1. Arrange students into groups. Each group needs at least ONE person who has a mobile device.
2. If their phone camera doesn't automatically detect and decode QR codes, ask students to
4. Cut them out and place them around your class / school.
1. Give each group a clipboard and a piece of paper so they can write down the decoded questions and their answers to them.
2. Explain to the students that the codes are hidden around the school. Each team will get ONE point for each question they correctly decode and copy down onto their sheet, and a further TWO points if they can then provide the correct answer and write this down underneath the question.
3. Away they go! The winner is the first team to return with the most correct answers in the time available. This could be within a lesson, or during a lunchbreak, or even over several days!
4. A detailed case study in how to set up a successful QR Scavenger Hunt using this tool can be found here.
Question | Answer |
| 1. DIRECTIONAL LOCK: Fact #1: Greece: The letter X in Xmas is actually the Greek letter “chi” which is the Greek abbreviation for “Christ”. | I don’t know, it’s all Greek to me, but to solve this lock, you’ll have to know your directions! Go LEFT first and find a book about Greece for your next clue (hint non fiction section, 938 PEA) | 2. Fact #2: Japan: Kentucky Fried Chicken is the traditional Christmas feast in Japan! What? It’s thanks to great marketing in the 1970s. The restaurant is so popular on Christmas Day that reservations are required. | Did you know that Japanese is read RIGHT to left? Find the movie “Chicken Little” (hint DVD CHI) for your next clue! | 3. Fact #3: Germany: Ever see a pickle ornament on a Christmas tree? It’s popular in Germany. The first person to find the pickle ornament gets an extra gift. | And NO, it’s not a REAL pickle!! However, when you open a pickle jar to get a real one, you twist the lid RIGHT! Go find the picture book called “Pickles, Please” for your next clue! (hint: the author’s last name is Myer and it is a picture book) | 4. Fact #4: Norway: Norwegians believe evil witches and spirits emerge on Christmas Eve and steal brooms so they can ride in the sky. To stop them, all brooms and cleaning agents are hidden Christmas Eve and sometimes men fire shotguns to scare the evil witches and spirits away. | QR Witches on Christmas? That’s crazy! Turn LEFT and head to where the holiday books are…allllllllll the way in the back of the library. Find the Halloween section for your next clue! | 5. Fact #5: Slovakia: Before dinner can get started, the head of the family takes a spoonful of food and throws it at the ceiling. Usually it’s Loksa, a traditional Christmas dish made from poppy seed filling, bread and water. | Wow! Can you believe it’s actually acceptable to throw food in Slovakia? I want to live in Slovakia! But where the heck is Slovakia? Slovakia is an Central European country. Poland is above it (or UP, hint, hint) and Hungary is below it. Congratulations! You have completed the answers to the directional lock!FOUR DIGIT LOCK: Fact #1: Estonia: OK, this one is weird, but families in Estonia (a northern European country) typically go to the sauna together on Christmas Eve. | 6. Fact #2: Greenland: Residents from the icy country like to eat “kivack” on Christmas. It’s the raw flesh of 500 auk birds wrapped in sealskin that was placed under a rock to ferment for seven months. They also eat “mattak,” which is whale skin with some blubber still attached. | Are you kidding me? Gross! Do you know how many “kivack” I’d eat? ZERO!! For your next clue, find the movie BIG Miracle (hint: DVD BIG) | 7. Fact #3: Venezuela: Because the roads are closed, people roller skate to Christmas Mass. | Fun! I’d roller skate everywhere if I could, would you? Answer the question to how many are in a pair? and you have the next number to your combination! For your next clue, we will travel to the Czech Republic, look for a book in non-fiction. (hint: 914.371 SIO) | 8. Fact #4: Czech Republic: Single women stand with their backs to the door and throw a shoe. If the heel lands toward to door, she will remain single for another year. If the front of the shoe points to the door, she may move out of her parents’ house and should start making wedding arrangements. | This is the last number and the clue is in the holiday fact; SINGLE is another word for which number? Congratulations! You should now have all 4 numbers for the four digit lock.THREE DIGIT LOCK: Fact #1: Italy: Instead of Santa Claus, Italian children wait for the witch, La Befana. She delivers candy and toys January 5. | 9. Fact #2: Ukraine: Instead of tinsel and lights, Ukrainians decorate their trees with spider webs. | Spider webs? No, thank you! But speaking of spiders, do you know how many legs they have? Guess correctly and you have the second number of this lock. Next, look for a biography about E.B. White, who wrote “Charlotte’s Web” (hint: the biographies are against the wall) | 10. Fact #3: Great Britain – An age old tradition dictates that each member of the family must stir the Christmas pudding mix in a clockwise direction before it’s cooked, making a wish as they do so. | How many people are in your family? I have FOUR in mine. Congratulations! You now have all three digits for the Three Digit Lock!WORD LOCK: Fact #1: South Africa: On Christmas Day, it’s custom to eat deep-fried caterpillars of the emperor moth. | 11. Fact #2: Canada: Canada’s post office recognizes the address Santa Claus, The North Pole, Canada and HOHOHO. Any letters bearing this address are opened and replied to! | Isn’t that nice of Canada? It makes me happy inside, which leads me to your second clue: If you feel this, you are full of merriment and laughter. Still stumped? Don’t worry, find where the children’s cd’s are and you’ll find your next clue! | 12. Fact #3: Iceland: Icelandic children leave their shoe on their bedroom windowsills during the 12 days of Christmas. Each night, it’s filled with candies or gifts. | So this next clue has nothing at all to do with Iceland or the holidays, but is a clue none-the-less! Here it is: Like a pirate ship’s Roger. Your next clue is in a book about Pirates (hint: nonfiction, 910.45 LOL) | 13. Fact #4: Sweden: One Swedish tradition involves festive rice pudding. A peeled almond is hidden in the dessert, and the person who finds it will supposedly be married within the year. | What’s rice pudding? Rice pudding is a dish made from rice mixed with water or milk and other ingredients such as cinnamon and raisins. I bet Santa would like it! Speaking of Santa, here is your clue: Many people would use this word to describe Santa. Next, look around the new children’s play area, you will find your last clue there. | 14. Fact #5: USA: Towns and cities often decorate the streets with lights to celebrate Christmas. Perhaps the most famous Christmas street lights in the USA are at the Rockefeller Center in New York where there is a huge Christmas Tree with a public ice skating rink in front of it over Christmas and the New Year. | Last clue! Did you guess JOLLY? You are correct!KEY LOCK; Fact #1: Russia: Have two Christmas’ this year and head to Russia come January! The Russian Orthodox church doesn’t celebrate Christmas until January 7, the date being different because the church uses the old ‘Julian’ calendar for religious celebration days. | 15. Fact #2: Thailand: The population of Thailand is Buddhist, and while a large number of Christians live in the capital of Bangkok, December 25 passes as just another day. In Thailand for Christmas? Thailand’s warm temperature at this time of the year makes it easy to spend Christmas day on the beach. | You won’t find me on the beach on Christmas day and you won’t find the key there, either! In fact, you won’t find the key anywhere amongst the stacks…..to find it you will have to start at the beginning. Head to the Children’s Activity Room for your last clue! | 16. Fact #3: USA: Santa has worn a variety of colors throughout the year – including red, white, blue and green – but legend has it that the Santa we know today, the one wearing the red suit, came from a 1930’s ad from Coca Cola. | Final key clue! The key to the lock is not on a door, is not on the floor. If you want to find the key, you will have to find me! (Miss Laurie) |
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