Author Archives: support@textclues.com

A Mother’s Day Scavenger Hunt

Posted on by
Reply

Mother’s Day is coming up fast! But don’t worry you’ve still got time to give you mom a great surprise. TextClues is here to help you make a scavenger hunt that your mom will never forget.

TextClues is great in so many ways:

  • It will save you time
  • It is easy to use
  • Uses new technology which is sure to surprise
  • Can be used with other ideas or on its own
  • Provides a more personalized gift

You can use a scavenger hunt a few different ways on Mother’s day.

You can use it to lead your Mom to the present you were already planning to get her. She’ll love that you’ve personalized a hunt just for her and you’ll turn an ordinary gift into an extraordinary one.

You can also create a scavenger hunt that is a gift in itself. Lead you Mom on a hunt down memory lane with clues about your past and present. You know how sentimental your Mom can get so give her the clues she will love.

For more ideas check out our how to guide for creating a unique Mother’s Day scavenger hunt.

City or Campus Tour

Posted on by
Reply

Are you trying to organise a city tour, a campus tour, or just a general tour of an area for individuals but you don’t know where to start?  Are you trying to organise a tour of your facilities so that you don’t necessarily need to be physically present on the tour, but at the same time ensure to give your guests a good experience of your facilities or surroundings?
Using an easy-to-use tool like TextClues, it can organise a tour for your group in a way that you wouldn’t normally have expected!

TextClues can be used in two ways for a tour:
1) To help guide individuals from one location to another that are new to the area
2) To determine whether individuals within a certain location remember where facilities and specific points of interests are (if they have already been on a tour)

Both of the above would be setup in the same way, however it is simply a matter of how you would word your clues.  We’ll give examples of both, but we’ll start off with a completely new group wanting to tour around an area for the first time on their own…

Say, for example, you are a tour company, and want to provide customers the ability to take tours on their own time, stroll through the streets at their own pace, but still make use of your touring service. You could easily have users subscribe to a specific “tour hunt” via TextClues that will bring them to interesting attractions around your city
:)

Here’s an example for the city of Toronto:

Clue: The tour begins in the heart of Chinatown – Dundas and Spadina. Do you see the big tall tower (aka CN Tower) south of you? Walk down Spadina towards this tower. Take time to stroll down the street, go into some shops/markets, and enjoy a fresh drink. When you’re done, text “yum”
Answer: Yum
Clue: Have you reached the big tall Tower yet? If not, keep going until you are at its base :) Take time to take some photos and if you are up for it, have a ride up the tower too! When you’re done with the area, text “yay”
Answer: Yay

Now, if you want to test out some students at a campus, to see how familiar they are with a building, you can make it a bit more interactive :) Fictional campus used in the below example.

Clue: Start at the main campus. Go to the building on campus that has a cannon outside of the building. What year is found on the cannon?
Answer: 1853
Clue: Great job! Now, where on campus can you buy a nice big smoothie? Go there now and tell is the best selling item.
Answer: Fruity Blast

As you can see, you can have all sorts of fun creating a scavenger hunt/text messaging tour and make the tour go any way you would like it ;) And with TextClues, the organisation of it all just makes it *that* much easier.  Try it out today and you will see how easy you can have it work for you too.

List of Scavenger Hunt Clues (Part IV)

Posted on by
Reply

This weeks clue list gives you riddles for different rooms in the house. Send your hunter to any room and let them search high and low for the hidden prize/clue.

The clues should be formatted in the following way:

“I have hidden your next prize [Insert Riddle] Go find it!”

So for Example:

“I have hidden your next prize in the spot where I bake a lot. Go find it!”

 

  Kitchen   in the place where you make treats you can eat
  in the spot where you cook the meat you like to eat
  in the spot where I bake a lot
  in the place where you sit down and say grace
  TV Room   in the room where you sit with me and watch tv
  in the place where the
  in the place where the tv glows and plays shows
  in the space where the tv sits in place
  Bedroom   in the room where you have read in bed
  in the room where you count sheep to sleep
  in the place where you don’t make a peep because you’re asleep
  Back Yard   in the spot where you sit for fresh air
  in the place where you can cook on the barbeque
  in the place where you can run around and have fun out in the sun
  Pantry   in the place that holds all the different packs of snacks
  in the place where there are stacks of tasty snacks
  in the place where you find food in cans that feel cold to your hands
  Office   in the place where the computer sits with all of its bits
  in the room that holds the only type of mouse allowed in the house
  in the spot where you get work done before you can go have fun
 Dining Room   in the spot where you eat all that tasty meat
  in the place with the seat that you use when you eat
  in the place where you eat sweet tasty treats
Laundry Room   in the room that holds the broom
  in the room you go to clean clothes and make them smell like a rose
  in the place clothes get done so you look clean when you see someone
  Bathroom   in the space where you comb your hair
  in the place where you shower for over an hour
  in the place where you wash your face

Don’t forget to see how you can improve your scavenger hunt and save time by using the TextClues service.

