This Week in the World Scavenger Hunt Tasks - 28 August 2026
Global events have a way of showing up on UK doorsteps. Snap a shop window display offering electric fans, portable coolers or 'heatwave essentials', Capture a café or convenience-store pavement sign advertising 'ice cold slushies', ice pops or iced drinks, and more are among the international headlines we have turned into 30 real-world scavenger hunt tasks.
Each task is tied to a real story, trend, or cultural moment from this week. Grab your phone, head outside, and see how many you can tick off.
This Week's Tasks
1. Snap a shop window display offering electric fans, portable coolers or 'heatwave essentials'.
* The World Meteorological Organization reported record-breaking heat and extreme weather continuing this week, sending UK shoppers hunting for fans and coolers.
2. Capture a café or convenience-store pavement sign advertising 'ice cold slushies', ice pops or iced drinks.
* Western Europe's hottest June on record and this week's heatwave coverage have pushed frozen drinks to the front of UK shopfronts.
3. Record the sight of a community splash pad or public paddling pool in full use by families.
* With record-breaking heat in Europe dominating the headlines this week, families are flocking to free public water play spots.
4. Track down a 'World Cup 2026' souvenir special magazine on a newsagent's magazine rack.
* World Cup 2026 results and fixture recaps still fill the sports shelves this week.
5. Find a clearance rail of 2026 World Cup replica football shirts in a sports retailer or supermarket.
* With the 2026 World Cup having finished, retailers are clearing out official tournament shirts and fan merch.
6. Spot a supermarket end-of-aisle display of World Cup party snacks or football-themed giftware marked down.
* Supermarkets are selling off their 2026 World Cup party ranges this week.
7. Visit a public running track and photograph the 800m start and finish line markings.
* Audrey Werro came just short of the 800m world record at the Diamond League this week, putting middle-distance running in the spotlight.
8. Observe a runner wearing a half-marathon finisher's T-shirt or medal during the morning commute.
* Yomif Kejelcha regained the men's half-marathon world record with a 56:51 run in Buenos Aires this week, making half-marathon buzz extra visible.
9. Spot a local running club noticeboard advertising an autumn marathon or half-marathon training programme.
* World record holder Sabastian Sawe withdrew from the Berlin Marathon this week, turning attention to autumn marathon season and training groups.
10. Wander past a lido or open-air pool and observe a lane-swim session in progress.
* Australia's Kaylee McKeown vowed to reclaim her backstroke world records this week, inspiring a fresh look at swimming this summer.
11. Find a log-splitting or timber sports demonstration at a local county show, fete or country fair.
* Women breaking world records in lumberjack sports is one of this week's most talked-about sports stories.
12. Spot a neatly stacked pile of firewood for sale at a farm gate or outside a village shop.
* After this week's spotlight on record-breaking lumberjack athletes, chopped-log piles feel extra autumn-ready.
13. Seek out an autumn-term robotics or coding club flyer on a community noticeboard.
* A humanoid robot broke Usain Bolt's 100m record at the World Humanoid Robot Games, sparking chatter about robotics clubs.
14. Photograph a robot toy, robotic appliance or robot-themed in-store display in a toy or electronics shop.
* The World Humanoid Robot Games made robot mania a mainstream conversation this week.
15. Browse the astronomy section of a charity shop or bookshop and photograph a book about space telescopes.
* NASA's Swift space telescope is set to crash back to Earth, putting telescope news back on the front pages this week.
16. Find a jar of local honey on a farm shop or deli shelf with a 'raw' or 'from our hives' label.
* The story of NASA sending 3,301 bees into space in 1984 resurfaced this week, making honey a fun talking point.
17. Photograph a beehive in a community garden or allotment plot.
* After this week's viral story about NASA's 1984 space bees, everyone is looking at bees with fresh curiosity.
18. Spot a Jodrell Bank or space-astronomy event poster in Manchester's science quarter or university campus.
* A Manchester astronomer is helping lead NASA's Roman Space Telescope mission, revealed in university coverage this week.
19. Find a children's book about the Moon on a library or bookshop shelf.
* NASA warned that astronaut microbes might survive at the Moon's pole, a story lighting up children's space chats this week.
20. Track down an Avatar or Guardians of the Galaxy action figure, LEGO set or collectible in a toy shop.
* Zoe Saldaña was crowned the highest-grossing actor of all time this week, celebrating roles including Neytiri and Gamora.
21. Browse a record store and photograph a Rosalía album on the new-release or world-music shelf.
* Rosalía was crowned Best International Artist at the Brit Awards this week.
22. Capture the 'All Rise' Edinburgh International Festival 2026 banners on street lamps in the city centre.
* The Edinburgh International Festival 2026 is running this week under its 'All Rise' campaign.
23. Collect a hand-painted Edinburgh Fringe show flyer from a performer on the Royal Mile.
* Edinburgh's festivals are at their peak this week, with Fringe performers flyering across the city.
24. Find the Edinburgh International Festival 2026 programme brochure in a hotel lobby, venue box office or tourist information point.
* Organisers announced a new Creative Trade Forum at the Edinburgh International Festival this week to boost UK creative exports.
25. Spot a British Council or 'UK creative industries' poster in an arts centre or gallery foyer.
* The government and industry launched a new creative trade forum this week to promote UK creative exports.
26. Discover an African-inspired product such as a jollof rice kit, suya spice blend or peri-peri sauce in a supermarket world-foods aisle.
* Food industry reporting this week highlights which African food trends are going global.
27. Find a canned functional drink with gut-health, adaptogen or botanical claims in a café fridge or convenience store.
* The latest global food trends report this week puts functional drinks and big flavours at the top of the list.
28. Locate a street food stall or café chalkboard featuring a West African or Latin American dish such as jollof, suya or arepas.
* Global food trend events this week spotlight how African and Latin American flavours are landing on UK menus.
29. Snap your own 'striking picture of the week' featuring dramatic light, shadow or weather in your town.
* Sky News's most striking pictures of the week invite everyone to notice beauty in the everyday.
30. Find a newspaper or sports supplement at a newsagent with a front cover devoted to this week's world-record moments.
* From lumberjack sports to the half-marathon, world records have dominated UK sports pages this week.
How to Play
These tasks are designed for BucketRace, the UK's favourite scavenger hunt platform. You can play solo or in teams, and each task is meant to be completed in the real world. Snap a photo as proof, share it with your group, and see who can complete the most.
New tasks are published every week based on what is actually happening in the UK, so no two weeks are ever the same. Follow us for next week's challenges.