Scavenger Hunts for Kids & School Field Trips in New York City

Explore 6 continents and 8 planets in 90 minutes!

Kids and adults work together on this history museum scavenger hunt, which reveals the weirdest, the wildest, and the wackiest secrets of the American Museum of Natural History. You won’t be collecting objects—drop that fossil!—you’ll be searching for answers to quirky questions about the amazing exhibits you discover.

This team game is suitable for children ages 7 and up. No previous knowledge of the museum or its contents is required—you just need eagle eyes, good teamwork, and a flair for adventure!

Along the way, your team might…

• Search for snakes in Africa
• Touch ancient meteorites and dinosaur bones
• Find out your weight on the moon (don’t worry—it’s good news!)
• Discover why a T. rex shouldn’t stand up
• Brush by brown bears and buffalo
• Goggle at far-out fashions in far-off places
• Cower at a crouching cannibal
• Mingle with cavemen
• Dive beneath a life-size blue whale to get in the swim with a monster squid

The game is designed for teams of five or six kids, with one or more adults per team. We’ve been staging this hunt since 2000, and we know just the right level of challenge to engage every child and adult on a team.

Perfect for school groups—or any group!

What a great class trip or summer-camp activity! The scavenger hunt is a fun-filled way to introduce kids to the marvels of the museum, leaving young hunters yearning to learn more. Plus, the game makes it easy for adults to serve as more than just chaperones—they are fully engaged teammates. Numerous school groups have raved about this game, including schools with hundreds of participants. It’s also a popular choice for kids’ birthday parties and other special occasions.

What happy hunters are saying

“I have currently taken students from my high school to four hunts. Each time we have gone, the students have had a wonderful experience. The enthusiasm I have seen, the teamwork that has been displayed, has been thrilling for me as an educator. My job is to keep students engaged, and Watson Adventures does that with ease. Not only are the students doing something fun—they don’t even realize how much they are learning in the process.”

We dare you not to start humming Hamilton tunes…

…as you answer funny and tricky questions about the intriguing statesman and wind your way through the streets of Lower Manhattan, from Bowling Green to Federal Hall on Wall Street, from Hamilton’s grave near Broadway to Fraunces Tavern (where Hamilton dined with Washington).  

On this history-filled activity that’s perfect for school field trips and birthday parties, kids and adults collaborate on teams to discover the places where the feisty Founding Father worked, played, debated, fought, and planned his fatal duel. This hunt is sure to be a hit with fans of the insanely popular Broadway musical, as well as with those who don’t know much (yet) about Hamilton and early New York City.

And don’t worry—no knowledge of Alexander Hamilton or the Wall Street area is necessary! You just need sharp eyes and good teamwork.

Recommended for ages 10 and up. 

Contact us to learn more about this great field trip scavenger hunt—and find more historical fun in lower Manhattan!

A fun way for kids to fall in love with art

Kids and adults go on an art adventure together on this child-friendly edition of our popular Met Madness Scavenger Hunt. On teams, you’ll travel through time as you search for answers to tricky, humorous questions about mummies, knights in armor, palace rooms, hidden gardens, and much more. No knowledge of the museum or art is required, but you’ll come away amazed at what you’ve seen and eager to learn more.

For ages 7 and up. Kids must be accompanied by an adult, and vice versa. This is a perfect activity for school field trips and summer-camp outings, and we can’t count how many birthday parties have enjoyed this hunt.

A special edition for younger kids

Children ages 6 to 8 can also get in on the action with the Met Detectives Scavenger Hunt. They’ll use close-up photos of the weirdest, wackiest works of art to answer kooky questions about what they find. Every team requires at least one adult to help with walking directions while the kids keep their eyes wide open looking at the art.

What are players saying about this art museum scavenger hunt for kids and students?

A 5-star review on Yelp: “My extended family (age range from 4 – 80) had a blast zooming through the Met to get clues for the scavenger hunt. It was an amazing way to expose my jaded teenagers to the museum in a way that ensured they didn’t even think of it as a cultural outing. We all had a really great time. Super well organized and fun.”

Another 5-star Yelp review: “Our Girl Scout troop celebrated the end of the year with a terrific scavenger hunt at the Metropolitan Museum. The girls (4th grade) had a wonderful time and talk about it often. They really had such fun we might do it again! And why not, it is educational and fun.  Watson Adventures was great to work with and the event came together seamlessly.”

Contact us to learn more about this popular art museum scavenger hunt for kids—and find more fun at the Met Museum!