Happy Hunting!

 

 

Summer Camp Text Scavenger Hunt

Posted on by
Reply

Camp CreekA scavenger hunt is a great way to get kids aquainted to a new camp. They can be used for camp orientation or to get the kids to explore areas of the camp they have never been before. You can ask them questions about landmarks and get them to learn what the camp has to offer.

You can use TextClues to send the clues by text message, but just make sure you have cell phone reception at the camp!

Here’s an example hunt that needs a compass:

Clue: Head north for 10 minutes until you reach water. What’s the name of this creek? Reply with the answer.

Answer: Five mile creek

Clue: How many swinging ropes are attached to the tree nearby?

Answer: 3, three

Clue: Good. Now head west upstream. How many kayaks are on the bank?

Answer: 11, eleven

Clue: Good. Walk a little further and cross over the bridge to the other side. What’s carved on the top of the totem pole?

Answer: Eagle

Clue: Good. Follow the path and when you reach the fork in the road look down and tell me what’s growing below the sign.

Answer: MushroomsMushrooms

Clue: Yes. Alright, go right at the fork and keep walking until you reach a clearing in the forest.  What’s in the middle of the clearing?

Answer: fire pit, pit

Clue: We’re going to use that for the bonfire tonight. What kind of tree has white peeling bark?

Answer: Birch, Birch tree

Clue: Good. Find one and peel a bit of the dried bark off. We’ll use that for fire kindling later. Head to the flag pole. What year is engraved on the plaque?

Answer: 1973

Winning Message:  That’s when the camp was founded. Now follow the trail east. When you reach the lodge go inside for lunch!

Museum Scavenger Hunt

Posted on by
Reply

Interested in a fun and educational day out with your kids? Well with a little bit of time you can create a fun day they won’t forget. The only problem is they might keep asking for another scavenger hunt as soon as possible!

Museums are great places for kids to learn because they are so interesting once you get the kids engaged. TextClues is a great new way to use technology to get kids interested in the exhibits and excited about learning. It allows you to create clues that will be sent to any mobile phone using text messages. When you answer a clue correctly the next clue is sent and when you answer it incorrectly it tells you to “try again”. You can see it in action using the demo.

This allows you to create a brand new experience for your kids that is sure to amaze.  They will be wondering how you did it. You can even say that the questions are coming from an adventurer who needs answers to his/her important questions.

It will only take a short visit to the museum beforehand to prepare the adventure. Quickly go through the museum and pick out interesting facts that you know your child would be interested in. If you are going with a few children then you might want to pick out different clues for each one. You will be able to enter all these clues into the computer in minutes then schedule the hunt to start when you’re heading to the museum.

As you walk through the museum with the kids you can enjoy each exhibit together and they will be excitedly looking for the answer to their next clue.

Here’s an example of how a hunt might start:

Clue: Hi, my name is Dr. Swill. I am an explorer and I need your help! Could you find some answers for me at the museum today? Please tell me “yes”

Answer: Yes

Clue: Perfect! When you first walk into the door you will see a big dinosaur skeleton. What is that dinosaur’s name?

Answer: trex, tyrannosaurus

Clue: Ahh just as I expected. Now can you find the name of the woman who helped Louis and Clark along their journey? …

Learning can be fun too

Posted on by
Reply

Homework and studying aren’t normally the number one things on a kid’s list of “fun things to do”. However, I believe that there can be so many different ways to incorporate learning and studying into something that kids could in fact enjoy.  Typically, when we try to test kids on content, it is always through pen and paper.  Why not use something like a text messaging tool, or a scavenger hunt through text messages so that:
1) One less thing to print out or write up (and hey, better for the environment too!)
2) Make your kids think that it is sort of like a game that they are playing, but really they are also learning at the same time.

You’re probably wondering how all of this would work, aren’t you?

Say, for example, you know that your kids have a math test or science test one day at school.  You can use a tool like TextClues to schedule a mini study/test session for them, but all through their cell phone! This way it makes it so easy for you to set up (just have to input questions into the easy to use TextClues tool) and kids can provide answers through their cell phone.  AND, you can see how your kids are doing via the real-time dashboard that shows how your kids are answering the questions and you can see where they need to study some more.  Best of all, you also don’t need to take the time to review all of the answers because the tool would do it for you!

