Campus Orientation Scavenger Hunt: 40 Clues for New Students
Updated September 8, 2026 7 min read
The goal of an orientation hunt is not the points. It is getting a nervous new student to walk into the library, find the health center, and talk to three people they did not know an hour ago. Every clue below is written to do one of those three things.
For a large orientation, use QR codes at each stop so teams have to physically visit, and give every team a mix of returning students and new ones. Plan 60 to 90 minutes with 20 to 25 clues.
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.
Buildings and places
- 1.QR: scan the code at the library circulation desk
- 2.Photo: your team at the main entrance to the student center
- 3.Text: the room number of the registrar's office
- 4.QR: scan the code outside the health center
- 5.Photo: the oldest building on campus, with its cornerstone date
- 6.Text: what are the library's hours on Friday?
- 7.Photo: the team in front of the campus mascot statue or sign
- 8.GPS: check in at the athletic fields
- 9.Photo: a computer lab, with a team member logged into the campus Wi-Fi
- 10.Text: the name of the dining hall closest to the freshman dorms
- 11.Photo: the counseling center sign
- 12.QR: scan the code at the campus safety office
- 13.Photo: a lecture hall with more than 200 seats
- 14.Text: how many floors does the tallest academic building have?
People
These are the clues that matter. Give them the most points.
- 1.Photo: a team member with a librarian (ask their name for the caption)
- 2.Video: a professor telling you one tip for surviving their class
- 3.Photo: someone from a club you had never heard of, with their club's name
- 4.Text: get a senior's single best piece of advice, in their words
- 5.Photo: your team with an RA who is not from your building
- 6.Photo: the entire team with someone from student government
- 7.Text: the name and job of the first staff member you meet in the student center
- 8.Video: a dining hall worker naming the best thing on the menu
- 9.Photo: a team member shaking hands with someone from a different orientation group
- 10.Text: the hometown of the person in your team who traveled farthest
Traditions and trivia
- 1.Trivia: what year was the school founded?
- 2.Trivia: what is the school's official motto?
- 3.Trivia: name the school colors
- 4.Photo: an example of a campus tradition in progress or in a display
- 5.Trivia: what is the name of the school newspaper?
- 6.Text: the school fight song's first line
- 7.Photo: something named after a donor, with their name
- 8.Trivia: what is the campus emergency number?
Team challenges
- 1.Photo: your team spelling the school's initials with your bodies on the main quad
- 2.Video: a 15-second group cheer with your team name
- 3.Photo: the whole team on one bench
- 4.Video: a team member giving a tour of one building in 20 seconds
- 5.Photo: a team photo at the finish line with your orientation leader
- 6.Text: one thing every team member is nervous about, anonymized, sent to the judge
- 7.Photo: the team's favorite spot on campus found so far
- 8.Photo: everyone holding their student ID
Tips for running it
- •Print QR codes on card stock and tape them at eye level. Test every code the morning of.
- •Put the leaderboard on the screens in the student center. New students will stop to watch.
- •Save the answers to "one thing you are nervous about." They are a gift to your student services team.