Bring the excitement of a treasure hunt adventure to your kids. The thrill of solving challenging riddles that will guide them through a list of clues to complete a scavenger hunt. I’ll help you create your own scavenger hunt with fun treasure hunt clues for kids of all ages.
Use these treasure hunt ideas to entertain your kids at home, for holidays, or as an awesome birthday party game. It’s a really fun & exciting activity your kids are going to want to do over and over again.
Follow along and learn how to make your own DIY treasure hunt or use the premade printable treasure hunts. Either way, your kids are going to have a blast solving these fun riddles!
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Fun Treasure Hunt Clues, Riddles & Answers for Scavenger Hunts
Treasure hunts are a fun game for kids and adults. Players will read a riddle or clue that they will need to solve to find the next clue. They will keep going following the scavenger hunt clues until they find the treasure at the end of the hunt.
It’s an exciting game to play and the great part is they won’t even know they are also working on their problem-solving skills. We love to play these on Family Game Nights, for Rainy Day Activities when you’re stuck indoors, and as fun birthday party games.
Tip: You’ll often hear treasure hunt ideas and scavenger hunt ideas used separately but to be honest they mean the same thing.
Whichever name you want to call this fun activity is up to you. Either way, your kids are going to love the thrill of the hunt. And the cool scavenger hunt prize at the end of the hunt.
What Makes a Good Scavenger Hunt?
1. Clever scavenger hunt riddles
2. Printable clues to hide indoors or outdoors
3. Age-appropriate clues & riddles that are not too hard and not too easy for the kids
Types of Scavenger Hunts
There are several different types of scavenger hunts for kids. You can create a themed hunt or traditional scavenger hunts for kids of any age.
Once you learn how to make them you’ll be able to entertain your kids all year long. Here are the types of Scavenger Hunts to choose from.
Indoor Scavenger Hunt
Make clever indoor scavenger hunt riddles to hide around your house. They’re perfect for rainy day activities to keep your kids busy when they’re stuck indoors.
To create your indoor activity either print out the clue ideas or write the clues out on small slips of paper to hide around your house.
The clues or riddles should lead your kids to things like the washing machine, a living room chair, under a sink, or maybe their alarm clock for example.
I like to base the order of clues around the locations you’ll use in the house. The further the locations are from each other the longer the treasure hunt.
Outdoor Scavenger Hunt
Get your kids outdoors on a warm day with a backyard scavenger hunt. Find a good place to hide each clue idea like a backyard tree, patio furniture, a bush, or a swing set.
This list of items can also be printed out to individual clues & riddles you will hide around your backyard.
We love to use outdoor scavenger hunt riddles for summer birthdays, BBQs, or when planning a fun summer camp at home.
Photo Scavenger Hunts
You can use photo scavenger hunts in two ways:
One is for younger kids who can’t read yet. Take pictures of items they need to find in the house or a classroom such as a pencil, coffee mug, or a certain lamp.
Then print these pictures out onto a scavenger hunt checklist for the kids to find.
The second way is to use a photo scavenger hunt list of items to search a neighborhood. Players will use their smartphones to take pictures of all the items they find on the checklist. See if your team can beat the clock and find the most items before the time is up.
This game is great for teens, tweens, and adults to go out in teams in the neighborhood to find items. Give teens or tweens a list of scavenger hunt items to find. They will need to take a selfie on their phone with each item.
Make this a competition for a party or teen get-together. The first group back with all their pictures wins.
Neighborhood Hunts
Have the kids head out on an exciting neighborhood hunt to find items all over their own neighborhood.
Older kids can go out on their own in small groups. Younger kids can go with a parent to search or in small groups with an adult.
Themed Hunts
Create a treasure hunt that has a fun theme for holidays or birthdays. You can use the treasure hunt for kids to find their Christmas presents, Easter Baskets, Valentine’s Day gifts, or birthday gifts. It will make receiving presents even more exciting and special for your kids.
A birthday treasure hunt can become a family tradition they’ll look forward to every year.
Or just create a silly-themed treasure hunt for holidays like St. Patrick’s Day and Christmas to add a little extra fun to your kids’ day.
Birthday Scavenger Hunts
Start a fun new tradition of sending the kids on a birthday scavenger hunt to find their birthday presents. They will be so excited to follow the clues around the house to open presents this year.
Scavenger Hunt Game for Parties
Treasure hunts are awesome party games for kids. They’re easy to make and work great for entertaining a large group of kids. Try using them as a birthday party scavenger hunt, as a School party game, or as entertainment at a holiday party.
How to Make a Treasure Hunt
1. Think of clever scavenger hunt clues that fit the space you will be using.
2. Keep in mind the kid’s age when deciding how hard or easy the riddles should be to solve.
3. Pick the locations you think are good spots to hide the clues.
4. Have the clues be on small slips of paper you will hide for the kids to find on the hunt. Or create a checklist the kids use to find all the items on the treasure hunt. If you have a photo treasure hunt the checklist will be easier.
