The scavenger hunt – long an activity associated with school kids – is becoming part of the business world.

The past few years have seen an increase in the number of companies offering so-called “corporate scavenger hunts” to businesses in search of an unusual team-building exercise.

Organizers tout scavenger hunts as a fun way for businesses to build teamwork and organizational skills. And unlike other teambuilding exercises commonly used by the motivational industry – think ropes courses and walking across hot coals – scavenger hunts don’t demand physical prowess.

“Scavenger hunts provide more mental challenges, such as how effectively employees manage their time and collaborate,” said Kristin Kendall, chief executive and founder of Sherman Oaks-based Out of the Box Events LLC, which has organized scavenger hunts for companies including Bristol Farms and eHarmony.com Inc.

Scavenger hunts organized by Out of the Box typically take two to three hours, and they’re not cheap, costing $40 to $85 a person. The client also typically provides prizes, with gift cards or vacation time the usual rewards, Kendall said.

But do scavenger hunts – or any corporate-sponsored team-building exercise for that matter – really foster better bonds between workers?

“Sometimes they work,” said Samuel Culbert, a professor at the UCLA Anderson School of Management who has written a book about communication between employees. “And sometimes it’s a complete waste of money.”

But some seem to like it. Westlake Financial Services recently hired Out of the Box to organize a scavenger hunt for its employees that took place at Venice Beach. Workers searched for items related to Venice history. At stake: A $100 gift card for the winning team.

“It was a lot of fun,” said Erika Angel, a Westlake human resources employee. “We hadn’t done anything like that before. But we would again.”