Online ‘scavenger hunt’ attracts plenty of players

By TAYLOR BROWN

tbrown@yourmvi.com

With most people participating in social distancing in response to COVID-19, one Charleroi mom is helping to pass the time with an online “scavenger hunt” — and everyone is invited to play.

Gina Bittner has been working from home for two weeks and was recently joined in quarantine by her husband, Ed and two adult children, Emily and Christopher.

“I am an only child, so before everyone else was told to stay home, I didn’t really mind the isolation,” she said. “Once everyone was in the same place at the same time, it did start to get a little hectic. We were all going a bit stir crazy.”

Most of the time, her children were playing games or chatting with friends on their phones.

“In a situation like this, technology is a great thing,” she said. “Keeping us all in touch and having virtual face-to-face conversations makes things seem kind of normal. But outside of that, there is not a whole lot to do right now.”

Being a musical mom, Gina had plenty of supplies around the house and began putting together craft bags for her fellow parents who had children at home.

She recently dropped the bags filled with activities, supplies and instructions on their porch.

“It was just something small to help me pass time, to keep my friends who are parents from going crazy and keep the kids busy,” she said. “But then I quickly realized how great it felt to do something others could have fun doing.”

As she considered other ways to give back, she thought of dropping scavenger hunt lists off to her friends and decided to create a Facebook page to see the pictures of their creations and tasks.

She decided to make the game an online adventure and open it up to friends of friends — and complete strangers — who might want to play.

“I can’t control what is happening in the world around me,” she said. “Everyone is anxious right now, so I thought it would be nice to give people something that could take up a few hours of their day and give them a reason to smile.”

Almost 60 people have posted photos of the various tasks they have completed.

Bittner posted more than 50 tasks to the Facebook group, ranging in difficulty and point values.

While she’s keeping track of the points, she’s not sure when the winner will be determined.

“I’ve been very clear that the prizes will probably be equally as ridiculous as the tasks,” she said. “It’s all for fun while we’re cooped up in inside.”

Tasks range from building a human pyramid, (with family members, pets or stuffed animals) to building a blanket fort, re-creating the “Abbey Road” album cover, drawing pictures and dressing as a favorite book or movie character with bonus points if she can guess the character.

“I tried to come up with things that were silly and fun for someone to play by themselves, or get the whole family involved with,” she said. “I never thought this many people would want to play.

“Everyone playing is being so clever and so funny, it is really brightening my days during a tough time.”

“It’s a brief moment in the day I am truly happy and unworried. If it can do that for other people too, I think it will help us get through this a little easier.”

Karen Wagner and her family from Fallowfield Township have submitted one of Gina’s favorite pictures to date: a recreation of “Abbey Road” in their living room.

Wagner said her 15- and- 12-year-old daughters were reluctant, but got into the spirit.

“They didn’t know much about ‘Abbey Road,’” she said. “So I kind of twisted their arms.”

To pull off the photo, Wagner taped wax paper to her hardwood floors, got her children, Deni, 15, and Charlee, 12, and her brother, Ken Naccarato, to pose accordingly and even streamed a picture of a Volkswagen on the television in the background.

“It has kept me busy and has got my kids off of their phones,” she said. “I went to school with Gina, so when I saw the game I knew it would be a blast.

“It has been a great way to pass the time. We’ve already finished a few other tasks and are waiting to post the pictures.”

To join in on the fun, search “social distancing scavenger hunt” on Facebook. Gina Bittner will be the administrator.