If you are looking for a way to serve others and have some fun at the same time then check out these simple ideas for a service scavenger hunt.
Service Scavenger Hunt
Basically, to have a service scavenger hunt you’ll need to think of some services to provide to someone. Let’s start with doing a service scavenger hunt in your own home.
Home Service Scavenger Hunt
The idea of this scavenger hunt is to accomplish acts of service around your own home. For starters, you could have a list of 5-10 things that can be done to serve.
For example, wash a dish, clean a window or pick up 10 things and put them where they belong. As each service is accomplished it can be marked off on the sheet.
Once all the services have been completed you can return with your finished sheet for a prize. Or have it be a race to see who finishes first. You could even do the scavenger hunt in teams.
Having a hard time coming up with services to do? Try having everyone do a service for someone else in the family. You can have a list to choose from for each member, ask them what service they need done or choose your own service to provide to them.
Don’t stop at serving each other. They could even do a service for themselves and put a toy away or do a job in their own room too!
Are you pet owners? Add them to the mix so that they receive some service as well.
How about doing one service in each room of the house? In the kitchen clean a dish. For the family room fluff the pillows. When you get to the bathroom wipe down a counter.
A service scavenger hunt in your home is a fun way to give your whole house some love. So why stop indoors? Take the scavenger hunt outdoors and pull a weed or pick up a piece of garbage.
Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt
Let’s spread the service beyond the walls of your home and yard and head out into the neighborhood.
You can start by making a list of services you can provide. Make them indoors or outdoors. For example, sweep off a porch, walk a dog, vacuum a room, read to a toddler or pull some weeds.
Then head out and go door to door knocking and asking if you can provide a service on the list for them. If you want to ensure people will be home try calling ahead to let your neighbors know you will be out serving them.
If you do your scavenger hunt with a bigger group then try dividing up your group and splitting up your neighborhood so you spread the service to as many people as possible.
Your goal can be to mark all the services off your list OR to get to as many houses as possible in the time allotted.
Community Scavenger Hunt
Ready to think even BIGGER. Then let’s move this scavenger hunt to the streets. The streets of the city you live in.
Once again you can start with a list of services to provide. Try picking up trash, pulling some weeds or returning stray shopping carts.
You could also make your services random acts of kindness. Wash windshields of cars in a parking lot, hand out treats to people on the streets, help someone take their groceries to their car or bring your sidewalk chalk along and leave a kind note or words of positivity.
Your service list could include names of businesses that you can visit and ask what simple service you could provide for them. Or call ahead so you can come prepared to provide the service they are in need of.
Use a check list to show off your service accomplishments or pull out your phone and take a picture to share with everyone.
Bingo Service Scavenger Hunt
Want to take your service scavenger hunt to the next level? Add all of your services into a bingo board. Try using this free custom bingo card generator to get started.
You can also go with an empty bingo board. Check out this one here and let each group decide on which services to put where on their board. Or everyone can start out with an identical board.
Mark off each service as it is provided. Or, make it really official by having the recipient of the service sign off the bingo square.
Now not only do you get to do some service but you can also be strategic about it. Check out Learn In Color for a random acts of kindness bingo board that’s a free printable.
Other Service Scavenger Hunt Ideas
Still need some ideas to get your scavenger hunt started? Here is a list to get your creative juices flowing.
- Post-it Note message
- Write a letter and mail it
- Clean a microwave
- Take out trash
- Water plants (inside or outside)
- Clean a mirror
- Clean something inside the car
- Heart attack someone’s door (cut out heart shapes and write kind notes on them and then stick them on someone’s door)
- Dust something (blinds, TV, coffee table, etc.)
- Send an email
- Bring trash cans in
- Clean a toilet
- Play with a smaller child
- Organize a drawer
- Clean up toys
- Leave uplifting notes in a public restroom
- Clean a sink
- Send a kind text message to someone
A service scavenger hunt is a great idea anytime. Use it with your own family, youth groups, co workers, school class, friends or even as a birthday party activity. Whether you choose to serve in your home, neighborhood or community you will surely be helping others. Then keep track of your service with a checklist, pictures or even bingo to keep things fun and interesting. Whoever and however you do your service scavenger hunt everyone from the servers to the recipients of your service will get to know the joy that comes from service.