Originally developed as a Beakerhead activation, Bug Hunt invited participants to explore how big emotions show up in the body through a self-guided scavenger hunt.

Printed Bug Hunt sandwich boards were strategically placed throughout the festival grounds. Each station featured a QR code that unlocked a different emotional learning activity, including Storm Starters, Angry Portraits, Flip It, and Feel the Feels. Participants were encouraged to investigate the content, reflect on a prompt, and try a simple body-calming technique before continuing their quest.

The activation encouraged kids and kids-at-heart to map how emotions bubble to the surface while discovering creative strategies for navigating them. Through playful exploration, participants learned about emotional awareness, body sensations, and regulation techniques in an accessible and engaging way.

The Bug Hunt headquarters was a unique stop in the scavenger hunt with art supplies for participants to create functional art that incorporates STEAM components to expand their emotional competence. This FREE, kid-friendly concept required no artistic skills, just a willingness to get creative and learn body calming techniques.

Girl Guide Version:

The concept later evolved into a series of four facilitated hands-on stations for Girl Guides, where participants crafted an angry portrait, explored the Hand Model of the Brain through science, identified where they "feel the feels" in their bodies, and created a What Bugs Me Bug using pipe cleaners, LED lights, batteries, and clothespins to combine emotional learning with STEAM-based creativity.

Read the full BUG HUNT, FINAL REPORT.