35 Mall Scavenger Hunt Ideas (Teens, Youth Groups, Birthdays)
Updated September 8, 2026 5 min read
A mall scavenger hunt is indoor, weather-proof, and full of things to find. It is the classic youth-group and teen-birthday activity for a reason. Set a firm time limit, a meeting point, and a rule that nothing gets bought unless the clue says so.
Keep teams to three or four, and tell them the security rule up front: be polite, do not run, and ask before photographing staff.
Run this list as a live hunt
One click loads every clue below into the hunt builder. Edit what you like, share one link, and every team competes on a real-time leaderboard. Free for up to 20 players.
Find it
- 1.Photo: a mannequin in a pose your team can recreate (recreate it)
- 2.Photo: something that costs exactly $9.99
- 3.Photo: the most expensive item you can find, with the price tag
- 4.Text: how many stores sell shoes?
- 5.Photo: a store that has been there since the mall opened (ask staff)
- 6.Photo: a sign with a spelling error
- 7.Photo: a product in the birthday person's favorite color
- 8.Photo: something from the year the birthday person was born
- 9.Photo: a map of the mall with a team member pointing to where you are
- 10.Photo: the smallest item for sale in any store
- 11.Text: the name of the store closest to the restrooms on the second floor
- 12.Photo: an escalator going the direction you did not need
Do it
- 1.Video: the team riding the escalator while standing perfectly still like mannequins
- 2.Photo: a team member trying on the silliest hat in any store (put it back)
- 3.Photo: everyone in the team wearing sunglasses from the same rack (put them back)
- 4.Video: a 10-second product review of a random item
- 5.Photo: the team spelling the mall's name with their bodies
- 6.Photo: a strangers' thumbs-up in front of the fountain
- 7.Video: the whole team riding one carousel or kiddie ride, if it exists
- 8.Photo: the team sitting in a massage chair, all at once
- 9.Photo: the team with a store employee wearing a name tag that starts with the same letter as your team name
Food court
- 1.Photo: something on a menu that is under $2
- 2.Photo: a free sample being offered to your team
- 3.Text: how many restaurants are in the food court?
- 4.Photo: a pretzel, a slice and a cup of bubble tea in one frame (no purchase needed)
- 5.Video: a team member trying to say the full menu of one restaurant in ten seconds
- 6.Photo: the strangest flavor of anything for sale
- 7.Photo: your team at the meeting point, all seated, before the timer ends
Trivia
- 1.Trivia: what year did this mall open?
- 2.Trivia: how many floors does the mall have?
- 3.Trivia: what was the first store you saw when you walked in?
- 4.Trivia: which anchor store is at the north end?
- 5.Trivia: what are the mall's closing hours on Sunday?
- 6.Trivia: what is the name of the mall's management company? (Check the directory sign)
- 7.Trivia: how many parking levels are there?
Tips for running it
- •Use a GPS check-in for the meeting point so late teams are automatically logged.
- •Give bonus points for politeness. If a store employee is in a photo, they should be smiling.