Goodwill® Date Night Scavenger Hunt

A few years ago, my other half and I celebrated Valentine’s Day with a #GoodwillDateNight! It was so fun for us to pick outfits for one another and find inexpensive, surprising activities for us to do after we shopped. This year, we thought we’d try another Goodwill date and shake it up by adding a scavenger hunt! So, I whipped up a quick list of things for us to look for (download the checklist below), and we headed out to our local Goodwill.

Click here for Goodwill of Colorado locations and hours

When you shop at a Goodwill store, you help Goodwill create employment placement and job training programs, as well as other community-based services. That’s a great reason for you and your partner to give our scavenger hunt a try this Valentine’s Day, too! But, before you step into the store, make a plan with your honey about the rules, time limit and prize for the winner. That way, as soon as you get inside, you can jump right into the game! A few things to consider:

TIME LIMIT

How long do you two want to hunt around for? The longer you’re there, of course, the more likely it is you’ll both find everything on the list. Plus, you won’t feel rushed to focus on the list, and you can do a bit of browsing, too. But at the same time, some people do well under pressure, and if you have plans for dinner or a movie after your scavenger hunt, then you’ll need to keep that in mind. Whatever you decide, make sure you’re both on the same page and that you set timers if necessary!

THE RULES

Are you a viciously competitive team? If so, maybe make sure you’re not being spied on! Should one person start at the back of the store and work forward while the other starts on the right and works left to minimize the chances of running into each other? Or do you welcome the idea of bumping into one another? Remember, you are doing this to spend time together, after all.

How will you keep track of the items you’ve found? Is it just enough to check them off of your lists, or do you require photographic evidence?

We know how hard our Goodwill associates work to keep stores tidy, so we wanted to make sure we weren’t putting everything on our checklists into a cart for them to have to put back. (Although, if we did find something we loved, then obviously, it would be a fun memory of our Goodwill date and have a welcomed place in our home.) So, we decided to text each other a photo of each item on the list as we found them. It was kind of exciting to see the progress the other person was making. It’s similar to watching a sports game and seeing the other team score — it makes you want to up your game, right? And we decided that the first person to find an item gets a point for it. I can’t just walk over to something he’s already counted and use that, too. I’ve got to find something Different for my list. That makes it tricky!

Another thing to decide ahead of time: if you find an item that actually meets two of the conditions on the list, does that one thing qualify for both, or do you have to find a different item for everything on the list? It’s up to you!

Now, what determines the winner? Is it the first person to find everything on the list? Or is it the person with the most items checked when your time limit is up? And what happens if there’s a tie? All are important things that you can discuss and decide upon on your way over to your local Goodwill.

THE PRIZE

You could go a few different ways with a prize for the winner. One of the items on the list is to find a clothing piece for your Valentine. If you’re going by the traditional idea of a Goodwill date night where you choose a statement outfit — sometimes they can be pretty wild — for your partner to wear on the rest of the date, the reward for the winner might play into that. But you could also say that the loser buys dinner, or the winner picks what movie you see that night. It’s whatever works for you! Just make sure you decide beforehand so you know what’s at stake.

THE GAME

Okay, ready to check in and see how we did? We printed off our checklists, swung by our favorite coffee shop for game fuel and headed out to Goodwill. I found almost everything on the list (and even a few things that weren’t!) Here’s how mine came out:

• Something heart shaped
• A pink candle or candlestick
• Red roses
• A Valentine’s Date clothing item for your partner to wear
• A movie with “Love” in the title
• A romance novel
• A product or item designed specifically for a wedding
• A vinyl record made with crooner-style songs
• A red dress
• A red necktie
• A flower vase
• Something with the word “Valentine” on it
• A picture frame with a photo/painting of a couple in it
• A piece of diamond jewelry (faux is okay)
• A chocolate or candy tin
• A china set suitable for newlyweds
• Cupid’s arrow
• A board game that only works with two people (Examples: Battleship, Guess Who?)
• Something that says “Dear,” “Darling,” or another term of endearment
• Two matching champagne flutes or wine glasses

I can’t decide on my favorite find of the date. It was either this heart-shaped baking pan or the adorable cream and sugar containers on the shelf behind it. Even though they’re not Valentine’s Day related, they may have ended up in my cart. I also have to admit that I cheated a little when I texted the dress below to my husband and just mentioned how well it would work as a Valentine’s Date clothing item for me to wear! I mean, it does have little hearts on the label, and the faux-leather detailing coupled with the silky bodice is just perfect! It also has a statement zipper in the back, which is pretty much my style weakness. I didn’t mind helping his chances of winning if it meant that maybe I’d get to take the dress home!

All in all, it was a really fun and different way to spend time together for Valentine’s Day. As adults, we rush around between work and our other life responsibilities without much time to play games. It was a nice return to our dating years for us to just set some time aside for the scavenger hunt. I’d rate the date: 10/10 would play again! I hope that whatever you do to celebrate your loved one this Valentine’s Day, you have just as much fun.