Two Reasons Scavenger Hunts in the Math Classroom Are So Engaging

I can still remember when I introduced my first scavenger hunt to students in the math classroom several years ago. I was absolutely shocked at how weirdly engaged and excited they were to complete the problems and participate... not always the case for students in 6th and 8th grade math!

For those of you that haven't used a scavenger hunt, the idea is simple. Problems are posted around the room. A couple students begin at each one of the problems and the answer to each problem leads them to their next problem. Eventually they travel to all of the problems and end where they began! The more I thought about it, the more I realized two of the reasons that make these scavenger hunts so intriguing for students.

NUMBER 1: The Unknown

People, in general, are curious about the "unknown." In scavenger hunts, the simple fact that each student's path through the 12 problems is unknown and depends on their previous answer makes the entire concept engaging for students! Trying to figure out their path around the room is fun for students!

NUMBER 2: Movement

Whether they realize it or not, students benefit from movement. Scavenger hunts have built in movement breaks as they try to find each problem. These breaks are a great way to keep middle schoolers focused as they complete the math work. Instead of sitting down and doing a worksheet full of problems without getting out of their seats, scavenger hunts allow students to complete a problem, take a break, complete a problem, take a break, etc.

If you are interested in trying out scavenger hunts in your math classroom, I have several available for different grade levels! For 6th, 7th, and 8th grade math, the following scavenger hunt bundles are the best deal! You can also try out a freebie for each of these grade levels in my TpT store!