Contemplating urban play? I suggest scavenger hunts over flash mobs. I love spontaneous dancing, don’t get me wrong. But while the mob shouts “Look at me!” the hunt whispers “Psst, look all around you.” The hunt forces you to navigate your universe using a different kind of map. Hunt designers decode hidden messages in everyday public spaces. Stars you never noticed before suddenly guide your play.

Thanks to Midnight Madness I have loved scavenger hunts since before I was tall enough to ride a rollercoaster. I also credit that movie for foreshadowing the hipster obsession with PBR, but I digress.

This post sends all my love and gratitude to friends and birthday scavenger hunt designers Anjuna and Tim Lohnes for one of the best birthday presents ever. If you’re in the market for a custom map – scavenger hunt related or not – check out the cartography company Lohnes + Wright.