Five floors of fantastic fun!

Currently the Brooklyn Museum is not accepting group reservations. Join us instead for scavenger hunts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art.

Kids and adults team up to answer humorous questions about what they find as they take a wild tour of Egypt, Africa, Europe, Asia, and America in the museum’s halls. Special guest appearances made by: a mummy, Garfield’s ancient ancestor, a pitcher full of Niagara Falls, a woman dancing with a lion, a monster palace, and a dragon-headed turtle. You’re in for a treat!

This hunt is a perfect field-trip activity that gives adults a great way to interact with kids and show them how interesting an art museum can be. It’s suitable for ages 7 and up, and each team must be accompanied by at least one adult.

See the best of the Columbia University campus

…and the nearby Morningside Heights neighborhood on a humor-filled scavenger hunt. On teams, you’ll follow a trail of clues and answer clever, funny questions about the famous places, secret sights, and hidden history you find. It’s the fast-paced, fun campus tour you always wished you’d gone on.

Highlights include…

• Columbia University’s bucolic campus, with its unusual statues and classic buildings
• The owl hidden by the steps where the original Ghostbusters dallied
• The site of a desperate Revolutionary War battle
• The home of the Manhattan Project, birthplace of the atomic age
• George Carlin’s childhood home

Big groups welcome!

We can accommodate groups of all sizes; this hunt was originally commissioned by the Columbia Business School for 200 members of its incoming class. The game is also great for alumni get-togethers, birthday parties, and any other event where you want to entertain a diverse group with an activity that’s completely unique and a whole lotta fun.

An International Edition is available for groups that include people whose first language is not English.

The Kids Edition is great for school field trips—it inspires teens with a glimpse of what college life might be like.

What players are saying about the Columbia U. scavenger hunt

“My friends and I had a blast racing around Columbia’s campus during this scavenger hunt. Even though a lot of us went to Columbia as undergrads, we learned new facts about the school and the surrounding neighborhood. The clues made us think but weren’t too difficult to figure out—and the photo challenges added extra fun to the hunt. A fantastic way to celebrate my birthday!”

“Thank you all for the great scavenger hunt! The students loved it!! I personally discovered many hidden gems along the Columbia campus, like the fallen tooth by the Law School. We appreciate you helping us have an amazing Cluster Cup this year, and we hope to work with you again for next year’s Cluster Cup!”

Contact us to learn more about our Columbia University scavenger hunts—and find more fun in NYC!

Spooky fun for the whole family!

Kids and adults work together to uncover the stories of creepy places and the ghosts that have haunted them. As a team, you’ll follow clues in search of answers to tricky, humorous questions about hidden cemeteries, looming skeletons, the haunted homes of Edgar Allan Poe and Mark Twain, bats on a building, disturbing door knockers, Harry Potter’s arch-enemy, and plenty of tales that will chill your bones.

Recommended for ages 7 and up. Each team must include at least one adult. 

Uncover the secrets of America’s most amazing train station!

Kids and adults work together to learn the secrets of this amazing train station. To win, you’ll have to go nuts in the Whispering Gallery, spot surprises in the stars in the “sky,” find TV celebs in the fabulous food court, stand on fish under an upside-down tree in the Grand Central Market, count creepy critters trying to invade a “ship,” and more.

Along the way, your team will also scout for great opportunities to complete photo challenges. For instance, can you come up with a creative way to get your smiling faces and the starry Grand Central ceiling in the same selfie?

This game is great for school groups and tour groups, suitable for ages 7 and up. Each team must be accompanied by at least one adult. The fun part is how the game fosters collaboration among the kids and between the kids and chaperones.

A kids activity in NYC recommended by the media

New York Magazine, the New York Times, Time Out New York Kids, New York Family, GoCityKids.com, and MommyPoppins.com, to name a few.

Teachers, principals, and other educators also love this Grand Central scavenger hunt

A 5-star review on Google: “I helped organize a trip to NYC for 50 Girl Scouts and asked Watson Adventures to set up a scavenger hunt for us in Grand Central Station. What a unique and fun experience!! I cannot say enough good things about our two hosts, Mia and Correy! Both actors, in addition to hunt hosts, they really knew how to handle our large group, making sure everyone felt included and had a great time!”

“I have to say that we had such a fantastic time doing the Grand Central Scramble Scavenger Hunt. We loved enjoying this with our students and seeing them using critical thinking skills to find the answers. Thank you for all your hard work!” –Jenelle Hamer, Glen Ridge High School Special Educator

Another 5-star Google review: “We celebrated my daughter’s 12th birthday with 14 kids at the Grand Central Station Scavenger hunt. The kids had a blast. The questions were perfect and it was a very unique way to celebrate. Thanks Watson Adventures!”

