Headphones with a wire1 point. Tangled counts. So does a pair with one working ear.
A sign that gives the distance to another town3 points. Trail signs and old mile markers count. A highway sign seen from a car does not.
Write down all 50 states in three minutes3 points. One pen, everyone calling out. Forty or more earns the points.
Element 79 on a periodic table poster2 points. Gold, symbol Au. Photograph a finger pointing at it.
Each teammate posed as a different pictogram from a sign3 points. Exit runner, crosswalk walker, wet-floor slipper. The judge matches pose to sign.
The two most similarly dressed teammates, posed as twins1 point. Same stance, same expression, same tilt of the head.
A balled-up paper shot into a bin from five big steps away2 points. One take, no cuts. Pick up the misses.
Run a rock-paper-scissors bracket and crown a team champion1 point. Best of three each round. The champion wears a paper crown to judging.
Sports commentary over a teammate tying a shoe3 points. Two commentators, full excitement, slow-motion replay optional.
Fold one sheet of paper into a cup that holds water for ten seconds5 points. The traditional origami cup starts from a square. Test it over a sink or outdoors.
These teen scavenger hunt ideas come as 100 scored tasks for ages 13 to 18: 40 to find, 25 to photograph, 20 to film and 15 team challenges. Ten are dealt when the page opens. Every task works on foot, costs nothing and keeps strangers out of the shot. Filter to School campus, Town center or House or sleepover, then print.
Pick the place, then deal the list
Press a place chip first. School campus holds 75 tasks, Town center 72 and House or sleepover 65, since most photo and video tasks work anywhere. Press New tasks, Lock the keepers and press again to replace the rest. Swap changes one line your building cannot supply, such as the trophy case. Plan on four minutes a task, so 15 fill an hour. Share sends every team the same list.
Points, proof and three ground rules
Every line shows its score: 18 tasks are worth 1 point, 38 worth 2, 37 worth 3 and 7 worth 5, such as a twelve-photo stop-motion clip. The note under each task is the judging rule, and several finds pay a bonus point to the team with the oldest year or the highest number. Say three rules aloud before the start: stay on foot, stay together, and be back by the finish time.
Tips
As scavenger hunt ideas for high schoolers, press School campus after the last bell: all 16 campus finds sit in hallways, the gym and other shared spaces.
At a sleepover, press Video clip and deal 5. A trailer, a pencil commercial and a reversed clip fill an evening.
Give each team one camera phone and one timekeeper, and take a point off for every minute late.
Questions and answers
What ages are these teenage scavenger hunt ideas for?
Ages 13 to 18. The finds expect a reader who can untangle a parking sign or a bus timetable, and the 5 point tasks, such as thirty seconds on a class topic with no 'um', are hard for adults too. For 11 and 12 year olds, swap anything worth 5.
Do teams need a car or any money?
No. Every task is written for a hunt on foot inside a boundary you set: the school building, a few blocks of the town center, or one house. Nothing is bought or carried off, and no task asks staff or passers-by for anything.
Where do the photos and clips end up?
With the judge. Each team shows its camera roll at the finish, and the note under each task decides the points. Agree beforehand that nothing gets posted unless everyone in the shot says yes. This page stores no pictures, and a task you Save stays on your own phone.
Wedding Scavenger Hunt Ideas138 scored tasks for reception tables, the wedding party and a shower bag hunt, none aimed at other guests.
Yacht Dice Score Card That Adds Itself UpThe 13-box five-dice card for up to 6 players, with the 63 bonus and the joker order in the key. A classic 12-box sheet is one tap away.
The 'You are here' dot on an evacuation map1 point. Most hallways post one near a stairwell or an exit.
A bike rack shaped like something other than a bike rack3 points. Towns commission them as fish, music notes and paper clips.
A book someone was assigned for class and actually liked2 points. The owner gives a one-sentence review at judging.
A brick or paving stone with a name engraved on it3 points. Donor bricks pave many plazas, library steps and ballpark gates.
A building whose carved name no longer matches what is inside5 points. An old bank that sells coffee, a school that became apartments.
A business name that is a pun3 points. Hair salons and bakeries are the places to look. The judge must groan.
A calculator that is not a phone2 points. Bonus point for a word typed upside down: 0.7734 reads 'hello'.
A chalkboard sign outside a cafe or a shop1 point. Read out the best line on it.
A championship banner from before anyone on the team was born2 points. Gym rafters and the cafeteria wall are the usual places.
A country that starts with Z on a wall map or a globe2 points. Zambia or Zimbabwe, side by side in southern Africa.
A fire hydrant that is not red2 points. Yellow, silver, green and blue all turn up. Photograph it from the sidewalk.
A flyer on a bulletin board for an event that is already over2 points. The date on the flyer is the proof. Leave it pinned.
A hallway clock that disagrees with your phone3 points. Both clocks in one photo. A difference of under a minute does not count.
A parking sign with at least three separate rules on it2 points. Bonus point if the team can explain when parking there is actually allowed.