Let’s give a quick example of how this would work:

Clue: You’ve got that upcoming test for school soon. Let’s see how prepared you are :) What is the volume of a cube that is 10 x 10 x 10? Reply with number answer only.
Answer: 1000
Clue: Great job! What is the square root of 9?
Answer: 3
Clue: Excellent! This property of gold allows it to be hammered into thin sheet and different shapes.
Answer: Malleable, malleability
Clue: You’ll do great if you keep on studying! :)

This is just a short example, but you can see that various different types of educational questions can be asked through text.

How would you make this a little bit more fun, perhaps for a younger child, to learn vocabulary or words?  You can make a scavenger hunt so that it will bring your kids from one location in the house to another, requiring that your child spells out the various words correctly.

Here’s another very quick example:

Clue: I keep food cool before you bring it to school. Spell it out and head there.
Answer: Refrigerator
Clue: Great! Now open the refrigerator, and find out what we are eating for dinner. Reply with the answer.
Answer: Casserole
Clue: Enjoy!

Last but not least, you can even use the tool to help kids learn another language, example Spanish or French.

Clue: How would you be greeted in the morning, in Spanish?
Answer: Buenos dias
Clue: Buenos dias to you too! How would you be greeted in the morning, in French?
Answer: Bon matin
Clue: And good morning to you :)

As you can see, a text messaging tool for educational purposes can be fun and interactive! Try TextClues out today and see how much more willing your kids will be to study at the same time :)

List of Scavenger Hunt Clues (Part III)

Posted on by
Reply

Here is another list of rhyming scavenger hunt clues you can use as riddles in your next scavenger hunt. They are great for kids and we hope they save you some time.

Remember you can save even more time by using the TextClues service.

 

  Cutlery Drawer   When you open this drawer you’ll find knives, spoons and more
  You’ll open this drawer before you eat
 In this tray you’ll find things that are shiny and grey that you use every day
  Guitar   I’m made of wood and make music that sounds good
 You play me with your hands and when you’re good you’ll have lots of fans
  I can play a song while everyone sings along
  Washer   Everyone knows I clean all their clothes
  I’m the machine that cleans your jeans
  You drop you clothes in and wait for the cleaning to begin
  Drier    Everyone knows I dry all their clothes
  You cannot deny I’m the reason your clothes are dry
  I transform your clothes from wet to warm
  Fireplace   I hold the fire that you can sit and admire
  In me you can burn wood and the warmth makes you feel good
  Below the chimney I sit and and make the smoke that fills it
  Dinner Plates   We hold all the meat and other things you like to eat
  We are clean and round ready to hold your food in a mound
  We are round and clean and hold your green beans
  Vacuum   I start with a spurt and suck up all the dirt
  I suck in air. Dirt, dust and hair beware!
  I make a loud sound and pick dirt up by the pound
  Bathroom Scale   When you step on me I give you a weight you can see
  I give you your weight and look like a square plate
  I can measure how much you weigh each and every day
  Mop   I’m wet and clean up the floor so there is less dirt then before
  I’m wet and leave the floor clean and also with a nice sheen
  I’m the best way to clean the floor you really can’t ask for more
  Broom   I sweep up dust and crums from crust
  I sweep the kitchen floor so there is less crums then before
  I sweep dust on the ground into one big mound

Church Youth Group Activities: Bible Text Message Quiz

Posted on by
Reply

Bible

A great interactive way to get your church youth group reading the bible and learning about the faith is a TextClues bible quiz. You’ll need everyone to have a cell phone so they can send/receive text messages. Then create a scavenger hunt with clues that tell them where to read in the bible to answer.

The great thing about this is everyone proceeds at their own pace. Also it feels less like a test and more like a fun learning experience.

Here’s an example of a bible quiz with an Easter theme:

Clue: What did Jesus use in the Last Supper as a symbol of his body? (Matthew 26:26)
Answer: bread
Clue: What was Judas given to betray Jesus? (Matthew 26:14-15)
Answer: coins, silver
Clue: What color was the robe they placed on Jesus? (Mark 15:17)
Answer: purple
Clue: What was Jesus’ crown made of? (Matthew 27:29)
Answer: thorns
Clue: What was Jesus hung on? (John 19:17-18)
Answer: crossJesus on the cross
Clue: What did they use to put Jesus on the cross? (John 20:25)
Answer: nails
Clue: What was rolled away from the tomb on Easter morning? (Matthew 27:59-60)
Answer: stone, rock
Clue: What did they find in the tomb on the 3rd day after Jesus died? (Luke 24:3)
Answer: nothing, empty
Clue: Who denied Jesus 3 times? (Matthew 26:75)
Answer: Peter

Click here to try the free demo on your cell phone.