Contact us to learn more about a private hunt for your group. Or join us on the occasional weekend when we offer this hunt to the general public—click the button below to see the schedule. Either way, you’ll find more fun in NYC!

Walk in the footsteps of giants

Teams will follow clues to explore the historic heart of Harlem, between 135th Street and Striver’s Row, in search of answers to fun, fascinating questions. You’ll discover places where you could have run into Ella Fitzgerald, Langston Hughes, Marcus Garvey, Tito Puente, Duke Ellington, Zora Neale Hurston, Eubie Blake, photographer James Van Der Zee, Ralph Ellison, James Baldwin, Arturo Schomburg, and the Rennies, the first black professional basketball team.

Don’t worry if you don’t recognize all of those names! The hunt will tell you who they are and why they’re fascinating. The game is not a test of knowledge, but instead a test of teamwork.

Highlights include…

• The elegant houses along Striver’s Row
• The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
• Harlem’s own Walk of Fame
• The YMCA that was a gathering place for artists in the 1920s and ’30s
• The Abyssinian Baptist Church, the pulpit of Adam Clayton Powell Sr. and Jr.
• The colorful WPA murals of Harlem Hospital
• The site of the famous Savoy Ballroom

Plus, your team will be challenged to take creative Team Photos, and the Hunt Host will meet you along the way for a surprise bonus challenge.

We also offer a Kids Edition of this hunt, suitable for ages 7 and up, that’s particularly popular for school field trips. You can really bring the Harlem Renaissance alive by taking kids to the very streets where it happened! 

A 5-star review on Google: “Amazing experience in Harlem with Watson Adventures. Our 43 students loved how fun and easy the hunt was and it was the highlight of the week. Thank you!”

Contact us to learn more about our Harlem scavenger hunts—and find more fun in New York City!

Time-travel to New York City’s past…

…by going on this whirlwind tour of the New York Historical (formerly the New-York Historical Society). It’s like the city’s attic of treasures. Your team will follow a trail of clues through the beautifully remodeled Luce Center, the Center for Women’s History, and an array of ever-changing special exhibits, as you search for answers to tricky, humorous questions about the cool things you discover.

The New York Historical has asked us to stage this game for the general public more than a dozen times since 2017. We always get a great turnout and an enthusiastic response.

But maybe you have a corporate group that needs a fun, stimulating, brain-scratching, team bonding activity right now. Good news: You can book this scavenger hunt for private groups almost anytime!

On the scavenger hunt you might search for such items as…

• Tremendous timepieces with timeless appeal
• An authentic replica of the Oval Office
• Antique windup toys and trains
• An instigating object in the Civil War Draft Riots
• A panic on Wall Street between bulls and bears

No knowledge of the museum or New York history is needed: you just need sharp eyes and comfy shoes.

Special edition for kids and school groups

A Kids Edition for kids and adults to play together is also available for ages 7 and up. It’s a great way to introduce children to New York history and to the museum while having fun. If you’re bringing a school group to the museum for a field trip, the History Mysteries Scavenger Hunt for Kids helps teachers introduce students to the entire museum while entertaining the chaperones as well.

Get in the game!

Contact us to learn more about our New York history museum scavenger hunts—and find more fun in NYC!

A downtown NYC adventure that will delight young hunters

Variety is the name of the game on this unique scavenger hunt. The oldest neighborhood in Manhattan is your playground, as adults and kids work together in teams to answer fun, funny questions about what they find from Wall Street down to the harbor.

One minute you’ll be exploring tiny, twisting streets that were laid out in Dutch times, the next you’ll burst into the open spaces of Battery Park and see the harbor and the Statue of Liberty. You’ll step inside a building featured in numerous movies. You’ll track down scorch marks left in a churchyard by fires during the Revolutionary War.

History is underfoot with every step! Other highlights include Federal Hall, Trinity Church, a giant bull, an 1812 fort, a buried building, the headquarters of Men in Black, and much more.

But no previous knowledge is required! All you need to win is sharp eyes, comfy shoes, and great teamwork.

Along the way, players will be challenged to take unusual team photos, designed to spur creativity and foster teamwork.

This scavenger hunt makes for a great school field trip, scout outing, family gathering, or other special occasion that both kids and adults will be talking about long afterward. Contact us to learn more—and find more fun for kids in downtown NYC!

