Halloween Scavenger Hunt Ideas: Tasks & Setup Guide

Halloween is about walking around in the dark, and a scavenger hunt gives that walk a purpose. You set GPS checkpoints along a route through your neighbourhood or a park, add a task at each one and the group moves from point to point. You need a phone per team, a torch or headlamp each, and about twenty minutes to plan the route. Pick a route with pavements and streetlights and walk it once beforehand at dusk, because a spot that looks fine at noon can be too dark or too busy at seven in the evening. Keep the tasks short so nobody stands around getting cold.

At a glance

At a glance
Group size	4-16 players in teams of 4-6
Duration	45-75 minutes
Age	6-14 years
Where	your street, a park or a cemetery path
Preparation	20-30 minutes

Tasks you can use right away

Tasks you can use right away
No.	Task	How it works
1	Pumpkin count	At a checkpoint on a residential street, teams count how many carved pumpkins or Halloween decorations they can see from that spot. Enter the number in the app; set the correct answer during your test walk.
2	Shadow monster	Under a streetlight, the team uses their bodies to form a monster shadow on the pavement and takes a photo of it. The photo is uploaded as proof.
3	Torch morse	One player stands 20 metres away and flashes a torch a set number of times. The rest count the flashes and enter the number as the answer.
4	Night sounds	Everyone stands still and silent for one minute and lists every sound they hear. Teams enter three sounds; the app accepts any answer and the group compares lists at the end.
5	Bare tree riddle	The checkpoint asks a riddle about something visible on site, such as: 'I have arms but no leaves, count my thickest branches.' Set the checkpoint at a distinctive tree.
6	Spider web spelling	Players find a fence, gate or railing and use a piece of string or wool from home to weave a letter into it. Photo as proof, then take the string with you again.
7	Zombie walk	Between two checkpoints, the whole team must walk like zombies for 50 metres. The team leader confirms in the app; another adult at the next checkpoint checks they arrived in character.
8	Witch's ingredient	Teams collect one natural item at each of three checkpoints: a fallen leaf, a pine cone, a twig. At the last checkpoint they show all three to unlock the final code.

Turn this into your own hunt

Tips for the day

Give every child a torch or headlamp and tape a strip of reflective tape or a glow stick to their costume so they are visible to cyclists and cars.

Set the checkpoint radius wider than usual, around 20 metres, because GPS accuracy drops in the dark under trees and between buildings.

Put the creepiest task at the second-to-last checkpoint, not the last, so the route ends on a calm note close to home with a drink.

Avoid checkpoints in front of private homes unless the residents know; a group of costumed kids staring at a door at night causes confusion.

Write the answers to counting tasks on the evening of your test walk, since decorations and pumpkins change from day to day in the week before Halloween.

Frequently asked questions

Start about 30 minutes before sunset so the first checkpoints are in daylight and the last ones in the dark. For children under 8, run the whole route while it is still light and save the dark for one final task near home.

Yes, place checkpoints near houses that are handing out sweets and make the route a loop through those streets. Set the checkpoint radius to around 15 metres so the app triggers while kids are still on the pavement.

Use suspense rather than jump scares: dark spots, whispered instructions and sounds work better than someone jumping out. Tell the group beforehand exactly what will and will not happen so anxious children know what to expect.

No. A checkpoint task can point to things that are already there: a bare tree, a lamppost, a carved pumpkin on a doorstep. If you want one decorated spot, put it at the final checkpoint so you only set up one location.

Shorten the route to five or six checkpoints and choose spots with shelter such as bus stops, covered entrances or a bandstand. Phones work fine in light rain if kept in a pocket between checkpoints.

One adult per team of four to six children is enough, since the app guides the group and checks answers. For teens over 14 you can let teams go alone within a small area and wait at the end point.