Scavenger hunt clues are the creative and engaging elements that drive the excitement in a scavenger hunt game. These clues lead the players around the house to find the treasures.
The clues can vary greatly. They can be riddles that challenge participants to think abstractly, rhymes to add a poetic twist, photographs indicating the target location, puzzle pieces that reveal information when assembled, or even cryptic and vague hints that require clever problem-solving.
Here you find a series of scavenger hunt clues and riddles suitable for both inside and outside the house. These riddles will be designed to lead participants from one location to another, creating an engaging and fun experience. Here are some ideas:
Scavenger Hunt Clues Inside the House
1. I have a spine but no bones, and within my pages, knowledge is sown. Find me where stories rest, and you’ll pass this test.
Answer
A book on a bookshelf.
2. Bright but not dazzling, I light up the room. Flip a switch to dispel the gloom.
Answer
A lamp or light fixture.
3. Open and close, but I’m not a door. White inside like a coconut but you can’t eat me and I am always fresh.
Answer
Refrigerator.
4. Stand before me and see your reflection, I’m not a photo, but I show your complexion
Answer
A mirror.
5. I have keys but open no lock, with letters and numbers, your words I stock.
Answer
A computer keyboard or typewriter.
6. I get hotter as I work, but touch me not. I make your clothes wrinkle-free, spot by spot.
Answer
An iron.
7. In me, you’ll find forks, knives, and spoons, tucked away, ready for dining at noon.
Answer
A cutlery drawer.
8. I’m full of coats and shoes, but not a soul, guarding the entrance, that’s my role.
Answer
A coat closet or entryway.
9. Filled with soap and bubbles, I offer you a scrub, a place for relaxation, and a refreshing rub.
Answer
A bathtub.
10. Round or square, for a group or just one, gather around me when meals have begun.
Answer
A dining table.
11. In this corner, stories unfold, with images bright and bold. I bring worlds to life, both young and old, a box of tales, forever told.
Answer
Television (TV).
12. A place for relaxation, where guests are met, with cushions aplenty, comfort is set.
Answer
A sofa or couch in the living room.
Scavenger Hunt clues for Rooms in the House
13. A communal space where stories are shared, with seats aplenty and comfort spared. Not quite a room that’s meant for bed, but here, both laughter and tears are shed. Where family gathers by day or night, in the glow of the screen or the fireplace light.
Answer
Living Room
14. A place where secrets are both kept and spilled, where elements are mixed, chopped, and grilled. A room where recipes come to life, with pots and pans, and the occasional knife. Here, aromas tell tales of culinary art, where nourishing magic is at the heart
Answer
the kitchen.
15. At day’s end, here you recline, in dreams and darkness, you’ll find me fine.
Answer
Bed in the bedroom.
16. At day’s end, here you recline, in dreams and darkness, you’ll find me fine.
Answer
Bed in the bedroom.
17. A throne of sorts, in a room so small, where you answer nature’s most personal call.
Answer
Toilet in the bathroom
18. Around me, you gather to eat and to chat, sharing meals and stories, where you’re sat.
Answer
Dining table in the dining room.
19. A throne of sorts, in a room so small, where you answer nature’s most personal call.
Answer
Toilet in the bathroom.
20. A house for your car, with tools galore, here you store more than a roar.
Answer
Garage.
21. A room of books, knowledge, and screens, where work is done and learning gleams.
Answer
Desk in a home office or study.
22. Here clothes spin and tumble, getting clean, in this machine’s watery sheen.
Answer
Washing machine in the laundry room.
23. High in the house, beneath the roof, here lies memories and seasons’ proof.
Answer
Attic
Scavenger Hunt Clues Outside the House
24. I’m not a tree, but I have leaves. In autumn, they’re a task that grieves.
Answer
A pile of leaves or a garden.
25. Standing tall, I chime and ring, telling time is my thing.
Answer
A garden clock or sundial.
26. A tiny house with no room to dine, letters arrive here by design.
Answer
Mailbox.
27. I can’t walk, but I roam the yard, keeping the grass short is my regard.
Answer
Lawnmower.
28. Filled with water but not a cup, in summer days, I’m where you splash and jump.
Answer
Swimming pool.
29. Outdoors you’ll find me, green and wide, where flowers bloom and secrets hide.
Answer
Garden or backyard.
Rhyming Scavenger hunt clues around the house
30. Tick tock, watch the hand move around, where I’m hanging, time is found.”
Answer
a Clock
31. Swirl, twirl, and spin about, in this machine, clothes go in dirty and come out.”
Answer
Washing Machine
32. In here you scrub, in here you rinse, cleansing your day off, it’s really quite a cinch.
Answer
Shower or Bathtub
33. Where you lay your head at night, under covers, out of sight
Answer
a Bed
34. A place for shoes, all in a row, find me where the many feet go.
Answer
Shoe Rack
35. Low to the ground, but high in use, over me, you sip your juice.
Answer
a Coffee Table
36. Rows of stories, rows of tales, in bindings strong, adventure sails.
Answer
a Bookshelf
37. Pull me out and take a seat, where eating and chatting become a treat.
Answer
Dining Chair
38. A cozy spot when the night is cold, here, flames dance, bold and bold.
Answer
a Fireplace
You can find more complex riddles HERE
Hard Riddles for Scavenger Hunt
39. I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have nobody, but I come alive with the wind. What am I?
Answer
An echo
39. The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?
Answer
Footsteps
40. I am not alive, but I grow; I don’t have lungs, but I need air; I don’t have a mouth, but water kills me. What am I?
Answer
Fire
41. I am taken from a mine and shut up in a wooden case, from which I am never released, and yet I am used by almost every person. What am I?
Answer
Pencil lead.
42. I have cities, but no houses. Mountains, but no trees. I have water, but no fish. What am I?
Answer
A Map
How to write scavenger hunt clues
To make a fun scavenger hunt, mix clue types like riddles, puzzles, and visual prompts to keep it lively and appealing.
Then decide where you want to hide the object. Once you have a location set think of creative ways to describe the item or the location without saying what it is exactly. Describe what it does, how it feels, and what its purpose is.
For example, if you hide something behind a Behind photo in a frame. something like this will describe it: Captured moments in time I hold, memories framed, both new and old. Look behind the smiles frozen still, there you’ll find your next thrill.
Plan a logical and coherent route, guiding participants from clue to clue.
Where to hide clues for scavenger hunts
You can hide the clues for scavenger hunts anywhere around the house inside and out, or even play in a basketball court.
Inside the House hide the clues for example in a Bookshelf, Cushion or Pillowcases, Clock, Kitchen Containers, Photo Frame, Plant Pots, Coat Pockets, Cupboard Under the Sink, DVD/Book Cases, and Drawer.
Outside the House, you can shose a spot for the clue Under a Rock, Garden Bench, Flower Pot, Tree Hollow, Mailbox, Barbecue Grill, Fountain or Bird Bath, Garden Statue or Ornament, Shed, Bicycle Basket, or any other place.
Or if you go camping is a perfect time to run a scavenger hunt, you can find the camping riddles and more clues here.
Where are the answers?
Hey Sue,
Below each riddle, there is an arrow labeled “Answer.” When you touch it, it opens and shows the answer.