Scavenger Hunt Information

The Young Israel Scavenger Hunt is a fun activity that you can do at your own schedule between August 13th and August 20th. We understand that people have other commitments or might be away for port of the time and cannot devote a full week for this event so we designed it to fit around your schedule.

It is a community adventure designed for fun, learning, and friendship. (and helping fill the time between end of camp and school starting) 

The Scavenger hunt consists of 4 parts:

  • Photo Missions: Figure out clue locations or items and take a team photo as proof.
  • Activity Challenges: Complete unique challenges or tasks as a group.
  • Scavenger Items: Collect specified items and bring them to the final check-in.
  • Chesed Activities – Do specific activities that help others.

There will be early bonus clues for those that register early.  These are totally optional and you can do them at your leisure and to fit your schedule.  They will be turned in with the rest at check-in.

While it’s a competition, the spirit of the hunt is friendly and fun. Work together, play fair, and enjoy discovering our community’s treasures!

Timeline

  • Registration: Open NOW! Early Bird rates available until August 1. IN ORDER TO REGISTER: You need to have a Team Name, A list of all participants, the name of the team leader (sometimes the hardest part), and phone numbers and emails for all adults in order to register. If it is a Youth Only All members under 18) Group (see below for team divisions) You also need the name, email, and cell phone of a non-participating adult who will be with them and drive 
  • Clue Release & Kickoff – Wednesday, August 13th from 7pm to 8pm  Young Israel of Greater Cleveland (2463 Green Road) for packet distribution
  • Final Day & Check-In – Wednesday, August 20th from 5pm to 8pm: All teams must check in at the finish location (Young Israel) between 5:00 PM and 8:00 PM. Bring your photos (on a flash drive) and any required scavenger items for scoring. Bonus points are awarded for earlier check-in times:
    • Check-in 5:00–6:00 PM – +100 points
    • Check-in 6:01–7:00 PM – +50 points
    • Check-in 7:01–8:00 PM – 0 points (on-time, no bonus)
      (Teams arriving after 8:00 PM will incur a penalty of –20 points per minute, so don’t be late!)
  • Celebration Ice Cream Party and Awards – Sunday, August 31st from 3pm to 4:30pm We’ll celebrate all participants and announce winners. Enjoy Ice Cream while you watch a slideshow of the week’s adventures, and prizes for top teams in each division.. (Location: Young Israel) details to follow.)

Team Categories

We welcome participants of all ages! Teams may register in one of the following categories:

  • Individuals: Solo participants (must be age 18 or older to compete alone
  • Families: A family group, e.g. parents and their children participating together.
  • Youth Teams (Under 18): A team of 2–8 youths all under age 18. Note: An adult driver/chaperone (not counted as a team member) must accompany youth teams for all travel. The adult may assist with safety and transportation, but to keep things fair, youths should solve clues and complete tasks themselves.
  • Friends (Mixed Ages – Including Adults only teams): Any mixed-age team that doesn’t fit the above (for example, two families teaming up, or adults plus a couple of kids who are not all one family). Ensure at least one adult is present for supervision if minors are involved.

Group Size: To keep things manageable, 2–8 people per team (except solo category). If your family is larger, that’s okay – just let us know. Very large groups may be asked to split into smaller teams for fairness (you can still coordinate informally). Each team must choose a team name and stick together for the challenges (see “Splitting” below for special cases). Remember, the goal is teamwork!

Team Identification – Pick a Team name.  It can be as fun, silly, or serious as you like.  Make something to identify your team (e.g a flag, a banner, or t-shirts, etc. to have in your photos.  There is a bonus for each photo that has it in it (with a limit)

Notes

  • First and foremost, along with it being fun, make sure you stay safe and respectful of the places you go.  Make sure you make a Kiddush Hashem along the way.
  • It is impossible to do everything – don’t try.  Don’t dwell on what you can’t figure out.  There are lots of clues to take their place.
  • Photo Safari locations cover a very large area (Greater Cleveland.)  If you do them, decide how far you want to comfortably travel.  The younger the team members, the shorter travel times will keep them and you happier.  Map out your travel so you efficiently cover as much ground as possible.
  • Splitting your team is an option if your groups is 4 or more but only into 2 groups.  If it is a youth-only group, you need an adult with each group.
  • Almost all of the Photo Safari locations and activities are free.  A few require an admission fee.  Plan ahead and confirm opening and closing times. t

And let the games begin…