If you want to plan a thrift store scavenger hunt, here’s a list of items you can use for players to find.
It’s a fun game for adults as well as being perfect for using as a youth group activity. It also has the benefit of helping local charities in your area.
Here’s how to plan it:
Resources
- Scavenger hunt list
- Pens
- $20 per team
Preparation
None
Teams
This can be played individually if you only have a few people participating, but it can be more fun to play in small teams. This can therefore be a good opportunity for team building.
Instructions
Give each of the players / teams a copy of the list below. Explain to them that their task is to go to a thrift store(s) and find as many of the items as they can.
Budget
Each team should get $20 to spend at thrift stores on these items. If playing with adults, they should provide this money themselves – for teams of 4 adults, that’s only $5 each.
If organizing for a youth group though, you’ll probably need to provide this money yourself.
List
Here’s a list of items for players to find – enough to make it hard to find, but not so many items that they wouldn’t be able to afford them all on a $20 budget.
There are also 3 bonus items for teams to find – details for how they should be scored are in the Points section below.
Beneath this list, there’s also a free printable scavenger hunt list – please feel free to make as many copies as you need when organizing this thrift store game.
- Def Leppard cassette tape
- Plate with a blue flower on it
- Book by John Grisham
- Dress with at least 6 different colors on it
- Fake flower
- Something with a plug
- Coloring book
- Clothing with a Christmas design
- Driving video game on CD Rom
- Video game T-shirt
- Snow globe
- Fork, knife and spoon
Bonus Items
- Ugliest ornament
- Cheesiest vinyl album sleeve
- Toy that looks like it’s 100 years old
Printable Thrift Store Scavenger Hunt List
Points
Teams should earn one point for each item that they find, so 15 possible base points.
You should then award one bonus point to whichever team(s) find the best bonus item. i.e. the ugliest, cheesiest and oldest-looking items.
The winner will therefore be whichever team scores the most points after the bonus points have been taken into account.