5. Hide the clues in the order of your riddles around your indoor or outdoor space.
6. Set a few rules for the game:
– Don’t Run
– Work together as a team to solve the riddles
– Don’t share answers with the other teams
– Set a time limit for the treasure hunt. This is really important for neighborhood hunts so the kids know when to be back.
When to Use a Treasure Hunt
There are tons of different ways and times to use a treasure hunt. Here are some different times you can use a scavenger hunt:
– Fun rainy day activity when you’re stuck indoors
– Outdoor activity in the summer
– Holiday Time ie: Easter Holidays or Christmas
– As a fun birthday party game ( plan a pirate-themed birthday with a treasure chest at the end)
– To find a Christmas, Easter, or birthday present
– Classroom Party – great for teachers or room parents
– Family Game Nights – an easy & fun game for the whole family
Creative Scavenger Hunt Clues, Riddles & Answers
Let’s make setting up your next DIY treasure hunt easy with some sample treasure hunt riddles you can use with children of all ages.
If you don’t want to create your own DIY Treasure Hunt check out Riddle Me. I love this program that creates custom-made treasure hunts for every holiday and traditional hunts for home. All you need to do is enter the number of riddles you want, the locations to use, and the age range. Then within minutes, you have a printable list of riddles for your family treasure hunt.
It’s a great last-minute activity with hundreds of options so you can play over and over again. Riddle Me is the ultimate Mom hack!
Take a look at these sample Treasure Hunt clues to use with your kids below. If you like these clues grab our FREE Printable Treasure Hunt that has all 20 questions and answers.
#1 Ready to start? Don’t waste a minute or an hour head to the shower.
Answer: Shower
#2 I have 2 hands & a face but no legs can you find me?
Answer: Alarm Clock
#3 Don’t use a hose head to where you clean your dirty clothes.
Answer: Washing Machine
#4 Search the seat where you watch TV.
Answer: Living Room Couch
#5 If you are able look under the biggest table
Answer: Dining Room Table
#6 Look in the place where you put your shoes to find more clues.
Answer: Shoe Rack
#7 Head down the path that leads to the bubble bath
Answer: Bathtub
#8 Not a total freeze but check where you keep the cheese.
Answer: Refrigerator
#9 Head to a spot where you keep a flower pot.
Answer: potted plant
#10 Take a peek under the pillow where you sleep.
Answer: Bed under the pillow
#11 Visit a deep nook where you put things to cook.
Answer: Oven
#12 The whole family knows this is where you hang your clothes.
Answer: Closet
#13 Ready for more? It won’t be a chore to check the front door.
Answer: Front Door
#14 In the mood to eat? Search where you’ll find lots of food.
Answer: Pantry
#15 What has 4 legs & gives you a seat to eat?
Answer: Kitchen Chair
#16 This is fun don’t you agree? Find the next key on the TV.
Answer: Behind the TV
#17 Go to the place where you can be seen & keep your teeth clean.
Answer: Toothbrush Holder
#18 Need a drink? Head to the Kitchen Sink.
Answer: Kitchen Sink
#19 Almost done! Be a Star & head to a spot you park your car.
Answer: Garage
#20 This is it! Zip to find your gold in the place you zap your food.
Answer: Microwave
Tip: Hide the scavenger hunt prize in your microwave for the kids to find.
If you want the scavenger hunt list above grab our FREE Printable Traditional Treasure Hunt.
Printable Scavenger Hunts
Find even more holiday and outdoor scavenger hunts below you can print and play today.
Traditional Scavenger Hunts
Free printable scavenger hunts:
Backyard Scavenger Hunt – items to find in your yard.
Nature Scavenger Hunt – use at a local nature preserve
Teen & Tween Scavenger Hunt – A selfie photo scavenger hunt this age will love
Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt – Get out and search your own neighborhood
Birthday Scavenger Hunt – To find birthday gifts
Photo Scavenger Hunt – All you need is a smart phone & checklist to play.
Holiday Scavenger Hunts
Free printable holiday scavenger hunt:
Easter Scavenger Hunt Riddles – To find kids’ Easter baskets on Easter morning
Christmas Scavenger Hunt – A fun holiday game at Christmas time
Valentine’s Day Scavenger Hunt – to find kid’s Valentine’s Day gifts
Scavenger Hunt Prize Ideas
The most exciting part of a scavenger hunt is finding the treasure at the end. The prize doesn’t have to be anything big just a little fun gift for the game.
Prize Ideas
– Candy
– Coloring book or puzzle book
– Card games or small games to play
– Goody bag for the birthday party
– Holiday-inspired prize ie: small stuffed Reindeer, easter bunny
– Presents for your kids’ Birthday, Christmas, or Easter
Grand Prize
If you want to make the Treasure Hunt a contest for a party then just hide enough prizes for the winning team.
This is a fun idea if you have older kids like teens or tweens. You can get small trophies, big candy bars, a small gift certificate for ice cream, or an Amazon card.
Just think about what your kids would be really excited to find at the end of the hunt.
Are you excited now to use these treasure hunt clues for kids? It really is a fun way to spend time with your kids. They’ll love making this a new family tradition at holidays, birthdays, and on family game nights.
Make sure to check out Riddle Me to create easy printable scavenger hunts for every occasion.
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