We love Halloween. Love it! As kids, dressing in costumes was an incredible way to get creative, from the time we cut a volleyball in half to make a viking helmet to the time we climbed inside a big purple pillow to become a California Raisin. As young adults, Halloween was a thrill — joining massive parades on Franklin St. in Chapel Hill, then later in West Hollywood, making friends, marveling at amazing costumes, and dancing to Ray Parker, Jr. We worked at places that held huge carnivals and costume contests. Now as parents, our love of Halloween has proven genetic, and we delight as our kids cautiously approach the skeleton decorations on a neighbor’s porch, and request spooky books from the library all year long.
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Which brings us to this year. It’s the perfect confluence — Halloween is on a Saturday? And there’s a full moon? And… there’s a global pandemic and it’s not safe to go door to door asking our elderly neighbors to share candy with us? Right. Right. Oh and the people who won’t wear masks are the scary ones? Cool, cool.

So what to do? Well we love a challenge, and we’ve been given plenty to love this year. We set about building our Home Scavenger H(a)hunt, which combines trivia, word games, and of course scavenger hunting to create a fun, safe, Halloween experience. You stay home, you connect on Zoom, and you play games. Costumes aren’t required, but they’re encouraged.

How’d we do it? We’ve played enough home hunts with our happy customers to know what works best, and we took those lessons and combined them with everything we knew about Halloween. We cued up “Monster Mash” (we were working in the lab, after all), and set our braaaainss to thinking about all things Halloween, from tricks to treats.

Scary movies, Halloween songs, funny costumes, and more all became fodder for the game. Anagrams got a spooky twist, hidden words snuck into eerie sentences, and photo IDs got even more disguised.
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We sat back and looked at our creation. “It’s alive!” we screamed. We started testing it, and we’re delighted at the response. We honed it, adding more trivia and jokes, until we were satisfied with the product. We'd created the perfect safe Halloween activity that could be played from home!

Then we looked again! This was a great game for adults, but for kids? Not yet. Not because it was too gory or scary, but because the games were a bit too tricky for young’uns. So we built another one. We built more puzzles, we shuffled some stuff in and out. We keep it kinda spooky. So now we have a great remote kids Halloween scavenger hunt for any age. It’d scare the pants off you, if anyone wore pants anymore. 

We’re so excited we’ll be able to celebrate Halloween with y’all, and can’t wait to put your brains to the test. If you’d like to book a virtual Halloween Scavenger Hunt for your office, your family, or even your coven, don’t be afraid!

​We're celebrating our brand new Stay Home Halloween Haunt with a scary new puzzle! Maybe we're getting ahead of ourselves with this Halloween business, but at least we're keeping our heads. We can't say the same for all the answers to this puzzle, I'm afraid. Each sentence can be completed with two words. In each pair, one of the words can be formed by removing the first letter of the other! So please don't make an ERROR, or you will face immeasurable TERROR!

1. When we arrived at the home, our _____ told us not to worry about the _____ in the attic.
2. I've had a strange _____ ever since that ______ cast a spell on me.
3. Every night _____ midnight, a _____ flies past my window.
4. There's a bite on your ____ and now I _____ that you may be turning into a zombie.
5. My _____ warned my uncle that after she was gone she'd come back to _____ him.
6. I don't _____ what noises you make, you can't _____ me with that rubber rat.
7. A few miles _____ of town we spotted a strange _____ in the forest.
8. _____ in the middle of the movie, the creature gave me a terrible _____.

Scratching your head for the answers? Scroll on down. Or if you're ready for more spooky fun, book a Stay Home Halloween Haunt now!










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ANSWERS
​1. HOST/GHOST
2. ITCH/WITCH
3. AT/BAT
4. EAR/FEAR
5. AUNT/HAUNT
6. CARE/SCARE
7. EAST/BEAST
8. RIGHT/FRIGHT

​You need to wear your mask! In the puzzle below, you'll see that several phrases have removed their MASKs, and it's not pretty. The letters M, A, S, and K have been removed (at least once) from each phrase below. The clues might help you determine what the correct phrases are, and as an additional hint, the final list will be in alphabetical order. But really, wouldn't things be a lot easier if they'd all just kept their MASKs on?

