• 115 prompts

Virtual Scavenger Hunt List

A list of ten video call prompts: press Pick 10 new prompts for another, or Start a 30-second timer.

Virtual Scavenger Hunt List

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All 115
  1. A name tag with a job title you just made upRead the title aloud with a straight face.
  2. Something red in one hand and something green in the otherBoth in frame at once. Clothes you are wearing do not count.
  3. Something you made yourselfKnitted, built, baked, painted, printed or coded onto a gadget.
  4. The pen that works worstProve it with a scribble held up to the camera.
  5. A prize, a medal, a certificate or a ribbonAny win counts, third place at a school fair included.
  6. A cookbook, a recipe card or a takeout menuRead one dish aloud.
  7. Something with wheelsA suitcase, a toy car, a skateboard. The chair you are sitting on does not count.
  8. A tower of five desk objects, still standing when time is upFive or more, touching nothing but each other and the desk.
  9. An ice cube, still frozen when you sit downBring it in a cup. It has to arrive as ice.
  10. Anything you can play like an instrumentTwo seconds of music, then sit down.

Next step Scored photo prompts for a teamCharades works on camera too

All 115 prompts

Within arm's reach 20

  • A cable or a charger that you cannot identify The group gets one guess at what it powers.
  • A coin, a button or a paper clip Any one of the three. The smallest object on screen breaks a tie.
  • A thing on your desk that has no business being on a desk The group votes on the least desk-like object.
  • An object that makes a satisfying sound Play the sound into the microphone.
  • Anything with a spine: a book, a manual, a notebook Read the title in a movie trailer voice.
  • The pen that works worst Prove it with a scribble held up to the camera.
  • The snack nearest your keyboard No snack in reach is a valid answer: show two empty hands.
  • The softest thing you can reach without standing up A sleeve counts only if nothing else does.
  • Something as long as your hand, give or take a fingernail Hold it against your palm as proof.
  • Something held together with tape, glue or hope Point at the repair.
  • Something in your own handwriting Hold it too far away to read. Work notes stay private.
  • Something round that fits inside your closed hand Show the closed hand first, then open it.
  • Something with a number on it higher than 100 Read the number out. A serial number counts, read out in part.
  • Something within reach that is older than your phone Say roughly how old. The oldest object on screen breaks a tie.
  • Something you can see your reflection in, other than a screen A spoon, a lid, a watch face. Wave at yourself as proof.
  • Something you could use as a bookmark that is not a bookmark A receipt, a ribbon, a train ticket. Flat is all it takes.
  • Something you have been meaning to put away for a week Put it away after the call and claim a moral victory.
  • Three things in three different colors, held up at once All three in frame together, or it does not count.
  • Whatever is nearest your left elbow right now No rearranging first. Honesty is the whole game.
  • Your mug, glass or water bottle The easiest point on the list. Biggest one on screen breaks a tie.

Run and grab 24

  • A bag full of other bags Nearly every home has one. Hold it up with pride.
  • A battery that is not inside anything Loose in a drawer counts. Taking one out of the remote does not.
  • A blanket, worn as a cape Enter the frame the way a hero would.
  • A board game, a deck of cards or a puzzle box Hold the box up and say when it was last played.
  • A broom, a mop or a vacuum, brought along as your guest Introduce your plus-one to the group.
  • A candle, unlit Unlit, and it stays unlit.
  • A flashlight, switched on The light on a phone does not count.
  • A house plant, or a convincing fake one Carry it with two hands. A dropped plant ends your round.
  • A pair of scissors, carried the safe way Blades closed inside your fist, at a walk. Running with scissors loses the round.
  • A printed map of anywhere A road atlas, a trail map, a transit map. Screens do not count.
  • A remote control for anything Say what it controls. A mystery remote earns a laugh, not a point.
  • A roll of toilet paper The fastest round of the day. Carry it in like a trophy.
  • A single sock with no partner A lone sock only. Bring a matching pair and you are out of the round.
  • A stuffed animal or a toy Introduce it by name.
  • A tape measure or a ruler Measure the width of your screen and report it.
  • A towel, folded as neatly as the clock allows The host judges the fold, not the towel.
  • An empty hanger Empty. Whatever was on it stays on the bed.
  • An umbrella, closed Closed. Nobody opens an umbrella indoors on this call.
  • Anything you can play like an instrument Two seconds of music, then sit down.
  • The heaviest book in the house The weigh-in is on the honor system. Lift with your knees.
  • The shoe you wear least One shoe is enough. Say why it never goes out.
  • Something from a junk drawer that you cannot explain The group gets one guess at what it is for.
  • Something with stripes Clothing you are already wearing does not count.
  • Something with wheels A suitcase, a toy car, a skateboard. The chair you are sitting on does not count.

