Intel Scavenger Hunt: Teambuilding with a Twist
Scavenger hunts are hot these days, especially with mobile apps such as SCVNGR. But Texas-based Code Red Caper has a different take on the game.
It’s not about figuring out where you’re supposed to go or retrieving an item once you get there. Instead, teams are given a list of locations along with clues that need to be solved at each location. They accumulate points along the way, and winner is not the first to cross the finish line, but the team with the most points.
Code Red Caper (www.coderedcaper.com) recently created a caper for Intel’s Schools of Distinction Award finalists. This program honors schools that excel in science and math. In the past, Intel has hosted a three-hour cruise for teachers, principals and other staff at the schools. But this year, they wanted to try something different.
“Intel was getting feedback that the guests felt trapped on the boat for three long hours,” said Al James, founder and “head sleuth” of Code Red Caper. The location? Washington D.C.
James traveled to Washington in advance and scouted out good spots for the challenges. Intel wanted the players to use the Metro rail system for transportation between locations. “I had to make sure that all six challenges were close to Metro stops,” James said.
The hunt began at the Mayflower Hotel where the meetings had been taking place. Players were formed into teams and given a list of locations and clues. One of the stops was a large gym, where teams had to match pairs of photos with the name of a sports celebrity (think photos of a man’s tie and a cob of corn—Ty Cobb, of course.)
At another stop, a souvenir shop, teams had their pictures taken in a mock Oval Office with cardboard cut-outs of the President and First Lady. The photos were given to guests as keepsakes of the event.
The event ended at the zoo, where the teams were treated to dinner while James tallied points. After dinner, the winners were announced.
The event was a great success, according to James. “Intel was really happy with the fact that everyone could participate, because we mixed physical and mental challenges. It also gave participants a chance to explore and experience their surroundings without having to know the lay of the land to find their clue sites.”
