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Supported by Pets at Home

Mystery pet hunt

Search for hidden clues to guess the pet, and think about what you need to know before choosing one.

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You’ll need

  • Coloured paper or card (various colours)

Before you begin 

  • Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. There's also more guidance to help you carry out your risk assessment, including examples.
  • Make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely. 
  • Make sure you’ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help. 

Planning and setting up this activity 

  • Write or print out clues, using a different colour paper or card for each animal. You can use the list of clues on this page or create your own. If someone has a pet, they could make clues for others to use. 
  • Hide the clues around your meeting place before the session.  
  • You could do this activity outside. Make sure everyone understands the boundaries of the playing area and where any no-go zones are.

Find the clues 

  1. Gather everyone together and explain that there are clues hidden all around the meeting space, on different coloured pieces of paper.  Each team will have their own colour to search for, and their job is to find the clues and work out which pet they’re talking about. 
  2. Get everyone into teams and give each team a colour to search for.  
  3. You could set a time limit for the hunt, or see which team can guess their pet the fastest. Make sure everyone understands about any no-go areas, where it’s not safe to search. 
  4. Once finished, bring the groups back together, so they can share what they found and guessed.  They could share their favourite fact or anything that surprised them.  
  5. You could then talk about whether any of the pets have anything in common, or anything very different? For example, rabbits and guinea pigs both like living with friends, rather than on their own.  
  6. Talk about how different pets have different needs, and how it’s important to find out what’s right for your pet to keep them safe, happy, and healthy.  

Rabbit 

  • Baby ones are called kits or kittens.  
  • They’re happiest living with a friend, not on their own. 
  • Their teeth are always growing. Chewing hay helps their teeth not get too long.  
  • They can get scared easily and like a quiet, calm home. 
  • Their big ears help them cool down, by helping heat escape.  

Cat 

  • In the wild, they spend a lot of time hunting for their food.  
  • They have retractable claws that can pop out for climbing or playing. 
  • A group of them is called a clowder 
  • They love a comfy place to curl up and fall asleep in. 
  • They clean themselves by licking their fur with their rough tongue. 

Guinea pig 

  • They’re actually called cavies and aren’t related to pigs at all.  
  • They are vegans and love leafy green vegetables. 
  • When they’re excited, they jump in the air — it’s called popcorning! 
  • They live in herds in the wild and are happiest in pairs as pets. 
  • They need lots of fresh hay and a cosy place to hide. 

Gerbil 

  • Wild ones live in the desert and dig long tunnels to stay cool. 
  • They love to burrow, so they need lots of soft bedding. 
  • They have long tails that help them balance. 
  • They like chewing cardboard and wood to keep their teeth healthy. 
  • They’re very fast and love to explore. 

Hamster 

  • There are about 25 species, but only five can be kept as pets. Some types prefer living alone. 
  • They have stretchy cheek pouches that let them carry food like shopping bags. 
  • They run around their cages when they’re happy. 
  • They prefer sleeping during the day and exploring at night. 
  • They need things to gnaw on, because their teeth never stop growing. 

Fish 

  • They need the right temperature to stay happy - too warm or too cold can harm them. 
  • They have great sense of sight, touch and taste, so keeping their tank clean helps them stay healthy and happy. 
  • Many like having plants or hiding spots to feel safe. 
  • Some like to move around in groups, while others prefer being alone. 
  • They don’t use lungs to breathe.  

Budgie 

  • They grind their beaks when they’re happy – it sounds a bit like a cat purring! 
  • They can copy simple sounds and sometimes even words. 
  • They love to climb and stretch out. 
  • They love being active and balancing – they love having perches to practise acrobatics on. 
  • They can come in lots of bright colours like green, blue, white, or yellow. 

 Dog 

  • They have an amazing sense of smell - it can be up to 100,000 (a hundred thousand) times stronger than ours! 
  • They need daily exercise to stay healthy and happy. Different types need different amounts.  
  • They pant with their tongues out to cool down when they get hot. 
  • Their whiskers help them sense things close to their faces. 
  • They need training. They’re very clever and enjoy learning new skills.  Some are even trailed to help people.  

There are 5 Welfare Needs that an animal must have from their owner to be safe and happy its whole life. These are:

  • A safe place to live: Animals should have the right type of home, including shelter, space and opportunities to exercise, as well as somewhere comfortable to rest and hide.
  • Food and water: Animals need to have access to fresh, clean drinking water all the time. They should be fed the right amount of food and the correct type of food to keep them fit and healthy.
  • To behave normally: Animals should have enough space, as well as the correct toys and safe home, so they can behave normally.
  • Having the right company: Some animals need to have friends of their own kind. Animals should have the right sort of company, but others should be kept on their own. You should always find out what is best for your chosen pet before you get it.
  • Good health: Animals should be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease. They should be treated by a vet if they are sick or injured.

Reflection

This activity is a good opportunity to think about what it means to be a responsible pet owner. Looking after a pet is a big responsibility and it’s important that everyone who owns a pet can meet their five welfare needs to keep them safe and happy for their whole lives. Can anyone remember the five welfare needs. 

What are some of the key things you’d need to know before choosing a pet? This could be things like how much space or equipment they need, how much time or attention they need, whether they like to live alone or with friends, and what they need to eat.  

Safety

All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.

You must run your activities in line with the Safeguarding Code of Conduct for Adults (Yellow Card) and report any concerns to the UK HQ Safeguarding Team.

Active games

The game area should be free of hazards. Explain the rules of the game clearly and have a clear way to communicate that the game must stop when needed. Take a look at our guidance on running active games safely.

You can make this activity easier or harder by changing how easy or difficult the clues are, and by choosing whether to make the clues easier or more difficult to find. 

Make sure any your clues are hidden somewhere everyone can reach. For example, you might need to put items at lower heights.   You could also do this activity without hiding the clues – the clues could be read out, for people to guess.  

If anyone has difficulties with mobility or moving around, think about how the game could be adapted.  

People can move at their own pace, so you don’t need to make it competitive unless that works for everyone. Remind everyone to encourage each other and that it’s not about winning, but about joining in, working together and having fun. 

If anyone will struggle to tell the colours apart, you could put the clues on different shapes instead.  

All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.

Beavers Animal Friend Activity Badge
Cubs Animal Carer Activity Badge

Young people could write their own clues, for other groups to guess – particularly if they’ve got their own pet.