Scavenger Hunt Clues for Kids Around the House (Printable)

On this page

1. What’s on the printable
2. How to set up the hunt
3. Rhyming clues for little kids (ages 4 to 6)
4. Riddle clues for big kids (ages 7 to 11)
5. Six more clues for other spots
6. How many to print
7. Variations
8. Treasure ideas
9. Questions hosts ask

Start with the little-kid set if anyone at the hunt is under 7. The rhymes are short, the spots are easy to reach, and the last word of each rhyme is a giveaway that kids love to shout out. Add the hunter’s name, print, and cut the cards apart.

What’s on the printable

Each set has 12 clue cards and one hiding plan. The cards show only the rhyme and a number. The hiding plan (for grown-up eyes) lists every card in order, where to hide it, and where the treasure goes at the end.

The hunt works as a chain. Kids solve clue 1, run to that spot, and find clue 2 waiting there. Clue 2 sends them to the next spot, and so on until the last clue leads to the treasure. With 12 clues, plan 15-30 minutes, depending on age and how many times someone stops to play with the toy box.

How to set up the hunt

1. Print the clue cards and the hiding plan. Cut the cards apart along the lines.
2. Keep card 1 in your hand. That’s the one you give the kids to start.
3. Hide card 2 at the answer to card 1, card 3 at the answer to card 2, and keep going. The hiding plan lists each spot for you.
4. Put the treasure at the answer to the last card.
5. Walk the route once with the plan in your hand, making sure each card peeks out enough to be found.
6. Hand over card 1 and read it aloud (or let big kids read it). Follow along, and drop hints if the hunt stalls.

Short on time? Use fewer clues. Any stretch of the chain works as long as you start at card 1 and put the treasure at the spot your last card points to.

Rhyming clues for little kids (ages 4 to 6)

A grown-up reads these aloud. Pause before the last word and let the kids fill it in.

1. Open my door and feel the chill. The milk and juice are keeping still. Answer: the fridge door
2. Splish and splash, it’s bubble time! Look in the tub for your next rhyme. Answer: the bathtub (dry and empty)
3. You rest your head on me at night. Look under me, I’m soft and light. Answer: under a pillow on a bed
4. Dirty socks go in, they come out clean. Look on top of the washing ___. Answer: on top of the washing machine
5. Sit on me to watch TV. Check under my cushions. What do you see? Answer: under a couch cushion
6. I come in pairs, a left and a right. Look inside where toes fit tight. Answer: inside a shoe
7. Wave hello and I wave too. The face in me looks just like you. Answer: taped to the bathroom mirror
8. Blocks and cars and teddies too. Open my lid, a clue’s for you. Answer: the toy box
9. When you climb out, all wet and drippy, grab me quick. I’m soft, not slippy. Answer: the bath towel
10. I have four legs but I can’t walk. We eat at me, and sit and talk. Answer: taped under the kitchen table
11. Wipe your feet before you come in. Peek under me and you might win. Answer: under the doormat
12. Books with stories, short and tall, live on me against the wall. Answer: the bookshelf (treasure goes here)

For 3-year-olds, cut the hunt to five or six clues and hold hands on the way to each spot. At that age, the running around is the prize.

Riddle clues for big kids (ages 7 to 11)

These don’t give the answer away in the last word. Kids read them on their own, and several are twists on classic riddles.

1. I have hands but I can’t clap, a face but I never nap. Tick by tick I keep the pace. Your next clue hides near my face. Answer: next to a clock
2. The more I dry, the wetter I get. Find me where the bath things are set. Answer: the bath towel
3. I’ve got a spine but not one bone, and pages full of tales unknown. Answer: inside a book on the shelf
4. I’ve got buttons but no shirt to wear. I change the show from over there. Answer: under the TV remote
5. I’m always cold, but I never sneeze. I turn plain water into cubes that freeze. Answer: taped to the freezer door
6. I have a drum, but I don’t play. I spin your socks around all day. Answer: on top of the washing machine
7. I drink but never eat a bite. I lean my leaves toward the light. Answer: next to a houseplant
8. I copy each move that you make, but switch left and right for goodness’ sake. Answer: taped to a mirror
9. I have plenty of keys but can’t open a lock. Tap me to type, but please don’t knock. Answer: under the computer keyboard
10. I get stepped on all day but I never complain. I catch the mud when you come in from the rain. Answer: under the doormat
11. I have a handle, but I’m not a mug. Pull me open, your socks are snug. Answer: the sock drawer
12. I have a door but I’m not a room you sleep in. Coats and jackets wait here till you go out again. Answer: the coat closet (treasure goes here)

Six more clues for other spots

Swap any of these into either set by writing them on a blank card. Pick the ones that match your house.

1. I hold the clothes that need a wash. Dig to the bottom, oh my gosh. Answer: the laundry basket
2. I ride to school upon your back. Unzip me and find a clue, not a snack. Answer: a backpack
3. Crunchy flakes at breakfast time. Look in the box for your next rhyme. Answer: the cereal box in the pantry
4. A furry friend naps here all day. Peek under the cushion, then off you play. Answer: the pet bed
5. I hang by the door and hold your hat. Check my pockets, just like that. Answer: a coat on its hook
6. Letters come and letters go. Look inside me, then say hello. Answer: the mailbox (with a grown-up)

How many to print

Print one set of cards per team and one hiding plan for yourself. A team can be one child or three; more than four kids chasing the same clue usually means the fastest reader does everything.

For two teams at once, print the same set twice in two different color themes and hide both colors at every spot. Each team only collects its own color. Everyone runs the same route, and nobody can steal a clue.

Variations

Mixed ages

Pair each big kid with a little one. The big kid reads the clue, and the little one gets to find it. It works better than two separate hunts, and siblings argue less when both have a job.

Birthday parties

Use the big-kid riddles for a party of 8 to 12 kids split into teams of three, each with a different color set. The treasure can be the goody bags. Our list of birthday party games for kids has more games sorted by age.

Make it harder

At every spot, add a small task before the kids can take the next clue: 10 jumping jacks, spell a word backward, or answer a trivia question. Or hide one letter at each stop, and make the kids unscramble the full word to find where the treasure is.

Rainy day or holiday

The whole hunt stays indoors, so it works as a rainy-afternoon game with a snack as the treasure. On Christmas morning, it can lead to the last present, and it pairs well with the other ideas in our Christmas party games for families.

Treasure ideas

The treasure doesn’t have to cost much. Kids care more about finding it than what’s inside. A few that work:

• A bag of small toys or stickers to share
• A movie-night kit: popcorn, a blanket and the pick of the movie
• A handwritten coupon for staying up 30 minutes late
• Baking supplies for cookies you make together right after
• A birthday present, when the hunt is the gift-opening game

For more ways to fill an evening at home, browse our game night section.

Questions hosts ask

By the Party Game Book editors. Every game here is free to print for personal, classroom and non-commercial use. How we make and check our games.