Neighboring Tip of the Week - Organize a scavenger hunt based on your community’s assets.

Happy holidays, all! 

We realize you may be hanging out with friends and family this week, so this tip is perfectly suited for such a time. We propose: Organize a scavenger hunt based on your community’s assets. This activity is perfect for kids, and, in light of holiday celebrations, it could even be a fun party activity! To start, make a list of some of the unique assets in your neighborhood. These could include interesting looking buildings, murals, monuments, or even yard decorations. For example, in SoCe, a list might include locations like the Lincoln Street dam or the Firefighter Museum. When making this list, it is important to consider both the distance between locations and the safety of the area. Will participants drive or walk? Think about how much ground you want participants to cover, and, as always, be mindful of the safety of all who are involved. Next, organize your participants. Depending on the number you have, they can stay together or split into multiple groups. Finally, set the group/groups loose, each with a list of the locations and some sort of camera, perhaps one on a cell phone. The participants are to find and take pictures of each location to prove their completion of the scavenger hunt.

One time, Catherine and Matt, two of the Neighboring Movement co-founders, did this with a group of 5 kids at Christmas. They made a list of some of the most unique Christmas yard displays in the neighborhood and also added challenges like “carol at a neighbor's house” and “shovel a neighbor's driveway”. The kids loved the scavenger hunt, and they had so much fun helping neighbors that they ended up shoveling several driveways before returning home triumphantly with pictures and stories!

An asset-based scavenger hunt presents not only a fun activity for kids and adults alike but also an opportunity to be mindful of your community’s many assets!

Happy holidays, and happy neighboring!