Preparation
01 · Define objectives and territory
- Establish what you want participants to discover (local history, community services, cultural heritage, natural resources, etc.).
- Delimit the geographic area of the hunt (neighborhood, historic center, campus, park, etc.).
- Identify between 6 and 12 points of interest or key stations.
02 · Design the route and clues
- Create a logical route with points connected by creative clues.
- Design riddles, QR codes, old photographs, GPS coordinates, interviews with neighbors, etc.
- Ensure that clues require observation, research, and collaboration.
- Prepare challenges at each station (questions, specific photos, creative tasks, conversations with people).
03 · Prepare materials and logistics
- Print maps of the area, route sheets, and clue cards.
- Create QR codes linking to additional information or the next clue.
- Coordinate with shops, institutions, or neighbors if clues involve their spaces.
- Prepare small prizes or participation certificates.
04 · Safety considerations
- Verify that all routes are safe and accessible.
- Set schedules that avoid dangerous hours.
- Provide emergency contact numbers and facilitators available throughout the territory.
- Consider insurance or permits depending on the context.
Step-by-step instructions
1
Introduction and preparation
- Present the purpose of the hunt: getting to know the territory, discovering stories, identifying resources.
- Explain the rules: geographic boundaries, available time, respectful behavior in public spaces.
- Form teams of 4–6 people with a diversity of skills.
- Distribute materials: map, first clue, registration sheet, camera or phone.
2
Start of exploration
- Each team heads to its first station following the clues.
- Teams can all start from the same point or from different stations (rotation).
- Set a return deadline and a final meeting point.
3
The hunt in progress
- Teams decode clues, navigate the territory, and complete challenges at each station.
- They interact with the environment: read plaques, observe architecture, converse with neighbors.
- They document their journey with photos, videos, interviews, and drawings.
- They solve riddles that lead them to the next point.
4
Closing and return
- All teams return to the meeting point at the agreed time.
- Verify that everyone has returned safely.
5
Sharing findings and reflection
- Each team shares what they discovered, what surprised them, and what they learned about the territory.
- They present photographic evidence or collected materials.
- Reflect on the importance of knowing and valuing the local environment.
- A collective map with all findings or a photo exhibition can be created.
- Recognition or symbolic prizes are awarded.
Materials
Printed maps of the exploration area
Clue and riddle cards for each station
Registration sheets or route booklets
QR codes with additional information (optional)
Cameras or mobile phones for documentation
Pencils and markers for note-taking
Temporary signage at stations (if needed)
Symbolic prizes or certificates
First aid kit
Emergency contact list
Digital tools
Platforms
For virtual sessions or collaborative documentation.
Practical recommendations
Do a full test run beforehand to verify that all clues work and that locations are accessible.
Adapt the difficulty of the clues to the participants' profile: children, youth, adults, or older adults.
Include a variety of challenges: some physical, some intellectual, some social (talking with neighbors).
Incorporate technology in a balanced way: QR codes and geolocation apps, but also analog clues.
Encourage respectful interaction with neighbors and shopkeepers; some clues may require speaking with them.
Consider the route's accessibility for people with reduced mobility; offer alternative routes if necessary.
Establish a communication system between facilitators and teams via WhatsApp or radio.
Document the entire process with photos and videos to create a collective memory of the experience.
Connect findings with future actions: community projects, urban improvement campaigns, local activism.
Consider running the hunt in different seasons to observe how the territory changes over time.
Inspiration
Thematic examples by context:
- Historical heritage: Search for landmark buildings, commemorative plaques, monuments, and sites of historical memory.
- Community resources: Identify health centers, libraries, green spaces, community kitchens, and cultural centers.
- Urban biodiversity: Find different tree species, birds, community gardens, and urban farming spaces.
- Urban art: Discover murals, artistic graffiti, public sculptures, and temporary installations.
- Local commerce: Get to know historic family businesses, traditional markets, and neighborhood artisans.
- Oral memory: Interview long-time residents to collect stories, anecdotes, and accounts of how the territory has changed.
- Photographic hunt: Teams must replicate historical photos from the same angle to document urban changes.
- Gastronomic rally: Clues lead to discovering traditional dishes, family recipes, and local ingredients.
- Sound hunt: Record characteristic sounds of the territory (bells, street vendors, birds, workshops).
- Nighttime hunt: Exploration at dusk or night to discover how neighborhood life changes (with appropriate safety measures).
- Community geocaching: Hide physical "treasures" (capsules with messages, symbolic objects) for other groups to find.
- Intergenerational hunt: Mixed teams of young people and older adults who share historical perspectives.
- Education: Learning local history, urban geography, civic education, and urban biology.
- Urban planning: Participatory diagnosis of needs, identification of territorial problems and potentials.
- Community tourism: Design of alternative tourist routes managed by the community.
- Social activism: Mapping spatial injustices and identifying areas that need intervention.
- Integration of new residents: Helping newcomers discover key services and spaces in their new neighborhood.
- Identity building: Reconnecting inhabitants with the history and culture of their territory.
- A collective illustrated map with findings and learnings from all teams.
- A community photo exhibition showcasing the territory from new perspectives.
- An alternative travel guide created collaboratively.
- A digital oral archive with interviews of neighbors.
- Urban improvement proposals based on observations from the route.
- A campaign to promote local heritage through social media.
