How to Make a QR Code Treasure Hunt

As many of you will know – I LOVE QR Codes & have blogged about them extensively over the years. I simply love how rapidly they connect those scanning them to digital content, avoiding the need to manually enter a URL or search term manually (which takes forever).

However, while I love QR Codes for accessing information – the first time I ever used them in a Physical Education class was as part of Treasure Hunt activity, which I blogged about in 2009 here.

Essentially a QR Code Treasure Hunt is an activity you can use to encourage students to get active while discovering QR Codes hidden all around the school, classroom or local area. These QR Codes could reveal questions that students need to answer or suggest activities/exercises that students need to complete. The opportunities are endless.

QR Code Treasure Hunts are so much that they form an activity during the PE Geek Workshops. So with this in mind, I wanted to share with you one of the simplest ways to piece together and question & answer style QR Code treasure hunt.

See the step by step video below showing you how to use the QR Treasure Hunt Generator at Classtools.net

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Some important advice for a successful  QR Code Treasure Hunt 

Prior to the lesson, you will need to encourage students to download a QR Code Scanning app onto their devices. I personally only recommend the app I-Nigma, which is by FAR the best FREE scanning tool for all device types. While you don’t necessarily need each student with a device, you will need at least one member of a group with one. It’s also worth mentioning that scanning the QR Codes generated in this style of hunt requires NO internet connection.

You will also need to print print off the QR Codes as generated during the process outlined in the video. These should then be placed around the area you wish your students to hunt within. In the past I have protected the QR Codes from weather damage by laminating them

During the lesson

1. Have the first (‘introduction’) QR code on display on your whiteboard. This provides the overview instructions of how it works and how they record their answers.

2. Each team scans it into their device and gets told to start hunting around the school for the remaining QR codes.

3. Away they go! The winner is the first team to return with the most correct answers in the time available.

How have I used them in the past?

Over the years I’ve used QR Code Treasure Hunts with students of all ages. Here are just some of the ways I’ve used them;

  1. As an orientation activity for new students showing them important areas of the school grounds with questions relevant to things they need to know.
  2. As a fun revision activity for senior physical education enabling them to practice their understanding of core concepts in a fun and active way.
  3. During a bicycle education unit with QR Codes scattered all around the streets of the town. This enabled the students to move in groups and practice safe riding and traffic skills as a culmination event after a ten week unit.
  4. A brain boost activity inside of the classroom. This enabled students to get active and refresh mid lesson without leaving the room.

As you will quickly discover QR Code Treasure Hunts ARE SOOO much fun – I look forward to hearing how you’ve used them in your classes.

Want to learn how to use QR Codes in the PE Classroom? Then join our FREE 60 Minute webinar with certificate of completion by registering here

 

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