the photo scavenger hunt

      My teen daughters have played this "icebreaker" game many times during youth activities at our church. The game requires an adult to accompany each small group in order to drive the teens to particular locations. It is also a game that lasts two to three hours, if done off campus. Every team must have a digital camera to play it. The teacher or youth leader supplies each team with a long list of people, places, or things that they must photograph for points. The adults in the team may fully participate in the game as well and at least one team member should also be present in the majority of the photos. The team that returns to the beginning location on time, with the most photographed subjects on the list wins. Timing, practical choices, teamwork and fun are all important objectives of the game. Hopefully, students will learn to build lasting friendships and unique experiences with team members during the game. I've included two additional listings of captions for photograph that will help teachers adapt the game for different circumstances. 

1. giant food
2. justice will prevail
3. friendly police officer
4. evidence of a flood
5. coffee, need we say more?
6. not very smart
7. rest stop
8. food court in the mall
9. peach pits again?
10. keep brushing
11. invented by Romans
12. the best menu in town
13. neon glow
14. bad timing
15. the thing is dedicated to...
16. pealing plaster
17. i found it inside the museum
18. i think this was first built by Egyptians?
19. gum in the parking lot, gum on my shoe
20. bird feeder
21. dedicated baby sitter
22. the wrong side of the tracks
23. a haunted house
24. an interesting grave marker
25. a room with a view
26. one hot ride
27. city hall 
28. fountain
29. graffiti 
30. paved with bricks or cobblestones
31. archway

The photo scavenger hunt on campus must be approved of by the school principle. Students must be trustworthy and careful to keep noise to a minimum while walking through halls where classes are still in session. After reviewing the results, teachers may decide to display the top three team photos in an exhibit.

1. an unusual view of the school lockers
2. deep knowledge of truth
3. employees working in the cafeteria smile, when students aren't present
4. secretaries rule, students drool
5. an empty turf
6. the haunted hall
7. something suspicious
8. sound mind and body
9. my teacher wants texture . . . again?
10. emphasis, lighting
11. ladies man
12. fever
13. from below...
14. school spirit
15. a dedicated student
16. just passing through or hall pass

The photo scavenger hunt in the classroom requires students to solve problems with limited space and it also challenges them to interpret photo suggestions creatively in order to take interesting pictures. Teachers and peers should reward creativity to the winners; the winners of this challenge may even be determined by a show of hands or the loudest applause.

1. "seeing double" portrait
2. textured and tacky
3. random collection
4. a bug's life
5. as seen from above
6. take a picture of me and you'll be sorry
7. you'd have to be starving to eat this
8. photos don't lie
9. against school policy
10. my perfect teacher
11. o.k. this guy is...human?
12. get me out of this place