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Caring Place Scavenger Hunt

Suggested Group(s): Young/Middle/Teen

Purpose: To allow for team building, sharing and developing comfort in the facility

Task/need: Group building, group structuring

Activity Setup Ideas:

  • Talk about the Caring Place program, why people come here and the different rooms in the facility. Let the groups know that they will have an opportunity to get to know the facility a little better through the planned activity.

Materials:

  • Clip boards
  • Paper
  • Pens/Pencils
  • Questions in envelopes

Description: Break the group into two teams and give each the clue as to where to go for their first question. When they reach the location referred to in the clue, the team will find a series of questions to answer about what they find in the room, as well as the next clue. After answering the questions about the room, they will receive the clue to the next location and repeat the process for each location. One volunteer will stay with each group. Each team will be given a different order of rooms to which they will go.

Note: The below questions are specific to the Pittsburgh Caring Place facility in 2009. Substitute questions should be added as appropriate to tailor the activity to your facility and any changes that have taken place in the facility since this manual was published.

Order of Rooms:

  • Team 1: Activities room to expressions room to hallway to forum to reflections room
  • Team 2: Hallway to forum to entry to activities room to expressions room

Hallway:

Clue for this area: This is the place that connects all of us. In the back, you'll find your next clue. (Remember — you must be quiet here.)

Questions:

  • Find a letter from one former TV talk show host. Who wrote it?
  • Why do you think that the Caring Place is important to this person?
  • Take time to read it, what does this person have to say?
  • Take a stroll all the way around the hallway. How many quilts are hanging?
  • What is your favorite thing in the hallway?
  • Go where you began and you'll find your next clue (doorway to teen room).

Forum: Clue for the room: "I am here for you. You are here for me. We are here for each other." We will say this six times tonight in this room.

Questions:

  • Why do you think we say the pledge?
  • One wall is covered by a tree. What is on most of the leaves?
  • What do all those leaves have in common?
  • Take a guess. How many leaves do you think there are?
  • On another wall is the Caring Place logo. Pick someone from your team to draw it on the back of this card
  • The logo was drawn by a child who came to the Caring Place. Why do you think this was chosen as the Caring Place logo? What does it mean to you?

Reflections Room:

Clue for this room: Dr. Seuss book: One ____, Two____, Red____, Blue____,

Questions:

  • As a group, discuss what your first thoughts were about coming to the Caring Place?
  • Who from your family had the idea to come here?
  • Have your thoughts about the Caring Place changed at all? If so, how?
  • What do you hope to get out of being here?

Activities Room:

Clue for this room: Perhaps Big Ben should have been wearing this on June 12, 2006. Go find it.

Questions:

  • Who was the Coach of the team that signed the helmet?
  • Who was the Quarterback of this team?
  • On the wall near the helmet is the quilt square of Pittsburgh's former Mayor — find it. Who is it?
  • What did you learn about the Mayor from this square?
  • As a team, pick one square that you like.  Describe what you have learned about the person being remembered.  Describe what you have learned about his or her family.
  • Why do you think we have a room like this at the Caring Place?

Expressions Room:

Clue for the room: This room is soft, but pretty hard too. Before you enter, you must make sure that no one is using it. If it is empty, go in and have a seat.

Questions:

  • Describe everything you see in this room.
  • List three things you think people might do in here.
  • Do you think kids use it?
  • Do you think adults use it?
  • List as many emotions as you can that you think might be expressed in here.
  • When can you come in here?
  • What are the rules for this room?

Activity Wrap Up Ideas: Bring the group back together and talk about anything new that they may have learned during their scavenger hunt.

Suggestions: You might want to slightly close the adult room blinds so as to not disturb the adult groups while the kids are in the hallway.

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