A Step by Step Guide to Scavenger Hunts {and a FREE Percents Scavenger Hunt}

(If you're already a scavenger hunt pro, you can find the FREE percents scavenger hunt covering tax, tip and discounts linked at the end of this post.)

If you have wanted to give scavenger hunts a try but weren't exactly sure where to start, I wrote this step-by-step guide for you!

I love scavenger hunts because they are super engaging and self-checking. They are also a great way to differentiate assessments, especially for nervous students who don't do well on tests. 

A Step-by-Step Guide to Scavenger Hunts

All scavenger hunts are set up slightly differently, but the idea is the same. 

In this post I'll use photos of the FREE scavenger hunt linked in this post to show how students use the cards and record their work. We use this activity in my consumer math class to get moving and working together. I'll also note some things to watch out for to help you implement scavenger hunts in your classroom.


Step 1: Print and hang the 20 scavenger hunt cards.

Step 2: Every student gets an answer sheet.

Step 3: Let students start on any card they'd like. I sometimes pair up students or allow them to work alone. It's nicer when they work in pairs because they can bounce ideas off each other. 

Step 4: Solve the question on the BOTTOM of the first card. 

Step 5: Record the card number, work and answer.

Step 6: Find your answer on the TOP of another card in the classroom. Then answer the question on the BOTTOM of that card.

Students continue through all the cards until they have answered all 20 questions. If they answer every question correctly, their last card will lead back to the one they started on.

Consumer math activities bundle

You can find more activities covering percents in this discounted Consumer Math Activities Bundle.

Percents digital math escape room

To meet the needs of classrooms with technology, I have been making digital math escape rooms. This percents digital math escape room asks students to find tax, tips and discounts. This activity is included in the Consumer Math Activities Bundle linked above and separately.

My friend Kara from Learning Made Radical and I recently started collaborating on some new partner scavenger hunt activities that encourage communication between students. You can read more about them in this partner scavenger hunt post.

Things to watch out for with scavenger hunts:


1: Students may try to number their answer sheets 1-20 before starting the scavenger hunt. This will confuse them and make it hard for you to grade their work. The problem numbers in the left column of their answer sheet should not be in order.


2: If students 'short-circuit', meaning they get back to the first card they worked on before answering all of the cards, it means they had gotten a wrong answer somewhere along the line. I like to keep a copy of the answer key in my hand so that I can quickly find their mistake, chat about it and send them off on the right path. The quicker this happens the less frustrated they get.


Scavenger hunts are a fun way to practice or review a topic. I even use them as a way to differentiate my assessments. I especially love the way they get kids working with each other and allow me to check in one-on-one with them as they work around the room.



**You can find the free percents scavenger hunt here.