Educational scavenger hunt activities for Boston Field Trips

The Back Bay is filled—with secrets!

Prepare to see the charming area from Copley Square to Commonwealth Avenue to the Public Garden in an entirely new way, on a team-building scavenger hunt that reveals the neighborhood’s secrets and hidden history through amusing, tricky questions.

Highlights include strange and mysterious murals in the Public Library, the medieval magnificence of Trinity Church, the posh shops on Newbury Street, the tranquil retreat of the Public Garden, and much more.

Your team might be challenged to…

• Spot sources of support for signers of the Declaration of Independence
• Stand on disappearing water
• Play “Where’s Waldo?” in 1947
• Decipher a statue’s strange message about “baby feet”
• Get the dirt on a diorama with vanished trains
• Unmask the “Grim Reaper” outside Trinity Church

You don’t need to know anything about the area before embarking on this hunt. You just need sharp eyes and comfy shoes—and excellent teamwork.

A Kids Edition is also available, for kids and adults to enjoy together. It’s similar to the adult hunt, but with easier questions and less walking. The game is great for field trips, birthday parties, and family get-togethers.

Contact us to learn more about our Copley Square and Back Bay scavenger hunts—and find more fun in Boston!

Discover science’s silly side…

…on this whirlwind tour of the Museum of Science, Boston, designed for kids and adults to work together. On teams, you’ll search for answers to fun, funny questions about a life-size T. rex, a sneaky snake, hidden messages, an electrified jumping disk, optical illusions, sunken treasure, a musical zebra, a book by a cat, live animals, and much more.

This is a great game for kids and adults to enjoy together, whether a school field trip, as a family outing, a birthday celebration—you name it. It’s suitable for ages 7 and up, and at least one adult must accompany each team. You’ll all be equally engaged as you pull together as a team and make memories you’ll never forget.

Easy for educators, engaging for students

From second grade through high school, Watson Adventures scavenger hunts are a great activity for Boston field trips. They’re a fun-filled and action-packed way for students to learn, turning locations like the Museum of Science, Boston into game boards and encouraging students to collaborate and problem-solve while gaining a deeper understanding of the exhibits. Our team—with more than 20 years of experience planning events—will take care of museum logistics. At the hunt, our Hunt Host will set up your group for a smooth experience that will fly by. Leave the worry to Watson!

What are kids saying about the Museum of Science scavenger hunt?

“We did amazeballs and it was fun to go around and think. During some hard times we clutched, and the satisfaction of figuring it out was amazing! (btw clutch means that you saved it/did good at the last minute)☺️” —a player’s post-game comment, submitted via our app

“This was a fun interactive experience! My students worked together and had a blast!” —an elementary school teacher

Ready to get in the game? Contact us to learn more about our scavenger hunts for kids at the Museum of Science—and find more fun in Boston!

Kids and adults explore together…

…on this game through the streets of Cambridge and the paths of Harvard’s Old Campus, as teams search for answers to some of the best questions about the coolest sights from our Conquer Cambridge Scavenger Hunt. On teams, kids and adults unite to follow a trail of clues that leads to fascinating, historic, and quirky sites and secrets. The challenges are kid-friendly, but adults will get a kick out of them, too!

Plus, you’ll be challenged to take and share creative Team Photos. You’ll meet with our Hunt Host along the way for a surprise bonus challenge.

This game is suitable for ages 7 and up. It’s a great group activity for school field trips, birthday parties, scout troops—you name it. If you want your favorite kids to get to know Boston better while having fun with you, you need to hit the hunt trail!

Contact us to learn more about our scavenger hunts in Cambridge—and find more fun with kids in Boston!

See the best of Boston on a whirlwind tour…

…that takes you to Quincy Market, the North End, Harvard Yard, Fenway Park, Chinatown, Boston Common, Beacon Hill, and many other cool places. On teams, you’ll follow a trail of clues and answer humorous questions about the sites you visit.

You’ll also work together on Team Photo Challenges and meet up with the Hunt Host for a surprise bonus challenge.

This team-building adventure is perfect for out-of-town guests, but even native Bostonians will be surprised by the secrets they find.

Along the way, you might…

• Track down Founding Fathers (and Mothers) on the Freedom Trail
  
• Uncover the secrets of statues surrounding Faneuil Hall
• Flock to Mother Goose in a centuries-old burying ground
• Step up to the plate against some old-time Red Sox outside Fenway Park
• And much more!