1. Heat or Thunder, for example BETBLL TE
2. Capital of North Dakota BIRC
3. It has 150 chapters (the most!) BOO OF PL
4. His most famous creation has been portrayed by Gary Oldman, Christopher Lee, and Adam Sandler BR TOER
5. Beastie Boys song named for a cocktail BR ONEY
6. Where you might pick a pepper FRER RET
7. He had hits with "Lost Highway," and I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive" HN WILLI
8. Nickname for Lebron ING JE
9. Petra and Uluru LNDR
10. What Daniel Plainview threatened to drink, in film ILHE
11. Host of "Taste the Nation" PD LHI
12. Common bagel topping OED LON
13. He coined the phrase "Too much of a good thing" WILLI HEPERE

Need the answers? Scroll six feet to find 'em!

ANSWERS
1. BASKETBALL TEAM
2. BISMARCK
3. BOOK OF PSALMS
4. BRAM STOKER
5. BRASS MONKEY
6. FARMERS MARKET
7. HANK WILLIAMS
8. KING JAMES
9. LANDMARKS
10. MILKSHAKE
11. PADMA LAKSHMI
12. SMOKED SALMON
13. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

​DFW Scavenger Hunt was founded as an outdoor events company. Two of our core values are getting people working together and getting them out of the house. You can imagine the challenges we faced when it became very clear that for the foreseeable future, neither of those activities were possible. But a few of our other core values include staying positive and thinking creatively. And both of those things became essential as we considered how to pivot to a new offering.

Our inspiration came from all sorts of places, and we recognized that there was a need that still needed to be met. There were families stuck at home, looking for something to keep them entertained. There were teams used to the camaraderie of working side by side suddenly suffering from colleague deprivation. And everyone was looking for a diversion. People still wanted something to do! Remote team building was needed. Online kids' parties were in demand.

What became immediately clear was that we could address those needs through a unique product in our trademark style. And while our outdoor hunts were driven by a passion for celebrating the places where people lived, we could now find a way to celebrate the places people really lived. Certainly we could build scavenger hunts that inspired people to get up, explore their home, and still use their brains and creative energy to solve challenging puzzles. That's how our Stay Home Scavenger Hunts were born. 

​Building new events from scratch was our first step. Well, almost from scratch. Our outdoor scavenger hunts have always included a few puzzles that required no walking at all, not just to give folks a rest, but to add to the diversity of challenges. So we looked at some of those, and found ways to incorporate them into a home version. But there was still plenty of work to be done. In order to truly create a special experience, we needed to build custom games that couldn't just be solved at home, but also could only be solved at home

In our neighborhood hunts, we typically challenge people to find landmarks in order to help them solve a puzzle. Track down a historical marker and find the old mayor's middle name, for example. In the home version, it’s the reverse. Solving a puzzle becomes the first step in knowing what you need to go find. Perhaps you unscramble a phrase (COLA NERD) that prompts you to go fetch your colander. Or you’re identifying a pop song then running for the object named in the title. (You do own a wrecking ball, don't you?)

Another thing that’s always been important to what we offer is a real, live host. There are lots of scavenger hunts that just ask you to download an app and send you on your way. But we like the personal touch, and want to be there to offer guidance, hints, and, when necessary, judgement. And even when we couldn’t be there in person, we knew that having a real host would prove just as essential. Besides, now that we're all so distant, socially, it's crucial to include human connection wherever possible. We want to make sure every event is special, beyond the typical dreary Zoom meeting or everyday chat. We do that with a host who's new to the party, ready to get everyone excited, and always ready with a zinger.

​An unexpected benefit of our circumstances? Going national. The odd twist of everyone being stuck in one place meant that we now had a much wider reach, and suddenly our North Texas business was able to offer a product to people around the country. This also meant we could reach a much larger network of people to spread the word. And sure enough, our first bookings came from Michigan, California, and North Carolina. All through word of mouth.