Pub Crawl Scavenger Hunt

Posted on by
Reply

Planning a night out with your friends? Give the night some direction and even some competition by adding a scavenger hunt to the mix.

Adding a scavenger hunt will make your pub crawl one to remember. Everyone will be
rushing to their destinations laughing and joking about the clues set out along the way.

Pub crawls are perfect for scavenger hunts because bars and pubs always have unique features that can help create a funny and entertaining hunt.

Organizing a large group scavenger hunt but can be made easily with the text clues service.  With textclues you:

  • Don’t need to set up physical clues at each destination that may get damaged, taken or misplaced
  • You can monitor the scavenger hunt from any device that is connected to the internet
  • You can enter as many numbers as you want
  • You can track how many wrong answers a team had and base scoring on these numbers
  • Your hunters can enjoy an entirely unique activity where all clues and answers are completed via text messages
Try the Demo now!

Now let’s go over the steps to actually create your pub crawl scavenger hunt.

Make a List of Pubs You Want to Visit

You probably already have an idea of what area you want for the pub crawl. The pubs should preferably be in walking distance of each other and pick the bars with the most character or historical significance.

Head to Each Bar

Now it’s time to head to each bar to talk with the staff and start designing your clues. Talking to the staff, preferably the manager, is important to make sure that there will be capacity for all your participants. You should also take this time to try and negotiate a possible group rate for the event.

At this point you should also start collecting interesting facts and questions about the bar for your hunters to answer. Looking around for anything that catches your eye is a good way of coming up with quick clues for your participants. It’s also really fun to find out who will be working during the night of the pub crawl and ask questions about the staff (like a middle name or an interesting fact). If you let the staff know what you’re doing they may help you come up with a few clues themselves.

For this type of hunt the winner should be based on the least number of guesses rather than the first one through the hunt. This way the group can stay for a set period of time at each bar. The scavenger hunt should also be performed in teams which is a lot more fun than doing a scavenger hunt individually. You can tally up the team with the least number of guesses the night of the scavenger hunt or the day after and give out the prize.

Set up the Clues Online

Now it’s time to head back home and set up the clues and answers online. This part is simple; just enter the information on our online form. You can add a few different options for each answer and any answer that is 90% correct will still work! This is good if someone makes a slight misspelling of the answer.

Decide on the Prizes and Scoring System

A scavenger hunt is always more fun when there is a prize at the end. Decide on a prize that is related to the group you’re planning the hunt for. Having a funny or ironic surprise prize is a good way to go. Gift certificates are also great prizes. If one of the bars helped you out with your scavenger hunt you may consider getting a gift certificate for them.

There are few options for deciding on the winner of the scavenger hunt. The first way is the first team to reach the end. This might be a good option if you want to spend the majority of the time in the final bar. We recommend having a set period of time and base the winner on the team that got the least “try agains”. If there is a tie you could solve it with a coin toss.

Schedule the Hunt and Wait for the Fun

Now you can schedule you hunt for the big night and decide on the teams. Everyone is sure to have a blast.

List of Scavenger Hunt Clues (Part II)

Posted on by
Reply

We’ve got more rhyming clues! Feel free to use these riddles in your next scavenger hunt, we hope your kids enjoy them!

Don’t forget to check out the textclues service if you are looking to save time and make the hunt one the kids will never forget.

 

Refrigerator   I keep food cool before you bring it to school
  I keep food cold so it doesn’t grow mold
  Lights turn on when you open me up, then you pour a drink in your cup
Bed   I am where you go at night when you’re ready to turn out the light
  I am where you lay just before dreams take you away
  When you get up from sleep you always leave my covers in a heap
Tree   I grow up big and tall and lose my clothes in the fall
  I shoot up towards the sky and give you shade when you stand by
  I stand up on my roots and can grow juicy fruits
Plants   I may not move but I’m still alive, I need soil and water to survive
  The air is what I like to clean and I am green
  I grow very slow and could not survive in the snow
Boots   When it snows I help to warm up your toes
  I keep your feet dry when rain falls from the sky
  You wear me when you feel like going for a hike
Coats   I keep your body warm even in a storm
  I keep you dry when rain falls from the ski
  I’m very puffy and fluffy but I keep you warm
baseball   You throw me  by my laces before someone runs the bases
  You catch me in a glove while you play the sport you love
  It’s always fun when you hit me a make a home run
Pens and Pencils   You hold me tight when you are ready to write
  You use me as a tool to write in school
  I’m full of ink and can record what you think
Paper   I’m usually white and on me you write
  You can write on me with lead whatever is in your head
  Whever you think you can record on my with ink
Video Game Console   You are always playing me and I’m sure you would agree
  My games are fun and you’ve played each one by one
  You know the names of each one of my games