45 Fun Scavenger Hunt Clues for Kids in 2024

Updated: July 22, 2024

If you are planning a scavenger hunt for kids to enjoy, there are many ways to make this kind of adventure memorable and fun for them.

You can teach children and teens lots of important skills when you have them engage in scavenger hunts that they can take with them into all kinds of other aspects of life. Perhaps more importantly, this activity is often the perfect blend of learning and fun. The kids work on problem-solving and social skills in a way that doesn’t feel like a teaching moment and they get to have fun as they learn.

So where to start?

Sometimes it can be hard to think up clues for a scavenger hunt, and you might be feeling overwhelmed with the process. Hopefully, these clues will help you to make the best scavenger hunt possible for your group of kids. 

If you are ready to learn more about fun scavenger hunt clues for kids, keep reading.

What are scavenger hunt clues for kids?

Scavenger hunt clues for kids are clever phrasings that indicate where an item may be located in a scavenger hunt but often in a slightly mystifying way that requires some problem-solving.

Scavenger hunt clues that are made for kids are ideal for their level of problem-solving and for their ability to have fun while looking for items that you have hidden from them.

You'll need to use clues that are age-appropriate for your group. Try to find the right balance of varying difficulty so that your kids can solve them easily enough to have fun but also be challenged a bit. This is essential for the success of your scavenger hunt, and your hunters will be grateful if the clues are made for their level of understanding and world experience.

How to Write Scavenger Hunt Clues for Kids

First, simply identify an item you want to be found. Next, match a clever phrasing that indicates where the item is located but in a somewhat mystifying way that requires some problem-solving.

Writing scavenger hunt clues for kids can be easier than you might think!

Make sure that the items that you are writing clues for are relatable to kids of the age group that will be involved in the hunt. Then you can create riddles or more specific clues that will help them to figure out what the items in question are. This is not always everyone’s strong suit, but thankfully there are some great guides that can help you to write scavenger hunt clues that will engage your kids’ imagination while also challenging them to solve problems.

Kids love to be surprised, and you can easily hide clues in lots of unique locations with the help of these fun scavenger hunt clues. If possible use a mix of spaces, both indoors and outdoors, to provide some more variety.

You can theme your scavenger hunt as well, and invite the kids participating to show up in costume or to imagine a story to do with the purpose behind the hunt.

Planning scavenger hunts for kids can be a really fun process, and you will find that your imagination can be easily engaged to make the entire adventure fun for all.

Scavenger Hunt Clues for Kids

1. I have four legs and no feet. When you are tired, I can give you a seat! Answer: chair
2. Tall and thick, all homes have me. To get me open, you might need a key. Answer: door
3. I can get wetter as I dry. When you need to shower, hang me up to dry. Answer: towel
4. Give me a tap and I can give you some suds. I can come in handy if you are covered in mud. Answer: soap
5. This is a flat box that holds colors and sounds. In the living room, it can usually be found. Answer: TV
6. When you are hungry, give me bread. I can turn the bread into toast so you can be fed. Answer: toaster
7. I have blades, but I am not a knife. Want to cool down? Better bring me to life! Answer: fan
8. Inside me, you can find coats and probably also shoes. Keep me tidy to be sure you know whose is whose. Answer: closet
9. By the TV I am often found. Push my buttons and I will give you a sound! Answer: remote
10. I have legs, but I can fold up flat. I keep clothing crisp without needing the laundromat. Answer: ironing board
11. I cannot mix the batter, but I can bake a treat. Just make sure you give me time to preheat. Answer: oven
12. I am a paste that will not glue. Twice a day my cap you need to unscrew mine. Answer: toothpaste
13. I’m not a pole but do have a flag. I’m filled up with letters that might come from a bag. Answer: mailbox
14. I can keep your books safe in my pack. Zip me up before you sling me on your back.Answer: backpack
15. From this pot, the adults will drink a lot. Answer: coffee pot

