by: Wendy Legendre

A scavenger hunt is a fun and popular game that is adaptable to any age group, location or celebration. Variations to the classic scavenger hunt are only limited to the creator's creativity and imagination. There are indoor hunts, outdoor hunts, internet hunts, corporate hunts, handbag hunts, video hunts, photo hunts... and NOW... glow-in-the dark hunts.

When planning your next evening scavenger hunt, consider a glow-in-the-dark scavenger hunt. Here are just a few ideas to get your creativity and imagination to work.

Gather several small objects like a penny, a ruler, an apple, etc. and paint each one with glow-in-the-dark paint. Allow the items time to dry and to get plenty of exposure to light. Next, make a list, hide the items and invite your guests to find them at your designated location in a specified amount of time.

Note: There are small tubes and/or bottles of glow-in-the-dark paint available in Walmart's craft department or at many craft stores. I've even found some at the dollar store on occasion. The paint hardly shows when you put it on, so test your items in a dark room before you hide them to see how they look and to be sure they've had enough exposure to light.

More ideas...

Paint small things like a flower, a letter, a star or any other shape on various large items around your yard or venue and have your guests try and find where these pictures are located.

Paint letters on several different objects around the yard which spell a clue or secret word that the teams have to find the letters for and unscramble.

Paint different denominations of coins and have teams collect a specified amount of money. This will add an extra dimension, since the winner won't necessarily be the team that finds the most coins but the team that finds a total of $5.00 first (or whatever amount you choose).

If your budget allows and you don't feel like painting, purchase numerous glow-in the-dark items (bracelets, erasers, balls, tape - available at most dollar stores, novelty stores or party stores). Make up a list, assign a point value for each item and start your hunt.

Glow-in-the-dark items can be seen everywhere, from concerts to amusement parks, flea markets to your local department store. Whether you choose to use one of these ideas or make up one of your own, know that glow-in-the-dark paint and accessories are always a fun party addition.

Interested in taking this party idea a step further? Have glow-in-the-dark makeup available for your guests to paint their hands and faces. It's fun to see everyone glowing as they're searching for hidden items in the dark .

Remember... Play safe! Have Fun! Try something new!