We got busy on our company social pages, but got even busier on our personal pages. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and anywhere else we could post (or hadn't posted in a while) became fertile ground to sow our message that we were open for business. If there was any time to rely on the kindness of friends, this was it. And we're so grateful for the way our people came through. Everyone knew someone with a business looking to shake up meetings, or a mom trying to throw a birthday party, or just a bored group of friends. The referrals we got in those first few weeks kept us very busy.

Meanwhile, we were reaching out to past clients, through our newsletter and even direct contact. We knew that many of them would be excited about offering something to their teams, and letting them know we were available just made sense. 

To be clear, we are very lucky. If you’re even able to consider a pivot, you’re lucky. Many businesses, many people, are facing genuine danger. We are just a small team that’s trying to find ways to have fun, and we would not trade our troubles for anyone’s.  We're grateful for our situation and grateful to the friends, family, and clients who keep us going. If you'd like to discover what one of our stay at home hunts is like for yourself, get in touch and find out what sort of adventure we can create for you, even on your own couch.

​If you've ever played one of our city scavenger hunts, you know that we like getting out and exploring the places we live. But now that it's crucial that we all stay home, we're focusing on exploring the places where we actually live. And if you're working from home, you're probably facing some of the challenges that come with it. Connections, collaborations, and camaraderie all suffer when we're separated like this.

In an effort to address some of these challenges, and also in hopes of bringing something fun your way, we've created a new team event intended specifically for staying home -- a Stay Home Scavenger Hunt that challenges you to solve puzzles by searching your residence, collecting items, and completing tasks. Work remotely with your teammates to raid the fridge, rummage through the closet, or dig in the cushions -- whatever it takes to find the answers before time runs out. 

Play with your friends and colleagues as your host challenges you to solve a puzzle by tracking down items in your own home. Right now, you can't visit an escape room, or even escape your own home, but we offer a form of escape that will challenge your puzzle solving skills and make for a great time with friends. Perfect for team building or shaking up a virtual party with friends, it's a unique experience that gets your brain going. We're based in Texas but can offer the event anywhere you are. It's entirely customizable and a fun diversion for any group.

Whether you're looking for a remote team building solution, a fun event for your weekly Zoom chat, or just want to shake up the quarantine routine, it's a great way to boost morale and make the distance between us a little more social.

We may be cooped up, but we need to exercise, both our brains and our minds. This hour-long event does just that, getting you out of your seat and out of your mindset, too. It will make you think, and it will make the familiar a bit more fantastic.

We love Dallas, but we've always wanted to play our games with our friends around the country. And now that we can't leave home at all, we've suddenly gone national. So let's play!

Since you likely have trouble remembering what day today is, you may also have forgotten that Sunday is Easter. In the spirit of the holiday, here's a puzzle with several hidden eggs in it. Each clue below will lead to a word or phrase containing the letters EGG. All you need to do is fill in the blanks with the correct letter. If you can't quite crack it, you can find the answers below.

1. Jimmy Cliff's genre      _ EGG _ _
2. They can't be choosy, it's said      _ EGG _ _ _
3. What one who avoids meat might put on the grill      _ EGG _ _  _ _ _ _ _ _
4. Like an illegally recorded concert     _ _ _ _ _ EGG _ _
5. Character name on Mad Men      _ EGG _
6. Partners of scales, in music      _ _ _ EGG _ _ _
7. Pacer legend      _ EGG _ _  _ _ _ _ _ _
8. Certain comfortable wear      _ EGG _ _ _ _
9. He played Jack Slater, Harry Tasker, and Detective John Kimble
​ _ _ _ _ _ _  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ EGG _ _ 

Scroll down for the answers!
























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Keep scrolling!

