Kitchen run 14

  • A box from the pantry Read out the first ingredient on the side.
  • A can of food, label toward the camera The group reads the label back to you as proof.
  • A colander or a strainer, worn as a helmet A salute is encouraged.
  • A cookbook, a recipe card or a takeout menu Read one dish aloud.
  • A dish towel over your shoulder, chef style Say one kitchen order, such as 'two soups, table four'.
  • A fridge magnet Say where it came from.
  • A lid with no container, or a container with no lid Every kitchen has at least one orphan.
  • A measuring cup or a measuring spoon Say the size printed on it.
  • A piece of fruit or a vegetable The oddest shape on screen breaks a tie.
  • A wooden spoon, held like a wand Any large spoon counts. The spell is optional.
  • An ice cube, still frozen when you sit down Bring it in a cup. It has to arrive as ice.
  • An oven mitt, worn Wave with it.
  • The biggest pot or pan you own, held up like a shield Held up, never worn. Pots and heads do not mix.
  • The spice you use least Read its best-before date aloud, however bad the news.

Put it on 12

  • A backpack or a bag, worn on your front Straps over both shoulders.
  • A hat for the wrong season A wool hat in a heat wave, a sun hat in a snowstorm. Any other hat earns a consolation cheer.
  • A jacket or a coat, worn backward Zipped or buttoned up the back is a flourish, not a rule.
  • A piece of a costume: a mask, a wig, a cape, a crown Stay in character until the next prompt.
  • A scarf, gloves or anything else made for winter Put it on before you sit down.
  • Goggles or safety glasses of any kind Swimming, skiing, workshop or lab. Worn, not held.
  • The most colorful thing you own, over what you have on The group votes for the brightest.
  • Rain gear: a raincoat, rain boots or a rain hat One piece is enough.
  • Socks on your hands, as puppets Each puppet says hello to the group.
  • Something with a hood, hood up A towel over the head does not count.
  • Sunglasses, worn indoors like a celebrity One slow turn toward the camera.
  • Two different shoes, one on each hand On hands, not feet. Hold both up to the camera.

Show and tell 16

  • A prize, a medal, a certificate or a ribbon Any win counts, third place at a school fair included.
  • A souvenir from a trip: a postcard, a ticket stub, a keyring Say where, and nothing more unless the group asks.
  • A tool you are oddly proud of owning Kitchen tools and garden tools count.
  • An object that shows a hobby of yours One sentence, then let the questions come later.
  • An object whose purpose the group has to guess Take three guesses before you tell.
  • The best thing you ever picked up for free Say where you found it.
  • The book you would lend to everyone on this call Title, author and one sentence of pitch.
  • The oldest piece of technology you still keep Say whether it still switches on.
  • One piece of kit from a game, a sport or a craft you could teach Name the thing you would teach this group in ten minutes.
  • Something in the room with a story nobody here has heard You pick the object, so you pick how much to tell.
  • Something that makes your workday better A lamp, a cushion, a particular pen. Say why.
  • Something you fixed instead of replacing Point at the repair and name the method.
  • Something you have owned for more than ten years One sentence on where it came from.
  • Something you made yourself Knitted, built, baked, painted, printed or coded onto a gadget.
  • Something you own and have never once used Explain yourself in one sentence.
  • The thing in your room that visitors always ask about Give the short version of the answer.

