quick sketch of a favorite exhibit.
• Share a fun fact about a famous artist featured in the museum.
• Guess the story behind a mysterious exhibit.
• List artworks that feature a specific color or element.
• Solve a puzzle related to the museum’s architecture.
• Participate in a trivia quiz about artworks and artists.
• Compose a short story or poem inspired by a chosen piece.

This scavenger hunt is not only a great learning experience but also an opportunity to bring a new appreciation to the arts and what humans have created throughout the eons.

NOTE: While these team-building activities can get really exciting, especially for the winning team, be sure to respect the rules of the space of your physical museums so you do not disturb other people while you play.

Dedicating time to be in an artistic environment, physically or virtually, enriches everyone’s cultural understanding and fosters creativity for all involved.

10. Retail Therapy Scavenger Hunt

Take a break from the office and explore nearby malls with scavenger hunt tasks designed for team bonding and fun.

Provide a list of objects they must find and purchase within a specific time limit. The first person or team to get all of the items wins.

You can also provide bonus points for side quests around the mall, adding excitement to the hunt.

You can include the following tasks in your scavenger hunt shopping list to get everyone to explore the mall.

• Locate a store by deciphering a series of clues.
• Take a photo with a mall mascot or in front of a landmark within the mall.
• Find an item that represents the company’s core values.
• Purchase the most unique snack from the food court.
• Complete a small act of kindness for a stranger in the mall.
• Find and try on an outfit in the company’s colors.
• Locate a book that would benefit the team or office environment.
• Take a creative group photo in a photo booth.
• Find a promotional item or sample from a store.
• Complete a fun challenge posed by a retail worker.

This scavenger hunt offers a different way to get things done and interact with things outside your department. You can even center the list on things needed in the workplace, giving a retail therapy twist to your usual office shopping.

This approach not only provides a fun outing but also supports team building in a lively, interactive environment.

11. Las Vegas Urban Adventure Scavenger Hunt

Enhance team outings or events with a hosted scavenger hunt experience in Las Vegas, offering a unique way to explore the iconic city.

This gives everyone a fantastic opportunity to discover what Las Vegas has to offer during your visit, from its dazzling lights to its historic sites.

Those unable to physically be in Las Vegas can still conduct an online tour for virtual team-building activities, allowing them to experience the city’s thrills from afar.

Add the following to your scavenger hunt list when you take your next Vegas trip with your colleagues.

• Take a group photo in front of the iconic “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign.
• Find and try a snack from a famous Las Vegas eatery.
• Complete a trivia challenge about Las Vegas history.
• Identify a song from a well-known Las Vegas show.
• Locate a piece of street art in the Arts District.
• Collect a poker chip from a specified casino.
• Spot a specific-themed hotel and take a creative photo.
• Participate in a mini-slot machine challenge.
• Find a souvenir that best represents the spirit of Las Vegas.
• Check-in at the highest point accessible to the public for a panoramic view.

This scavenger hunt is a great way to host a friendly competition and build relationships within teams.

The winning team can receive a reward centered on your Vegas experience, such as a themed dinner or a show, adding an extra layer of excitement and competition to the adventure.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Let us discuss the most common questions and provide additional team-building tips on conducting your office scavenger hunts.

What are Office Scavenger Hunts?

An office scavenger hunt is a fun team-building activity with different ways to play. These hunts can vary widely in scope, from taking a basic inventory of everyday workplace items to highly elaborate and imaginative challenges.

They are typically done by giving each person or team a list of items or activities they must accomplish within a given time limit. Those who complete the tasks or get as close to completing the list as possible win.

They are entertaining breaks that enhance company culture and employee morale.

How Do You Do a Scavenger Hunt in the Office?

You would need to do the following to conduct successful team-building scavenger hunts.

• Divide the group into smaller teams.
• Give each group a list of items or tasks to complete. The prompts can vary, offering a mix of finding specific items and performing creative tasks.
• Collect points for each completed task, with bonus points for creativity.
• The team with the most points at the end wins bragging rights or a small prize for more fun.

What Items Are Used for Scavenger Hunts in a Corporate Workplace?

Some good ideas for scavenger hunts in the office include items commonly found on a desk, such as toilet paper, coins, or a hole punch.

Additionally, you can encourage employees to explore the vicinity of the office, including nearby areas and stores, to find items like street signs or local wildlife.

Key Takeaways on Office Scavenger Hunts

Office scavenger hunts provide a unique blend of fun, exploration, and skill enhancement. These hunts encourage collaboration, creative thinking, and problem-solving among colleagues.

It encourages continued exploration, teamwork, and creativity in the workplace for a vibrant and productive work environment. They are innovative ways to achieve these objectives, keeping employees motivated and engaged.

However, organizing such events can be time-consuming. You can partner with Escapely for your next team-building scavenger hunt to streamline the planning process.

Having our dedicated team handle the logistics can help you save time and allow you to focus more on the adventure and bonding with your colleagues, whether you opt for a physical or a virtual scavenger hunt.