Your intrepid team could take on such questions as…

• In Copley Square, find people who are traveling 26 miles to visit Mr. Copley. Complete this sequence: brook, hop, ash, _______. Answer: “Framing,” as in Brookline, Hopkinton, Ashland, and Framingham, seen on a map of the marathon route near the statue of Copley in Copley Square.
• Make way for ducklings in the Public Garden and visit the Boston Common. Nearby, off Charles, what executioner was killed in 1876? Answer: The great elm, a bygone execution site, mentioned on a sign near the Commons entrance across from the ‘Make Way for Ducklings’ statue in the Public Garden.

Don’t worry: we left out some of the directions that guide you to search for the answers in the right place. Whether you do the hunt by mass transit (mainly the T, Boston’s subway) or by limo, you and your teammates will find the navigating fun. Our directions are very clear, and no participant has gotten lost since our first Citywide Boston hunt in 2004—and that was before Google Maps!

We recommend doing a three-hour version of this scavenger hunt, although longer and shorter versions are available.

We also offer a Kids Edition, in which kids and adults must team up to win. Suitable for ages 7 and up, the hunt is perfect for kids groups visiting from out of town on a field trip: you’ll get a taste of the best of Boston.

Contact us to learn more about our scavenger hunts—and find more fun in Boston!

The cradle of liberty, literature, and laughs

American patriots fought the British here, famous writers walked and talked here—and now you can play here! The charming, very walkable streets and green spaces of downtown Concord make for a delightful hunt, as you answer tricky, humorous questions and search out historic homes, charming stores, memorable monuments, and more.

Highlights include…

• The place where Thoreau spent a night in jail
• A “lost” Renaissance masterpiece
• A “misplaced” piece of the Old North Bridge, where the Revolutionary War began
• The houses, haunts, and hidden secrets of Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Nathaniel Hawthorne
• A great place to stop for snacks

Even if you can’t tell a Minuteman from a Transcendentalist, you’ll love figuring out the game’s quirky clues and entertaining challenges. No prior knowledge of the area or history is required. Just bring your sense of humor, your comfy shoes, and your teamwork skills.

Companies in the Boston suburbs have raved about this hunt as a surprising team-building option that doesn’t require them go to downtown for historical, hysterical fun.

Kids can get in on the action, too!

An easier, age-appropriate version of this hunt is also available for ages 7 and up. Kids and adults collaborate on clever questions as they’re immersed in the city’s Revolutionary and literary history. It’s a fantastic choice for school field trips, camp and youth-group outings, birthday parties, and any event where you want to get kids interacting, learning, and having fun.

What clients are saying about the Concord scavenger hunt

“We had a great time on the scavenger hunt—everyone I asked so far said they really had a good time, and it definitely served the purpose to get people to work together that don’t normally interact too much. The scavenger hunt had appropriate level of difficulty, and we appreciated both the questions as well as the photo challenges.  Juliet [the hunt host] was very enthusiastic and showed up right on time. I would definitely recommend this to other groups at our company.” —a pharmaceutical company

Contact us to learn more about the Conquer Concord Scavenger Hunt—and find more fun in and near Boston!

Quirky questions for little sharks

Kids and adults work together on this special children’s edition of the Swimming with Sharks Scavenger Hunt. You’ll uncover the most amazing and funniest fish in the New England Aquarium while answering tricky questions. You don’t need to know anything about the deep blue sea to play or to win: you just need good teamwork and comfy shoes.

This scavenger hunt is a perfect activity for science field trips, camp outings, birthday parties, and any other excuse to get kids talking, building relationships, and having fun.

Recommended for ages 7 and up. At least one adult must accompany each team.

Contact us to learn more about our scavenger hunts at the New England Aquarium—and find more fun in Boston!

Set off on Boston’s most surreal hunt…

…a whirlwind tour of two museums: the Harvard Museum of Natural History and the Peabody Museum. On teams, you’ll follow intriguing clues through the exhibits in these next-door neighbors and answer tricky, humorous questions about what you find. On your quest, you’ll discover exotic stuffed animals, sparkling jewels, odd artifacts, thousands of glass flowers, meteorites, and more.

You might tackle such questions as…

• In Meteorites, find a big rock / That gave one cow a fatal clock / These aren’t little bits of stardust / Indeed, how heavy is Harvard’s largest? Answer: Near a meteorite that struck a cow, the largest is more than 400 pounds.
• Among Asian mammals, you could get crushed by a snake or shredded by a tiger—or even worse, get an embarrassing nickname. Which crazy quadruped is often the butt of jokes? Answer: The Kiang’s nickname is “wild ass.”
• Insurance agents, take note! Which frequently airborne African animal comes equipped with an “anti-skid” device? Answer: The scale-tailed squirrel. The scales help it stop after a leap.