Explore the roots of Jewish culture in NYC  

See the most fascinating Jewish heritage locations before they disappear! Teams will answer tricky, fascinating questions about the places they discover, from Rivington Street to East Broadway, from Orchard Street to Essex Street.

You’ll see businesses hanging on against the onslaught of trendy cafés. You’ll find barely noticeable signs of Jewish groups on the faces of old buildings. You’ll see an active yeshiva and a synagogue that became a Buddhist temple. Your mouth will water at stores that still serve bialys, bagels, and kosher pickles.

This scavenger hunt is available in two editions: an adult hunt, and a Kids Edition that is designed for kids and adults to do together. Filled with historical tidbits and highlights, the game has been a big hit with student groups from yeshivas and synagogues.

Highlights include…

• The former Forward newspaper headquarters
• The site of the Garden Cafeteria, where the Jewish intelligentsia dined and kibitzed
• Seward Park, site of the daily Chazir Mark, where laborers were hired…or idled
• The birthplace of B’Nai B’rith
• One of America’s most dazzling houses of worship, the Eldridge Street Synagogue
• Essex Market, created to get peddlers and their pushcarts off the streets

What are players saying about the Jewish Lower East Side scavenger hunt?

A 5-star review on Yelp: “We recently did a scavenger hunt of the Lower East Side—what a great way to explore a different part of the city! It was educational and fun for both grown-ups and kids. We learned a lot about the neighborhood, and had fun doing it.”

“Thank you so much for setting up the hunt. The kids had a great time. I thought the questions were a combination of really simple and complicated. It also didn’t hurt that my group won! 🙂 Otherwise, the kids had a great time, got into it and enjoyed walking around and seeing the Lower East Side….At the end of the day, we ask [the students] to talk about something that was a highlight for them that day and many of the kids said the hunt was the highlight.” —a director of education for a student group from a temple

“It was wonderful and we would absolutely recommend it to others and perhaps do it again!” —an organizer of a group from a temple in New Jersey

“Yes, it was great!!” —from a high school for Jewish studies

“Loved it. Thank you for helping us out with a great event.” —from a social group of kids and adults

Contact us to learn more about this group game that celebrates the Jewish Lower East Side—and find more fun in NYC!

Solve a murder at the Met? Get a clue!

In this mischievous mystery, kids and adults team up to search great works of art to expose a killer. The villain has created a scavenger hunt at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and if you can solve it, you’ll reveal his name, the weapon he used, and where he hid the body.

You’ll get images of suspects, weapons, and possible crime scenes that are all on display in the museum. By following the trail of clues and answering tricky questions, you’ll get closer and closer to solving this deadly puzzle, helping the police—and earning bragging rights for your team.

Discover one of our most popular Met Museum activities for kids

No knowledge of the museum or art is necessary: just bring your love of mystery and your teamwork skills. This hunt is for ages 10 and up. Each team must include at least one kid and one adult, with a maximum of six participants per team.

Contact us to learn more—and find more fun for kids in NYC!

If you can talk to the animals…

…you’ll be cheating on this surprising safari. Have a roaring good time with your favorite group of kids as you work together to solve clever puzzles while visiting curious creatures in their natural habitats. One minute you’ll be inside a tropical rain forest; the next, you’ll be peering across the African savannah. This scavenger hunt will help you create lasting memories—and cost you a lot less than an actual safari.

Our surprising Team Photo Challenges will encourage kids to get even more creative and provide hilarious souvenirs of your adventures. Monkey see, monkey do? You just might witness that phenomenon as your little monkeys try to get actual monkeys to smile for the camera!

Many school groups and birthday celebrants have found this scavenger hunt to be a great way to get even more fun out of an amazing zoo in a limited amount of time.

Kids must be accompanied by an adult, and vice versa. For ages 7 and up.

Contact to learn more about our Bronx Zoo scavenger hunts—and find more fun for kids in NYC!

An exciting idea for a birthday party or field trip

Kids and adults work together to explore the Central Park Zoo and its vicinity on a scavenger hunt for ages 7 and up. On teams, you’ll follow clues and earn points by sticking out your tongue at a rude animal, learning to speak Red Panda, fishing for piranhas, and meeting Betty and Veronica. You’ll see grizzly bears, snow leopards, birds and bats flying through an indoor jungle, and plenty of penguins and puffins, to name just a few of the animals.

Kids must be accompanied by an adult, and vice versa.

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!