Scavenger Hunt Ideas for Kids + Clue Lists

A scavenger hunt is one of the few activities that works for a toddler, a 10-year-old, a birthday party, and a rainy Tuesday. It takes almost no money, it gets kids moving and thinking, and you can set one up while dinner is in the oven. Below you’ll find how to plan one, plus ready-made lists and clues you can copy.

What kind of scavenger hunt should you do?

There are two basic types, and picking the right one saves a lot of frustration.

1. List hunt. Kids get a checklist (words or pictures) and find as many items as they can. Great for nature walks, groups, and younger kids.
2. Clue hunt. Each clue leads to a hiding spot with the next clue, ending at a treasure. Great for birthdays, older kids, and keeping one or two kids busy for half an hour.

Not sure? Go with a list hunt for kids under 5 and a clue hunt for readers.

Scavenger hunt ideas by age

How to set up a clue scavenger hunt step by step

1. Pick the treasure and its hiding spot first. This is the last stop.
2. Choose 8 to 12 hiding spots spread through the house or yard.
3. Write a clue for each spot. Each clue describes where the next one is.
4. Number the clues on the back so you can keep them in order.
5. Hide them in reverse order, starting near the treasure and working backward to clue one.
6. Keep a master list of every spot. You will need it when a clue mysteriously goes missing (dogs, younger siblings, wind).
7. Hand over clue one and stand back.

Pro tip: Put clues in envelopes or folded paper taped in place. Loose slips of paper vanish.

Indoor scavenger hunt clues you can copy

These rhyming clues work for most kids ages 5 to 9. Read them aloud for non-readers.

1. Refrigerator: “I keep the milk and juice cold all day. Open my door and your clue’s on the way.”
2. Bathtub: “You splash in me with bubbles and toys. I’m the wettest spot for girls and boys.”
3. Washing machine: “Dirty socks go in, clean socks come out. Look inside me and you’ll find out.”
4. Under a pillow: “At night your head rests on top of me. Lift me up and what do you see?”
5. Bookshelf: “I’m full of stories, tall and wide. Check my shelves, your clue’s inside.”
6. Shoe rack or closet: “Left and right, we come in pairs. Look where we wait beside the stairs.”
7. Mailbox: “Letters and bills come to me each day. Peek inside, but don’t take them away.”
8. Oven mitt: “I protect your hands from heat. Look inside me for a treat.”
9. Toothbrush holder: “Twice a day you use me to clean. Check the cup where I am always seen.”
10. Clock: “Tick tock, I tell the time. Look behind me for the next rhyme.”

Swap in your own spots easily: describe what the thing does, then where to look.

Indoor list hunt (for little kids)

Draw or print pictures of these, and let kids put each item in a basket:

1. Something red
2. A spoon
3. A sock
4. A stuffed animal
5. Something round
6. A book with an animal on the cover
7. Something soft
8. A toy car or truck

An indoor hunt is a perfect fallback on wet days. For more ideas like this, see our list of rainy day activities for kids.

Backyard and nature scavenger hunt list

Nature hunts are list hunts at heart. Give each kid a paper bag and a checklist.

1. A leaf bigger than your hand
2. A smooth rock
3. Something yellow
4. A feather (look, don’t necessarily touch; wash hands after if you do)
5. A stick shaped like a letter
6. A pinecone or seed pod
7. Three different kinds of leaves
8. Something that smells good
9. A bug (look only, no collecting)
10. A cloud shaped like an animal
11. A flower (photo or drawing only, if it’s in someone’s garden)
12. Something rough and something smooth

Safety note: teach kids not to pick mushrooms or berries, and to steer clear of plants you have not identified. Point out poison ivy or other irritating plants common in your area before you start.

Night scavenger hunt ideas

After dark, hide glow sticks, reflective tape, or small toys and hand out flashlights. This is a highlight of backyard camping with kids, and it works in a fenced yard on any warm evening. Keep the hunt area small and stay within sight of an adult.

Neighborhood walk scavenger hunt

Turn a regular walk into a game. Kids check items off as they spot them.

1. A red car
2. A dog on a leash
3. A stop sign
4. A mailbox with a flag
5. A house number with a 7 in it
6. A bird on a wire
7. A flag
8. A bike
9. A garden gnome or yard decoration
10. A puddle (bonus points for not jumping in, or for jumping in, your call)

Hold hands at street crossings, and make a rule that nobody steps into the road to check something off.

Scavenger hunts for older kids and tweens

Tweens get bored fast with “find a spoon.” Make it a challenge.

1. Code clues. Write clues in a simple number code (A=1, B=2) and give them the key.
2. Photo hunt. Give a list of things to photograph: “the team doing a human pyramid,” “a reflection of yourself in something that isn’t a mirror.”
3. Puzzle pieces. Each clue comes with one piece of a small puzzle; the finished puzzle reveals the treasure’s location.
4. Map hunt. Draw a rough map of the yard with an X. Add “10 paces from the oak tree” style directions.
5. Science hunt. Each stop has a mini challenge, like making something float. Our easy science experiments for kids have quick ones to borrow.

Themed scavenger hunt ideas for parties and holidays

A theme makes any hunt feel like an event. Keep the same setup steps and just change the clues and the treasure.

1. Pirate hunt. Write clues on paper crumpled and rubbed with a damp tea bag so they look old. The treasure is a shoebox “chest” of chocolate coins or stickers.
2. Birthday hunt. Each clue mentions something about the birthday kid, like a favorite food or animal, and the last stop is the cake or the presents.
3. Spy mission. Hand out sunglasses and a “top secret” folder. Clues use codes, and the final clue is written in lemon juice that appears when an adult warms it with a hair dryer.
4. Holiday hunt. Use seasonal items: pumpkins in fall, mittens in winter, plastic eggs in spring.
5. Color hunt. Each team gets one color and must find 10 things in that color before the timer ends.

For a party, plan one hunt per team of three or four kids so nobody stands around waiting.

Common scavenger hunt problems (and fixes)

1. One kid finds everything. Assign each kid a color and write their clues on that color paper.
2. A clue is too hard. Have a “hint card” ready, or give a hot-and-cold hint.
3. A clue disappears. Check your master list and replace it on the spot.
4. Little sibling gets left behind. Give them a job, like carrying the treasure bag or reading pictures.
5. The hunt ends too fast. Add a bonus round with three extra items.

Plan your first hunt tonight

Grab 10 index cards. Write a treasure location on the back of the last one, then use the indoor clues above for the other nine. Hide them in reverse order after the kids go to bed, and hand over clue one at breakfast.