You don’t need to know anything about the museum or science to do well on this hunt—or even to win. You just need to pay attention to the details, use your wits, and work well with your group. The game is great for corporate team building, social-club meetups, and any other kind of gathering where you want people to have fun while getting to know one another better.

Also available: the Kids Edition, suitable for ages 7 and up. Kids and adults work together to answer fun questions that leave everyone engaged and amazed. It’s the perfect activity for school field trips, youth-group outings, and birthday parties.

Contact us to learn more about our Harvard scavenger hunts—and find more fun in Cambridge!

Set the time machine for 1776

Kids and adults work together to explore the Freedom Trail on a fun, funny, informative scavenger hunt along the Freedom Trail in downtown Boston. On teams, you’ll search for a “strong man” in Faneuil Hall, enormous fruit in Quincy Hall, a giant’s teakettle, Mother Goose’s flock in a historic cemetery, a woman who inspired The Scarlet Letter, a place where Ben Franklin got dunked, enemy animals at the site of the Boston Massacre, and more.

You don’t need to know anything about the Freedom Trail or Boston to play and to win… but you and your group will know a whole lot about them by the time you’re done.

The perfect combo: Old Boston and young hunters

This is a great activity for bringing together adults and kids—and for getting them to work together, have a blast, and learn a little something along the way. It’s perfect for school field trips in Boston, birthday parties, scout-troop or summer-camp outings, tourist groups, you name it.

Recommended for ages 7 and up. Contact us to learn more about our hunts for kids along the Freedom Trail—and find more fun in Boston!

Follow clues, discover treasures!

On this whirlwind adventure, kids and adults team up for an entertaining tour of the museum that takes you across centuries, continents, and time—from ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome to Japan, China, India, Paris, and through the United States.

A terrific way for kids to have a blast and get a history lesson in the process, this scavenger hunt is a great choice for school field trips, camp outings, birthday parties, and more. And kids don’t need to know anything about art or the MFA to play: they’ll just need to pay attention to their surroundings, solve our fun and funny clues, and work together.

This game is suitable for ages 7 and up. At least one adult must accompany each team. The collaboration  and the humor required to play the game make this scavenger hunt a great school field trip activity.

Contact us to learn more about this museum scavenger hunt for kids—and find more fun in Boston!

History comes to life on this spooky quest

Go in search of witches and other weird wonders on this kids’ version of our popular Haunted Salem Scavenger Hunt. Kids and adults work together to solve tricky questions while learning the tales behind old buildings, statues, graveyards, and assorted places that are, according to legend, haunted. You’ll discover what has been called America’s “fourth most haunted” house and see where Nathaniel Hawthorne said he had a run-in with a ghost.

The hunt isn’t just for Halloween: it’s a perfect activity for birthday parties, summer-camp outings, and even school field trips, when teachers want to introduce Salem history in a fun, new way while teaching kids teamwork and cooperation.

Recommended for ages 7 and up. At least one adult must accompany each team.

Contact us to learn more about our scavenger hunts for kids—and find more fun in the Boston area!

Get your wands at the ready…

…for this magical journey through the Museum of Fine Arts, in search of art that echoes characters, places, and enchanted objects in the Harry Potter books and movies. Kids and adults team up to find giants that will remind you of Hagrid, centaurs and unicorns that would be at home in the Forbidden Forest, dragons that would strike fear in the hearts of Triwizard Tournament participants, and freaky figures as frightening as Death Eaters and Dementors.

Wizards and muggles alike can play

You don’t have to be a Potter buff to prevail: we have a cheat sheet for muggles, so they can enjoy the hunt and contribute just as much. The hunt is not an addition to or variation on Harry’s adventures; instead, references to the books and movies will provide a surprising bridge to many strange and wonderful works of art.

Fun games with humorous twists!

If you’re looking for a good, old-fashioned scavenger hunt, we have one—with very unusual challenges that will exercise your brain and tickle your funny bone. Your tasks may involve strange uses for food, new lyrics for old songs, people in any kind of uniform, strangers wearing valuable words, secrets about local landmarks, and more. If you’ve been on scavenger hunts where you’ve had to collect boring things like clothespins and obscure CDs, you’re in for a surprise and a treat.

Teams fan out to tackle such challenges as…

Take unusual team photos

Get creative and keep your eyes open as you explore your area and try to meet the requirements of diverse “photo op” challenges. Everyone has to get into the picture (except the person holding the camera, of course). We’ve designed them to allow room for creativity while also delivering dramatic visuals (not just shots of people standing around, smiling and pointing). You might be asked to demonstrate a group member’s superhuman powers. Or treat a staircase as if it’s a carnival ride. Or photobomb another team.

