GIVT Scavenger Hunt Activity: Bringing Kids and Parents Together Through Technology

We all like the idea of teaching our kids to be generous and caring people – at least I hope most parents feel that way. Too often, though, we’re isolated on our iPhones or screens, scrolling through TikTok, playing games or checking messages. And, let’s face it, electronic games often beat out talking to parents when it comes to getting kids’ attention. What if you could take the attraction of gaming, mesh it with the idea of giving and also stir up some meaningful family conversations? And, what if you could do all of that at Gathering Place or Discovery Lab? It’s worth a try, right?

Why Teach Generosity?

Over the past few months, I’ve followed the development, right here in Tulsa, of an intriguing app called Givt4Families that helps parents teach children about gratitude and generosity. The creators of Givt recognized that children may never see their parents donating money or putting cash into a collection plate – and maybe they don’t talk about giving as a family. But they should! According to KidsHealth, being thankful, even for small things, helps relieve stress and anxiety – and can make kids happier. Positive emotions can lead to acts of kindness; expressed gratitude can create bonds with others; less stress means a greater ability to learn.

Try It Out

Andy Wilkinson, product manager for Givt, says that visitors to Gathering Place, and more recently, Discovery Lab, can play a fun Givt Scavenger Hunt. Look for the A-frame posters set up throughout the park or at Discovery Lab for instructions on how to get started. The scavenger hunt takes families on an adventure throughout the different areas of Gathering Place. At each station, parents engage with kids in asking questions that encourage them to think about generosity, helping and community.

Wilkinson says that 1,200 families have done the Gathering Place scavenger hunt in the past seven months. The Givt team has been using families’ feedback to tweak the product. Overall, the response has been positive. Wilkinson described how one mom said her kids started out in a grouchy mood but doing the scavenger hunt “changed my children’s mood in a completely positive way.” Positive thoughts can shift mood and perception.

Wilkinson sees the scavenger hunt as another way to enjoy the park. Rather than sitting and watching their children or checking their phones, parents can engage with children using a fun game and meaningful conversation.

The Discovery Lab has recently rolled out their Givt Scavenger Hunt, which uses a comic book theme to complete a mission of “Gratitude and generosity to make Tulsa awesome!” Each comic book panel asks a question about the stop, and then gives a prompt for parents to talk with kids about kindness, generosity, working together and helping others. (Click here to view the comic.) At each station, kids get a letter to write in the panel, which they unscramble at the end to discover a code word. Once the scavenger hunt has been successfully completed, kids can take their book to the front desk to claim their award.

Future Plans

Wilkinson says they have plans to possibly expand the scavenger hunt to other venues like the Tulsa Zoo, Philbrook and Tulsa Botanic Garden. Eventually the team would like to build a citywide scavenger hunt network where completing one hunt would unlock others.

Why Givt?

“Family time is limited,” Wilkinson admitted. As the father of two young children, he knows how busy families are. “Research shows that the average family spends only 37 minutes together daily.”

In looking at ways to engage families in meaningful ways, Wilkinson says that the Givt team looked at how families were already spending their time.

“Rather than creating new ways, we saw a need to integrate giving activities into existing behaviors,” he said.

Many local churches are already using Givt to teach kids about giving. You can find a locator map at Givt4Families. You can also find The Gratitude Game to play with your kids. Wilkinson says that by using gamification that is already attractive to children, and then adding in the family discussion component to encourage families to interact in a meaningful way, children will learn about gratitude and become healthier, more positive and more generous citizens.

Send Us Your Comments!

We would love to hear about your experience using Givt at Gathering Place or Discovery Lab. Take a photo and include it. We’ll pass along your comments and feedback to the Givt team. And we’ll include some photos and comments in TulsaKids.

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