A pencil shorter than a thumb2 points. Measured against the smallest thumb on the team.
A piece of student art on display, signed by the artist2 points. Photograph the work and the signature, not the artist.
A poster for a club that nobody on the team belongs to1 point. Write down when and where it meets.
A school photo of a teammate from before sixth grade2 points. With the owner's blessing. Hairstyles are judged kindly.
A shop sign that says 'Since' and a year before any of you was born2 points. 'Established' counts too. The oldest year of any team earns a bonus point.
A sign that gives the distance to another town3 points. Trail signs and old mile markers count. A highway sign seen from a car does not.
A trophy, a medal or a ribbon1 point. The owner says what it was for.
A utility cover in the sidewalk with a town or foundry name cast into it2 points. Look down. Read the name aloud at judging.
A video game older than the youngest player3 points. The date on the case or the title screen decides it.
A yearbook from any year2 points. Bonus point for finding a teammate inside it.
An 'Open' sign that is switched off1 point. Shoot it through the window from outside.
An old photo of the town on public display3 points. Try the library, the town hall lobby and bank windows.
The cabinet that holds the defibrillator3 points. Marked AED. Look, never open: knowing where it hangs is the point.
Element 79 on a periodic table poster2 points. Gold, symbol Au. Photograph a finger pointing at it.
Headphones with a wire1 point. Tangled counts. So does a pair with one working ear.
The highest room number in the building3 points. Compared across teams, and the highest number earns a bonus point.
The last departure of the day on a bus stop timetable3 points. Write down the time and the route number.
The library's closing time, from the sign on its door1 point. Write it down. It is worth knowing after the hunt as well.
The mascot in three different forms3 points. Painted, printed, stitched or sculpted. Three photos.
The number on a bottle-filling station's counter2 points. The little screen counts bottles saved. The highest number of any team earns a bonus point.
The oldest dated trophy in the trophy case3 points. Write down the year and the sport. The earliest year of any team earns a bonus point.
The queen of hearts from a deck of cards1 point. Put the deck back together afterward.
The school motto or mission statement, wherever it is posted2 points. Read it aloud at judging with a straight face.
Something that glows in the dark3 points. Prove it in a closet with the door shut.
The town's name on something that is not a road sign1 point. A water tower, a bench, a trash can, a banner on a lamp post.
The year the school opened, from a plaque or a cornerstone2 points. Try the main entrance and the wall outside the front office. Write the year down.
Photo 25
A close-up so tight the judge has to guess what it is3 points. If the judge names it within five seconds, no points.
A glamour shot of the most boring object you can find3 points. Portrait mode and good light, shot like a luxury watch. A stapler is ideal.
A panorama with the same teammate in it twice5 points. Start the sweep, then the teammate runs behind the photographer to the far end.
A perfectly symmetrical photo3 points. A row of lockers, a corridor, a footbridge. The center line runs through the middle of the frame.
A poster for a movie about your team3 points. Announce the title and the tagline at judging. Poses only, no editing apps.
A shadow-puppet animal on a wall2 points. The judge must name the animal without a hint.
A sports-card pose from every teammate2 points. Arms folded, ball on hip, thousand-yard stare.
A team photo with nobody looking at the lens and nobody on a phone1 point. Harder than it sounds when a phone is taking the picture.
A teammate pinching the sun or the moon between two fingers2 points. Line it up on the screen from a few steps back, never by staring at the sun.
A timer photo where everyone got into place in three seconds2 points. Set the three-second timer, prop the phone and run.
A top-down shot of everyone's shoes in a circle1 point. Toes to the center, phone held flat overhead.
A yearbook portrait of each teammate with an invented club title3 points. Present them at judging: 'President, Society of Left-Handed Snackers.'
The contents of one backpack laid out in a neat grid2 points. Every item square to the next. Repack it before moving on.
Each teammate posed as a different pictogram from a sign3 points. Exit runner, crosswalk walker, wet-floor slipper. The judge matches pose to sign.
Every hand on the team joined into one star1 point. Two fingers from each player make a point. Shoot from above.
Every teammate as a different emoji face2 points. The judge names each one. A full set of correct guesses earns the points.
Five teammates at five heights: lying, sitting, kneeling, standing, jumping3 points. Smaller teams double up. Everyone must be in one frame.
Hair caught mid-flip or a jump caught at its peak2 points. Burst mode, then pick the one frame.
One teammate who seems to float while the rest stand still3 points. A small jump, a low camera and burst mode.
The same pose in two places at least ten minutes apart3 points. Show the two side by side. Positions and faces must match.
The team as silhouettes against a bright sky or a window2 points. Tap the bright part of the screen to darken the figures.
The team seen through something: a fence, a bottle or a pair of glasses2 points. The thing in front stays blurred and the faces stay sharp.
The team studying harder than anyone has ever studied1 point. Books open, brows furrowed. Extra credit if one book is upside down.
The two most similarly dressed teammates, posed as twins1 point. Same stance, same expression, same tilt of the head.
