Team Building Scavenger Hunt Ideas That Actually Get People Moving

Let's be real: most team building activities make people cringe. Forced icebreakers, awkward trust exercises, that one person who takes the escape room way too seriously—we've all been there.

But scavenger hunts? They hit different.

There's something about a shared mission, a little friendly competition, and the freedom to move around that brings out the best in people. Teams bond over inside jokes from the hunt for months afterward. And nobody has to fall backward into a coworker's arms.

Why Scavenger Hunts Work for Team Building

The best team activities share a few things: they're active, they require collaboration, and they don't feel like work. Scavenger hunts check all three boxes.

They break down silos. Mix up the teams and suddenly the marketing intern is strategizing with the VP of engineering. It's the kind of cross-department connection that doesn't happen in the break room.

They reveal hidden talents. You'll discover who's surprisingly competitive, who's the natural problem-solver, and who has a weirdly encyclopedic knowledge of your office building.

They create shared memories. The photo of Dave trying to balance a stapler on his head? That becomes part of company lore.

Running a Team Building Scavenger Hunt with Seekr Games

You could go old-school with paper lists and honor-system scoring. But then you're stuck collecting scraps of paper, arguing about whether something "counts," and manually tallying points while everyone stands around.

Seekr Games takes the hassle out of it:

• Create your hunt at seekrgames.com

• Teams join from their phones at seekr.it — no app download needed

• AI validates submissions so you don't have to judge every photo

• Live leaderboards keep the competition heated

• Download all the photos afterward for the Slack channel

The whole thing runs in the browser. Setup takes maybe 10 minutes. And you get to actually participate instead of playing referee.

Team Building Scavenger Hunt Ideas by Setting

The best hunts are designed around your space. Here's what works:

Office Scavenger Hunt Ideas

Perfect for onboarding, quarterly events, or just breaking up a slow Friday.

• Take a group selfie with someone from a different department

• Find the oldest item in the supply closet

• Snap a photo of the weirdest thing in the fridge (brave souls only)

• Locate the emergency exit nearest to your desk

• Find someone wearing your company's brand colors

• Take a picture of your favorite spot in the office

• Find a coworker who started the same month as you

• Photograph the best desk plant

• Recreate a famous album cover with your team

Outdoor Team Building Hunt Ideas

For offsites, retreats, or when everyone needs fresh air.

• Find a landmark and take a team photo

• Collect a natural item (leaf, rock, flower) and bring it back

• Take a video of your team doing a synchronized jump

• Find a sign with a specific word on it

• Photograph something that represents your team's personality

• Locate three different types of trees

• Find a stranger willing to take a photo with your group (ask nicely)

• Race to a checkpoint and document your arrival

Virtual/Hybrid Team Hunts

Remote teams can play too. Tasks happen wherever people are.

• Show us your coffee mug

• Find something on your desk that's older than 5 years

• Take a selfie with a pet (or a houseplant if no pet)

• Show your most cluttered drawer (no judgment)

• Find a book on your shelf and share why you love it

• Snap your current view out the window

• Show us your work-from-home setup

• Find something in your home that's your company's color

How to Structure a Winning Team Hunt

A few tips from running way too many of these:

Keep it to 45-60 minutes

Long enough to be fun, short enough that people don't lose interest. For office hunts, 30-40 minutes can work. Outdoor hunts can stretch longer.

Mix task types

Throw in some quick wins (take a selfie), some challenges (find something specific), and some creative prompts (draw your team's mascot). Variety keeps energy up.

Balance competition with collaboration

Not everyone is hyper-competitive. Include tasks that require the whole team to succeed, not just the fastest person.

Announce a prize (even a small one)

Bragging rights are good. Bragging rights plus a gift card? Even better. A trophy that lives on the winner's desk until next time? Now you've got a tradition.

Use the photos afterward

Post highlights in your team channel. Make a slideshow. Send a "best moments" email. The hunt ends, but the memories stick around.

Team Building Scavenger Hunt FAQ

How many people can play?
With Seekr Games, you can host hunts from small groups to hundreds of participants. Most team events run 20-50 people split into teams of 4-6.

Do participants need to download an app?
Nope. Everything runs in the browser. Players go to seekr.it and enter a code to join.

How does the AI validation work?
When someone submits a photo, Seekr's AI checks if it matches the task requirements. You can also use reference images, location checks, or text-based validation depending on the challenge.

Can I customize the tasks?
Totally. Start from a template or build from scratch. Add your own prompts, inside jokes, or company-specific challenges.

What if we're a remote team?
Virtual scavenger hunts work great. Tasks can be completed anywhere—home offices, local coffee shops, wherever your team is.

Start Your Team Building Scavenger Hunt

Skip the trust falls. Ditch the awkward icebreakers. A scavenger hunt gets people moving, laughing, and actually connecting.

Create your hunt at seekrgames.com and make your next team event one people actually talk about.