Educational scavenger hunt activities for Philadelphia Field Trips

Discover the weird and wacky side of art…

…on a whirlwind tour of the best—and strangest—art in this amazing museum. Decipher clues and answer tricky, humorous questions as you travel across time and continents. You’ll explore such destinations as a French monastery, a Chinese palace, an Indian Temple, a Pennsylvania Dutch kitchen, a Japanese village, a medieval knight’s tomb, and the palatial rooms of European nobles, to name a few of the highlights.

Along the way, you might search for…

• A Dutch master doing something fishy in one of his own scenes
• A mule that might cry, “Hey, no smoking back there!”
• A sweet drink with a rotten ingredient
• A colonial version of a dribble glass
• A dragon with horrendous halitosis

But no knowledge of art or the museum is required to enjoy the hijinks and perhaps even win: you just need sharp eyes and comfy shoes.

Countless corporate groups have enjoyed this hunt as a team-building activity since we first offered it in 2004.

Also available: The Kids Edition has been recommended by GoCityKids.com. Suitable for ages 7 and up, this game is popular with all kinds of groups, from teachers leading school field trips to parents looking for an unusual birthday-party activity.

What people are saying about the Philadelphia Museum scavenger hunt

“The Team Building Scavenger Hunt was a delightful experience—it was not only educational but also entertaining. The hunt wasn’t just about racing against time or wining a prize, but it was collaborative and fun. The teams mingled, shared insightful ideas and laughter as we solved riddles and pieced together the artworks’ hidden stories. Our CEO said he felt like Tom Hanks in the Da Vinci Code movie. It is one of the best team building experiences that we’ve had in a long time” —a financial company

Contact us to learn more about our scavenger hunts at the Philadelphia Museum of Art—and find more team-building fun in Philadelphia!

Kids and adults work together on this special edition of our popular Haunted Philadelphia Scavenger Hunt, with questions tailored for ages 7 and up. Your team will follow a trail of clues to discover creepy places that, according to legend, are haunted!

You’ll learn the stories the witnesses have told and people have passed down—and who knows, maybe you’ll meet the ghost of Ben Franklin or the Hag of Pine Street.

You’ll be challenged to answer tricky, fun questions about what you find along the way.

Starring: the spirits of 1776 in Independence Hall, a Quaker that’ll make you quake in Washington Square, the burning bride of City Tavern, and various other sudden chills, rustlings, knockings, and more.

America’s battle scars and secrets—revealed

The British are coming! And so are the patriots! Actually, they’re all already here, on display at the new Museum of the American Revolution in the heart of Philadelphia, a few blocks from Independence Hall. This group game gives you an unusual and hilarious whirlwind tour of its highlights, astonishing and odd artifacts, and hidden surprises.

You’ll follow a trail of clues that weaves through the war’s timeline, from the “Road to Independence,” through “The Darkest Hour,” and on to “A New Nation.” But this isn’t your ordinary scavenger hunt, so you won’t be collecting objects (put back that musket!). Instead, you’ll be collecting answers to tricky, funny questions.

No previous knowledge required!

No expertise on the Revolution is required. You don’t need to know Ben Franklin from Ben Affleck: the hunt is a test of teamwork, not trivia knowledge. To win, all you need to win is a pair of sharp eyes—and comfy shoes. That said, you’ll be amazed at the fascinating, strange, astonishing stories and historical objects you’ll discover along the way.

Exclaims one corporate client: “We had a great time. Everyone loved it and several told me they were planning on signing up for the Longwood Gardens hunt coming up. Thanks so much for everything!”

A Kids Edition is available for kids and adults to play together, which makes for the perfect school field trip. It’s guaranteed to spark any kid’s interest in the Revolutionary War, the Founding Fathers—and Mothers—and history in general. Recommended for ages 7 and up.

Contact us to learn more about our fun, funny scavenger hunt at the Museum of the American Revolution—and find more fun in Philadelphia!

Your eyes will goggle and your brain will boggle

The sprawling, spectacular Longwood Gardens once served as the du Pont estate and now provides a surprising backdrop for an amazing adventure in the Brandywine Valley. On teams, you’ll get a whirlwind tour of the gorgeous grounds and huge greenhouse as you follow clever clues, uncover fascinating secrets, and answer humorous questions.

Along the way, you might…

• Climb into tree houses
• Marvel at amazing cascades and fountains
• Feel like you’re traveling around the world as you explore the many rooms and environments in the huge conservatory
• See how the du Ponts lived in their cozy frozen-in-time home
• Search for tucked-away gardens
• And see more exotic flowers than you’ve probably ever seen in your life

But don’t worry if you’ve got a brown thumb and can’t pick a gardenia out of a garden: no previous knowledge is required to play or even win this game. All you need are sharp eyes and comfy shoes.

Pick your own private hunt

We also offer an all-indoors version of this hunt, which is particularly handy in the winter.

For an extra challenge, try the Murder Mystery Mayhem at the Botanical Garden Scavenger Hunt.

There’s also a Kids Edition, recommended for ages 7 and up, for children and adults to play together. It’s perfect for a school field trip that introduces young students to the glories of gardens.

What are people saying about the scavenger hunt at Longwood Gardens?

“Our group really enjoyed themselves. When I asked what feedback they would share, I got responses of: ‘Awesome!’ and ‘Phenomenal!’ The questions drove them to explore the Conservatory and the Peirce–du Pont House to learn more about these locations. We very much liked our hosts for the hunt. They were friendly and had fun with our group. This was a successful team-building event for AHAA!” —Regina Kardish, Customer Management

“My group had a fantastic time, so much so that now everyone else is jealous and wants to do the same thing with their departments. 😊 Thank you so much!!” —a medical technology company

Join us for occasional weekend games for the general public, or contact us to learn about how to book a private scavenger hunt for your group—and find more fun at Longwood Gardens!

Young scientists go in search of startling secrets!

Adults and kids are partners on this wacky trek through Philadelphia’s premier science museum. You’ll need Ben Franklin’s craftiness to search out answers to tricky questions about such things as a gigantic locomotive, an Air Force jet, a mad scientist’s electric device that you spark to life, a giant heart that you have to walk through, strange space suits, a real moon rock, and even Ben’s own inventions, including something that will get you across a lake in an unusual way.

This game keeps even the pickiest participants entertained and engaged, making it a great choice for school field trips, camp excursions, birthday parties, and more.

Recommended for ages 7 and up. Kids must be accompanied by an adult. Contact us to learn more—and find more fun in Philadelphia!

Dodge the dragons, mind the magic!

Embark on an enchanted field trip through the Philadelphia Museum of Art in search of art that will remind you of the characters, locations, and magical items in the world of Harry Potter. Armed with only your wits and your wand—er, pencil—you’ll find a powerful sorceress, a potions master similar to Snape, centaurs and other fantastic beasts, strange sharks and mermaids that look like they belong in the Triwizard Tournament, and frightening figures that could double as Death Eaters and Dementors.

Wizards and muggles (i.e., those who aren’t Potter buffs) can play and enjoy this game. The hunt is not an addition to or variation on Harry’s adventures; rather, references to the books and movies provide a surprising bridge to amazing art. It’s a great way to discover—or rediscover—the museum.

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!