Your school colors found side by side somewhere that is not school3 points. Two parked bikes, a shop sign, a flower bed, a shelf of books.
Video clip 20
A balled-up paper shot into a bin from five big steps away2 points. One take, no cuts. Pick up the misses.
A dramatic reading of a cafeteria menu or a bus timetable2 points. Treat Tuesday's lunch like the last page of a novel.
A fifteen-second trailer for a movie about this hunt5 points. Deep voiceover required: 'In a town with one stoplight...'
A frozen scene: the team holds still while the camera walks through3 points. Pick a moment, such as a dropped book, and freeze in the middle of it.
A lip-sync of one chorus with invented choreography3 points. Fifteen seconds. Everyone moves and nobody sings out loud.
A nature documentary about a teammate in their natural habitat3 points. Whispered narration. The subject must not react.
A pencil passed down the whole line using elbows only2 points. Drop it and the pencil goes back to the first player.
A reversed clip that makes something look impossible5 points. Knock a hat off a head and play it backward, so it leaps up and lands.
A stop-motion clip of at least twelve photos5 points. A shoe crossing a table is the classic. Flick through them fast at judging.
A ten-second commercial for a pencil3 points. A name, a slogan and one outrageous claim.
A ten-second weather report from exactly where you are standing2 points. One anchor, and one teammate playing the wind.
A time-lapse of the team building a tower from whatever is in your bags3 points. At least twenty seconds of real time. Everything goes back in the bags.
A water-bottle flip that lands upright2 points. Your own bottle, a third full. The clip shows the throw and the landing.
An interview in which the guest may answer only with questions2 points. Twenty seconds. A statement ends the clip and the points.
Five seconds of slow motion: a jump, a hair flip or a spin2 points. The slow-motion mode on the phone camera, not an editing app.
One continuous take in which every teammate films part of it3 points. Pass the phone hand to hand without stopping the recording.
Sports commentary over a teammate tying a shoe3 points. Two commentators, full excitement, slow-motion replay optional.
Thirty seconds on any topic from class with no 'um' and no 'like'5 points. Teammates raise a finger for each slip. Zero fingers earns the points.
The wave, down the line of teammates and back again1 point. Arms all the way up, or the judge sends it back.
The whole team walking in step for ten paces1 point. Film from the front. One stumble means a retake.
Team challenge 15
Build the tallest free-standing tower from one sheet of paper, no tape3 points. Tearing and folding are allowed. It must stand for ten seconds.
Count to twenty as a team with eyes shut, one voice at a time3 points. Nobody plans the order. Two voices at once and the count restarts at one.
Draw the school floor plan from memory, then check it against an evacuation map3 points. Bring both to judging. Missing wings cost nothing but pride.
Each teammate teaches the rest one word in a language they are learning2 points. The team recites every word at judging.
Everyone shuts their eyes and raises a hand at exactly sixty seconds2 points. A timekeeper watches the clock. One hand within five seconds earns the points.
Find a word of eight or more letters on a sign, then make ten smaller words from it3 points. Write them down. Two-letter words do not count.
Fold one sheet of paper into a cup that holds water for ten seconds5 points. The traditional origami cup starts from a square. Test it over a sink or outdoors.
Keep a balled-up sock in the air for thirty touches, no catching2 points. No player may touch it twice in a row.
Line up by birthday, January to December, without speaking2 points. Hand signals only. The judge checks the order at the end.
Make a paper chain of ten links with no tape, glue or staples3 points. Cut a slot in one end of each strip and a tab in the other.
Recite pi to ten digits as a team, one digit per player in turn3 points. 3.141592653. A wrong digit sends the team back to the 3.
Run a rock-paper-scissors bracket and crown a team champion1 point. Best of three each round. The champion wears a paper crown to judging.
Walk twenty steps in a line with a book balanced on every head2 points. A dropped book sends that player back to the start.
Write a six-word story about today1 point. Exactly six words. The judge counts.
Write down all 50 states in three minutes3 points. One pen, everyone calling out. Forty or more earns the points.
How this list was compiled: Written for this site by its editors in September 2026: 100 original tasks for ages 13 to 18, 40 to find, 25 to photograph, 20 to film and 15 team challenges. Every task was screened against the site's rules: it involves only your own team, approaches no strangers and no staff, buys nothing, takes nothing, needs no car, no climbing and no road crossing for the shot, and no photo or clip shows anyone outside the team. Campus tasks stay in hallways and other shared spaces. Point values (1, 2, 3 or 5) are the editors' judgment of difficulty, not a standard. The game described on the page (an organizer's list, small teams, nothing purchased, photo and video variations) follows https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scavenger_hunt. Facts inside tasks were checked on Wikipedia: gold is element 79, symbol Au (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold); Zambia and its southern neighbor Zimbabwe (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zambia); pi begins 3.141592653 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi); 0.7734 reads 'hello' upside down (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calculator_spelling). All checked 2026-09-18. Licence: own work