Participants use their smartphone cameras and our browser-based app. You’ll get to see the other players’ pictures and download them afterward.

Find or create unusual items

As in a classic scavenger hunt, you’ll have to locate or create unusual items. But in our version, you might encounter these tricky tests: Can you create and name an amazing new food by combining two unlikely foods? How about an appropriate trophy for the hunt winners? Three items that rhyme? Something improved by being broken? You’ll be surprised by the results that come from great teamwork.

Crack a code to decipher a mystery message

Your hunt materials will include a bizarrely coded message. What the heck does it say? To crack the code, you’ll need to solve crafty, fun puzzles, involving a trivia questions, pop music, and a “pigpen cipher.” Can you piece together the key that unlocks the mystery message?

Locate the Hunt Host for a surprise bonus challenge

At a designated spot in the hunt area, the Host will be waiting for you, ready to spring a tricky, humorous visual puzzle for you to ponder. It could involve unusual celebrity pairings…or musical snippets…or international maps…or strangely altered art.

Go on a scavenger hunt anywhere, with versions and themes to suit your group

Go Deluxe: Let us tailor the hunt to your needs. Tell us what you want to highlight and we’ll weave it into the game. Perhaps someone you want to celebrate? A theme or slogan for a new campaign? Hidden talents in your group? Talk to us! We like a challenge.

Care to take a bite out of crime? Check out the Murder Mystery Mayhem Scavenger Hunt.

The hunts are available in International Editions, for hunters whose first language is not English. They are also available in Spanish, as well as in other select languages.

A Grab ’n’ Go Scavenger Hunt for Kids challenges youngsters and adults to work together to tackle challenges appropriate for ages 7 and up. It’s the perfect activity for birthday parties, bar/bat mitzvahs, family reunions, school field trips, summer-camp outings—you name it.

For a snack-tastic adventure, the Grab ’n’ Go Food Edition features food-themed Collect & Create and Photo Challenges.

And young Harry Potter fans will be cheating if they use their wands and other magical powers on the Wizards & Witches Scavenger Hunt, for ages 7 and up.

What are people saying about the Anywhere Scavenger Hunts?

“The Grab ’n’ Go Scavenger Hunt was so much fun! All of the teams were engaged and working together. We couldn’t have asked for a better team-building and celebration event.” –Brittney Gallardo, Office Manager/Executive Assistant, Texture by Next Issue Media

A 5-star review on Google: “We hired Watson Adventures to host the Grab ‘n’ Go scavenger hunt for a teambuilding event in our local downtown area. We chose to pay for an on-site host and it was well worth it. Kim, the host, was fantastic, well organized, very helpful with the game app, and added even more fun to the game with opportunities to earn extra points. Our team had a blast!! We thoroughly enjoyed getting out from in front of our computers to spend time together in this fun and creative environment!”

A 5-star review on Yelp: “I planned a surprise custom scavenger hunt for my fiancé’s birthday last year and it was so much fun! Tara was a pleasure to work with and incredibly accommodating with all of my requests. The event host was equally wonderful. We all had a blast. I wish I had more reasons to plan scavenger hunts!”

Another 5-star review on Google: “Watson Adventures was so incredibly fun for our company offsite! Correy was a fantastic host that guided the experience and Tara made planning a customized hunt a breeze. 10/10 recommend!”

Contact us to learn more about the Grab ’n’ Go Scavenger Hunts—and find more fun wherever you are!

Explore Museums All over the Country—at Home!

Round up your teammates for an online adventure that challenges you to explore museum websites in search of the craziest, zaniest, secret-and-surprise-stuffed-fulliest (is that a word?) exhibits you’ve ever seen outside of your dreams. You’ll follow tricky clues on different museum websites and answer humorous question about what you uncover.

No knowledge of any particular museum is required: you just need sharp eyes, sharp wits, sharp teammates, and sharp pencils. Wait: sharp pencils not required, because you’ll be reading the clues and answering the questions in our spiffy app, bursting with links and hints and sound effects and other fun stuff.

Virtual scavenger hunt highlights include…

• Sue the T. rex at the Field Museum in Chicago
• A tour of the Texas State Aquarium with a sloth
• A bison stampede at the Milwaukee Public Museum
• The Space Shuttle Discovery at the Air & Space Museum
• Vintage arcade games at San Francisco’s Musée Méchanique

The game is suitable for ages 10 and up, and we recommend at least one adult per team. This virtual scavenger hunt is a great way to connect with family, friends or classmates. Contact us to learn more about a private game for your group!