🔍 The North Pole Inspector - Operations Guide

Game Concept: Themed inspection mission where guests become "North Pole Inspectors" performing the final pre-Christmas check. Answer observation questions by visiting rooms and looking at specific details. Questions can only be answered by being there. Staff verifies completed inspection reports against answer key. Self-guided, 15-20 minutes, all ages.

Theatrical Introduction (appears on question sheet):

"The Big Night is almost here! Santa needs YOU to perform the final North Pole inspection. Check every room, verify every detail, and make sure everything is ready for Christmas Eve. Complete your inspection report and earn your Official Inspector Badge!"

🎯 How the Observation Hunt Works

Core Mechanic: Instead of finding hidden items, guests answer questions about things already visible in each room.

Why This Works Better:

Verifiable: Guests can't cheat - answers require actually visiting locations
Uses existing décor: No special items to hide or restock
Quick to verify: Staff checks answer sheet in 30 seconds
Educational: Encourages observation and attention to detail
All ages: Easy counting questions for kids, detail questions for adults

📝 Creating Good Observation Questions

Question Types That Work:

Question Type	Example	Difficulty	Tips
Counting	"How many candy canes are on the tree?"	Easy-Medium	Use small numbers (3-12). Easy to verify, hard to guess.
Color ID	"What color is Santa's chair?"	Easy	Works for young kids. Use specific items (not generic "what color is the tree").
Reading	"What is the first word on the welcome sign?"	Easy-Medium	Good for literate kids/adults. Use visible signs or labels.
Specific Detail	"What toy is on the top shelf?"	Medium	Requires close looking. Make sure answer is unambiguous.
Hidden Detail	"What number is on the clock in Santa Tracking?"	Hard	Small or tucked-away details. Rewards thorough exploration.

Guidelines for Writing Questions:

✅ Be specific: "How many red ornaments are on the tree?" not "How many ornaments?"
✅ Make answers clear: Avoid ambiguous items that could have multiple valid answers
✅ Use observable facts: Counting, colors, words - things anyone can verify
✅ Spread across all rooms: 1-3 questions per location to encourage full exploration
✅ Mix difficulty: Easy questions for kids, harder ones for adults/teens
❌ Avoid changing items: Don't use "how many guests are in the room" or other variables
❌ Avoid opinion questions: "What's the prettiest ornament?" has no verifiable answer

📋 Example Question Template (Customize for Your Venue)

IMPORTANT: These are templates only. You MUST customize based on your actual decorations and room setup. Walk through each room before the event and create questions based on what's actually there.

#	Room	Example Question	Example Answer
1	Great Hall	"How many wreaths are hanging in the Great Hall?"	4
2	Great Hall	"What color are the napkins on Table 1?"	Red
3	Post Office	"How many pens are at the letter-writing station?"	8
4	Post Office	"What word is written on the chalkboard?"	Welcome
5	Santa Photo Room	"What color is the backdrop behind Santa?"	Blue
6	Toy Assembly Room	"How many building blocks are in the red bin?"	12
7	Santa Tracking Room	"How many clocks are on the wall?"	3
8	Santa Tracking Room	"What is the largest number on the countdown timer?"	25
9	Bar/Drinks Area	"How many types of hot cocoa toppings are offered?"	5
10	Outdoor/Entry	"What animal is on the outdoor decoration?"	Reindeer
11	Any Room	"How many candy canes can you find on the Christmas tree?"	16
12	Any Room	"What is written on Santa's hat in the Photo Room?"	HO HO HO

📦 Materials & Equipment Needed

Item	Quantity	Purpose	Est. Cost
Question Sheets	150-200 prints	Letter-size, single-sided sheets with 10-12 questions and answer blanks	$10-15
Pencils/Pens	20-30	Writing implements (tethered to prevent loss)	$10
Answer Key (Staff)	2-3 copies	Laminated reference sheet for staff verification (letter-size)	$5
Sheet Holder/Basket	1	Display for question sheets at pickup location	$10
Clipboard (optional)	10-15	Portable writing surface for guests (optional - guests can use walls/tables)	$20-30
Completion Prizes (optional)	100-150	Small rewards (candy canes, stickers, small toys) for finished hunts	$20-50

Total Estimated Cost: $35-90 (minimal setup, reusable across 30 shows)

⚙️ Setup & Operations

Pre-Event Setup (One-Time)

☐ Walk through venue and note what decorations/items are in each room
☐ Create 10-12 questions based on what's actually visible (use template above)
☐ Document correct answers in answer key
☐ Test the hunt - have someone walk through and verify questions are answerable
☐ Print question sheets (150-200 copies)
☐ Print and laminate answer key (2-3 staff copies)
☐ Set up sheet pickup station near entry or Great Hall with sheets and pencils

During Event Operations

☐ Guests self-serve - Pick up sheet and pencil, explore at own pace (zero staff during hunt)
☐ Restock sheets periodically as they run out
☐ Verification station - One staff member at designated spot to check completed sheets
☐ Quick verification - Staff checks answers against key (30 seconds per sheet)
☐ Award completion - Verbal congrats or small prize for finishing
☐ Guest keeps sheet as souvenir (or collect for recycling)

Verification Tips:

Don't require 100% correct - 8-10 out of 12 is great!
If guest gets answer slightly wrong but clearly visited location, count it (e.g., "dark blue" instead of "navy")
Use verification as teaching moment - "Great job! The answer to #7 was actually 5 clocks, not 4. Did you see the small one in the corner?"

End-of-Night Cleanup

☐ Collect remaining question sheets
☐ Gather pencils/pens
☐ Store materials for next show
☐ Optional: Review collected sheets to see which questions were easiest/hardest (adjust for future shows if needed)

🎯 Expected Guest Experience

Typical Flow (15-20 minutes):

Guest picks up question sheet and pencil at entry/Great Hall
Reads questions and identifies which rooms to visit
Explores venue systematically, visiting each room
Observes details and writes answers on sheet
Returns to verification station when complete
Staff checks answers (30 seconds), gives feedback
Guest receives verbal congrats or small prize
Guest keeps sheet as souvenir

Age Accessibility:

Ages 3-6: Parents help read questions, kids enjoy pointing out items and counting
Ages 7-12: Core target audience, can complete independently with reading skills
Teens/Adults: Detail questions provide challenge, fun collaborative activity for families

💡 Tips for Success

Double-check answers before printing: Walk the hunt yourself to verify every answer is correct
Use permanent decorations: Don't base questions on items that might move (e.g., "how many guests" or moveable props)
Make room labels clear: Question sheet should clearly indicate which room each question refers to
Plan for changes: If decoration breaks or moves mid-event, have backup questions ready
Encourage exploration: Questions should send guests to ALL areas, not cluster in one room
Keep it fun: Verification should be positive experience, not a test. Celebrate participation!

🔧 Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Decoration moved/changed	Update answer key to reflect new reality. If major change, cross out that question on remaining sheets or announce update.
Question is ambiguous	Accept multiple reasonable answers. Make note to revise question for future shows.
Guest can't find answer	Give subtle hint about where to look. Don't give answer directly - guide them to location.
Question sheets run out	Keep digital copy on hand for quick reprinting. Or allow families to share one sheet per group.
Verification line gets long	Add second verification station. Or allow guests to self-check against posted answer key.

The North Pole Inspector - Operations Guide
Created: November 14, 2025 | For: Christmas Event 2025