Make it on the spot 14

  • A bridge between two mugs that can hold up a pen Paper, a ruler, a notebook. The pen has to stay up for three seconds.
  • A drawing of your own face, done without looking at the paper Eyes on the camera while you draw. Hold it up beside your face.
  • A flag for this group, in three colors or fewer One sentence on what the symbols mean.
  • A name tag with a job title you just made up Read the title aloud with a straight face.
  • A paper airplane, folded and flown past the camera It has to fly. Holding it and making the noise does not count.
  • A paper fan, folded and in use Accordion folds. Fan yourself as proof.
  • A paper hat, worn Any fold that stays on your head for three seconds.
  • A pet, real, wished for or invented, drawn in one go Say its name.
  • A sign naming the place you would spend a free day Big letters. The group reads the signs aloud together.
  • A smiley face built from things on your desk Two eyes and a mouth are the minimum.
  • A tower of five desk objects, still standing when time is up Five or more, touching nothing but each other and the desk.
  • A treasure map of your desk, with an X on the best thing The group guesses what is under the X.
  • The word HELLO spelled out in objects Tilt the camera down or hold the letters up one at a time.
  • Your initials, written with the hand you do not write with Hold the result up with no apology.

Christmas call 15

  • A bow, a ribbon or a gift tag Stick the bow on your head until the next prompt.
  • A candy cane, or anything striped red and white A straw, a sock or a dish towel will do.
  • A cookie cutter Name the shape as you hold it up. A star or a tree earns a cheer.
  • A holiday card that came in the mail Picture side to the camera. The message stays private.
  • A mug with a winter scene on it A snowflake, a reindeer, a snowman. Empty, so the run back is safe.
  • A red hat, or any hat with a pompom Wear it until somebody else wins a round.
  • A roll of tape, worn as a bracelet The wrapping table is the place to look.
  • A roll of wrapping paper, carried like a sword No roll in the house? A gift bag held like a shield scores the same.
  • A stocking, or the sock most likely to pass for one The group votes on any sock that is not red.
  • A tree ornament, held by its hook Any ornament counts. Say where it came from in five words.
  • One end of a string of lights Plugged in or not. Nobody unplugs the tree for a point.
  • Something red in one hand and something green in the other Both in frame at once. Clothes you are wearing do not count.
  • Something shaped like a star An ornament, a sticker, a cookie. A drawing made on the spot does not count.
  • Something that jingles A bell, a bunch of keys, a pet collar with nobody in it. Shake it at the microphone.
  • The warmest sweater you own, worn Pull it on over what you have. Loud patterns earn a cheer.

How it works

Ten prompts show at a time, and every object comes to the camera, so no camera tours a home. This virtual scavenger hunt list holds 115 prompts, 15 of them for a Christmas call, and a 30-second timer.

Read the full guide

One shared screen runs the round

Share your screen. Read a prompt aloud and press Start a 30-second timer. Players fetch the object and hold it up before zero: first back scores 2 and everyone in time scores 1, tallied on paper. The × on a row takes a dud off the list, such as a Christmas prompt in July.

Thirty seconds, or longer

Thirty seconds suits the 34 prompts nobody stands up for, under Within arm's reach and Make it on the spot in the All types menu. Show and tell runs longer, since each object comes with a sentence.

  • Socks on a hard floor are the real hazard: say 'walk' before round one.
  • Virtual Christmas scavenger hunt ideas: pick Christmas call in the All types menu for 15, such as something that jingles.

Questions and answers

Is there a virtual scavenger hunt list for remote employees?

Choose More filters and press Remote team set: 64 prompts checked for a work call, such as the pen that works worst. None asks about anyone's family, faith, health, age, body, money or food, and none sends a colleague to a bedroom or a bathroom.

Which virtual scavenger hunt ideas for remote employees suit a team that has never met?

Open with three Within arm's reach prompts, then choose Show and tell in the All types menu. The book you would lend to everyone on this call, or something you made yourself, hands new colleagues a question to ask later.

Do these work as Zoom scavenger hunt ideas?

Yes, and on any video call app with screen sharing. On a big call, have players type 'back' in the chat to settle a close finish. Zoom is a trademark of Zoom Communications, Inc., and this page is not affiliated with it.

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