​1. Jimmy Cliff's genre      REGGAE
2. They can't be choosy, it's said      BEGGARS
3. What one who avoids meat might put on the grill      VEGGIE BURGER
4. Like an illegally recorded concert     BOOTLEGGED
5. Character name on Mad Men      PEGGY
6. Partners of scales, in music      ARPEGGIOS
7. Pacer legend      REGGIE MILLER
8. Certain comfortable wear      LEGGINGS
9. He played Jack Slater, Harry Tasker, and Detective John Kimble
​ ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER 

Are you, like us, working on keeping your kids entertained? Have you found every bear in every window on your block? Watched Frozen II enough times that you know what year it takes place? We got you. We've prepared a couple of kid-friendly scavenger hunts that should get your kids moving and thinking at the same time. One's for indoors and the other outdoors. Oh, and they work on adults, too.

​I was reading an article about Stevie Wonder recently when I learned something that delighted me. Turns out, Stevie wrote his incredible song "I Wish" just after a Motown company picnic. Stevie said "I had such a good time at the picnic that I went to Crystal Recording Stud io right afterward and the vibe came right to my mind — running at the picnic, the contests, we all participated."

So we're clear, he went to a work event and had so much fun that he went back to work -- and his output was astounding. How's that for a lesson? Happy employees make great things. 

There's another lesson in that song, and while it's hinted at my Stevie's quote, it's really made clear in the music itself. It's about participation. Listen to the way the musicians flirt with chaos. Hear those gleeful arpeggios tumbling upwards and downwards, those instruments gamboling all around each other but never collapsing, like expert contestants in a three-legged race. Now that's teamwork. When people of different styles collaborate, they can make music. Team bonding is all about that -- learning people's skills and how to work together.

The lyrics, too, are joyful. The song's a nostalgic celebration of childhood, inspired by the euphoria of play. Heck, there's even a few whoops and hollers, just for the fun of it! So yeah, get out there and have a little joy! Play for a while.

When we create scavenger hunts, we're careful to offer a diverse experience that allows everyone to have fun, regardless of their speciality, their role, or their title. "I wish those days could come back once more," Stevie sings, and we know what he means. We try to embody that spirit of childhood play when we take groups out on hunts. I guess you could say we like creating a little sense of Wonder.

Editor's note: OK, ok. It should be acknowledged that a lot of you may have first heard this song when Will Smith sampled it for the title song from his movie Wild Wild West. If thinking of that song put you in a bit of a frontier mood, you should definitely check out our scavenger hunt in Grapevine, inspired by the desperados and rough riders who called the town home. 

Here's a puzzle inspired by the classic series Reading Rainbow. In the list of authors above, each is name colored according to the title of a book he or she wrote. For example, if you saw “Steven Crane” in red letters, that’s a clue to The Red Badge of Courage. When you're ready for the answers, take a look, it's in this post, way down the page! (And If you'd like more puzzles like this, consider booking a scavenger hunt with DFW Scavenger Hunt!)














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ANSWERS
Nathaniel Hawthorne - The Scarlet Letter
Tom Clancy - The Hunt for Red October
Anthony Burgess - A Clockwork Orange
Dr. Seuss - Green Eggs and Ham
Fannie Flagg - Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
Walter Mosely - Devil in a Blue Dress
Alice Walker - The Color Purple
Oscar Wilde - The Picture of Dorian Gray
E.L. James - Fifty Shades of Grey
Mark Bowden - Black Hawk Down
Donald J. Sobol - Encyclopedia Brown (many editions)

In celebration of our newest scavenger hunt in Grapevine, here's a quick puzzle to get your brain thinking. In each blank, insert a word that will form a common expression or compound word on either side. For example, if you saw KANYE ________ VIRGINIA, you'd answer "WEST."
BACK _________ FRIGHT
LIFE _________ CARTER
COMMON _________ FRIDAY
BREAKING _________ GUY
COYOTE _________ DUCKLING
BRICK _________ TAPE
MISSISSIPPI ________ PHOENIX

Come to think of it, all the answers may have something in common.

Need the answer? Scroll wayyyyy down the page.












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Keep scrollin'.














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Nearly there...













THE ANSWER

BACK STAGE FRIGHT
LIFE COACH CARTER
COMMON GOOD FRIDAY
BREAKING BAD GUY
COYOTE UGLY DUCKLING
BRICK RED TAPE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER PHOENIX

And of course, each answer word can be found in the title of a classic Western movie.