It’s a damp and dreary April day, and the family is stuck indoors with nowhere to go and nothing to do. Need an activity rain storm – err…brainstorm? Plan a Family Scavenger Hunt to banish the boredom!

For those who have yet to enjoy a scavenger hunt, the idea is simple: individuals (or teams, if you have a large group) are given a list of items to find. First to check off all the items on their list wins!

We’ve come up with some guidelines:

• You need to do a little research to create a list of items to find around the house, and that means attic to basement, on bookshelves, in closets, cupboards, and pantries.  “Scavenger” means that items on the list have to be hard to find, so putting “piano” on the list wouldn’t be in keeping with the concept.
• Remember that your hunters don’t have to collect the items on the list – they simply record where they found them.  We want to keep the mayhem manageable, after all!
• You can give each person or team the same list, but if housebound, they’re bound to bump into each other looking for finds. Better to customize lists so each person or team is looking for different items. (Ensure the difficulty level is similar list to list!)
• Keep items to an even dozen to keep the hunt manageable time-wise, so your hunters don’t get bored or frustrated with an endless list of finds.
• Be creative. If you have a family photograph in Grandma’s album of Uncle Frank’s prized pig, then that could be identified “a pig in a poke” on the scavenger list. “George Washington” would be that $1 bill in a piggy bank and “product of Idaho” is that lone potato in your pantry bin.
• Time the hunt, so folks know they only have an hour (or less!) to find their items, and designate a fair-minded family member as the referee, just in case!
• Be sure to award prizes! Those might include a cool magnifying glass or a pocket flashlight (in keeping with the ‘find’ theme), or other inexpensive, but fun gifts. And don’t forget to treat folks to a feast after the hunt – a make-your-own pizza spread with Rustic Crust would be a great way to salute the winners and comfort the losers!

Rainy days can be wonderful, and this Family Scavenger Hunt is a great way to spend a few hours laughing together and enjoying one another. Bring on those April showers!