Lightning Scavenger Hunt

Step 1: Set the Rules

• Explain that this is a “lightning” scavenger hunt, where participants will race to find specific items around their house within a short time frame. (usually 30 seconds to 1 minute)
• The goal is to have fun, be quick, and get creative with the items they find.
• Explain that if people don't have anything that fits, they can get creative and find the most reasonable substitute. 
• Create a simple table with everyone's names on in Google Docs or Excel and keep score if you wish. 
• You can give scores for the first three people to return on camera if you want to create more energy, or award points for the most creative interpretation of the prompt or most unique item. 

Step 2: Start the Hunt

• Call out an item from the scavenger hunt list you'll find below (e.g., “Find something red!” or “Bring back your favorite mug!”).
• Set a timer for 30 seconds to 1 minute for participants to find and bring back the item from around their house. 

Step 3: Show & Share

• Once time’s up, everyone holds up their item on camera (for virtual teams) or shows it to the group (in person).
• If you have time, ask a few participants to briefly explain why they chose their item or just let conversation roll for a minute or two. 
• If running with points, tally up a point for everyone who brought the item back successfully. 

Step 4: Continue the Rounds

• Repeat with new prompts for 3–7 rounds based on available time, increasing the challenge with each item.

Step 5: Wrap-Up & Celebrate

• Give a shout-out to the most creative, fastest, or funniest items.
• (Optional) Award a small prize or give kudos to the winner.

Sample Scavenger Hunt Prompts

• Something that makes you smile
• An item you’ve had for more than 5 years
• A book with an interesting cover
• Something with your company logo on it
• The weirdest thing on your desk
• An item that represents your favorite hobby
• Something from outside
• An item you can eat
• Your favourite mug 
• An object your inner child would love
• An item you think someone else on the team would like
• Something you have made
• An object you use every day or an object you wish you used more

Variations and tips for Lightning Scavenger Hunt

• Knowing your team well is the best way to create a bespoke list. I like to add an item that at least one person will highly resonate with. For example, if you have foodies on your team, include an item like "your favourite spice or herb."
• With virtual teams, I try to think of something folks will be able to get from each room of their house and gradually increase the distance from their desk. Try to include at least one item that means they would likely need to leave the room and move around. 
• The lightning scavenger hunt is best played in teams of one. If you want something that will encourage team work, try the virtual scavenger hunt, which is designed for small teams working collaboratively.
• Generally, the Lightning Scavenger Hunt can go as long as you have time for, though note that fatigue can quickly set in. I'd aim for 5-10 minutes when using this as an icebreaker and 30 minutes when using the reflective variant. Wherever possible, I'd aim to pick an effective closing item to search for, for example, "An object your inner child would love" is a great closing item, as it allows you to encourage some self-care and positive vibes. 

Zero-prep Lightning Scavenger Hunt

• For a faster variation that works particularly well with teams who know each other well, start by introducing the game but instead of using a list, each person will name an item for everyone to find.
• Start by naming the first item as usual.
• Once people return and share, pick one person to choose the next item at random, without thinking too hard. 
• Continue as long as you'd like, with the person who chose the last item selecting another person to pick the next. 
• If you'd like to give people some instruction, tell them to pick something that is further away from their desk than the last item or to pick a sense to guide the choice, ie: find an item that makes a sound, or smells good, or tastes great! 

Lightning Scavenger Hunt for storytelling and reflection

• The scavenger hunt format can be extremely effective for helping groups talk about a shared subject and bring aspects of its story to life. It can be good for debriefing, reflecting together or for engaging metaphorical creative thinking.
• In this variation, set the stage by telling participants you'll be finding items in a scavenger hunt but that each item will represent the answer to a question.
• Ask the first question and give participants 1-2 minutes to find an item that they feel responds to the questions. 
• Once folks return, ask for volunteers to share why they chose their item and what it represents. You'll want more time for sharing here. 
• If you're in the same room, collect items together and take a photo or ask folks in Zoom to hold items up to the camera and take a picture. 

• Find an item to represent how you feel right now
• Find an item to represent what is good about this team
• Find an item to represent what you think the team should do more of
• Find an item to represent what you'll do immediately after this meeting

Sample questions for telling a shared story

• Find an item to represent an important moment in the past
• Find an item to represent something that is happening right now
• Find an item to represent something you'd like to happen in the future
• Find an item to represent something you shouldn't forget 
• Find an item to represent how you feel right now

You can tailor your questions however you like, but generally, I find a past, present, future and how are you feeling format works well.