Outdoor scavenger hunt clues for kids

1. When the sun goes down, I wake up. Rub me and a Genie might appear! Answer: lamp
2. I get bigger when I eat and weaker when I drink. Answer: fire
3. I am an invention that helps you to look through the walls. Answer: window
4. I make fresh air and I am strong. I am capable of being alive for so long! Answer: tree
5. Switch me on and the darkness is gone. I can turn it on and off at your command. Answer: flashlight
6. You can find me on a hook if you know right where to look. Answer: keys
7. What repeats your words but is not an echo? Answer: a parrot
8. I hold your first but I am not neat. You will find me on the street. Answer: garbage can
9. Sometimes we are above and sometimes we are down. Answer: leaves
10. Stretch me far and roll me up. You can use me to wash your pup. Answer: garden hose
11. Hot dogs and hamburgers can be made for me. I cook up your food fast, wait and see! Answer: grill
12. This is a house that looks quite cool. I am perfect for your friend who sometimes likes to drool. Answer: doghouse
13. Back and forth I can take you, all to make you fly! Answer: swing
14. Black and white or maybe red and blue, when the wind is blowing, I wave at you. Answer: flag
15. I might be flat or thin or even round, I can come in lots of colors, and you can pick me up from the ground. Answer: rock

Indoor scavenger hunt clues for kids around the house

1. Soft and plump and ready for the night, you leave me at morning light. Answer: pillows
2. I have eyes but cannot see. Answer: potato
3. I am not wicked, but do have a wick. Answer: candle
4. I have four legs but no feet. You sit with me when it’s time to eat. Answer: Dining room table
5. You can use me to see your complexion. Answer: mirror
6. I hide in the basement with the clothes that are dirty, look for me where you would put your shirty. Answer: dryer
7. I can keep you dry on a rainy day. Hold me tight or I might blow away. Answer: an umbrella
8. You cannot eat me for your lunch, but Fido loves to give me a munch. Answer: dog food
9.  Fill me up and then drain me when you are done. Adding bubbles can make me more fun! Answer: bathtub
10. I bring good news but also junk. I might creak and squeak and close with a clunk. Answer: mailbox
11. I have a drain and my head sprays water. Use my knobs to make it hotter and colder. Answer: shower
12. When your friends come by with news to tell, you let them in because you hear a bell. Answer: doorbell
13. Put me on before you go. This is important when the temperature is low. Answer: jacket
14. I’m a liquid but I am not a drink. You will spit me in the sink. Answer: Mouthwash
15. My job is to end your sleep. I wake you up with a noisy beep! Answer: alarm clock

Tips on Planning Your Scavenger Hunt for Kids

There are so many ways that you can make your scavenger hunt fun and unique.

You can plan a themed hunt, invite kids to show up in costume, or even head to a park and give them lots of room to look for the items on their list. Kids will love the chance to get creative and work together to solve the riddles and clues you have set up for them, and you can make the outcome for the hunt any style that you wish.

Having teams dress up in items that they hunted for can be really fun, or you might want to have your teams find puzzle pieces at each location to assemble at the finish line. Racing can be the main goal of the hunt as well, with the fastest finish being the winner. There is no wrong way to end the race, and your space limitations or the lessons that you want to teach might impact the way that you make the hunt conclude.

Be sure that you think about the size of the space that you are working with appropriately for kids who are quite young and might get tired easily. This can be an easy thing to look past as you are planning a hunt for very small kids, and you don’t want to wear them out before they have solved all your clues or found all the things on the list.

Consider having prizes for all participants so that no one feels left out. First, second, and third place can all have their own prizes or rewards, and you can make sure that no one feels like they were not a winner for finishing the hunt.

Remember, the process of hunting should encourage teamwork, and this can be the main focus of your efforts for your hunt planning rather than who wins the race. The real benefit of scavenger hunting is the teamwork goals that are met and the things that are learned about working together during the hunting process.

Scavenger Hunts Can be Easy to Plan

If you have been worried about the process of planning your scavenger hunt, never fear!

These clues can help you to make your scavenger hunt planning a piece of cake. You can use all of these clues for kids of all ages, and you will be surprised at how much easier it is to plan your hunt.