Treasure hunt ideas for kids

Safety first

Keep the whole hunt in one safe area that a grown-up can see. Do not use clues that point to stairs, high shelves, windows, balconies or anywhere outdoors. Never hide anything in kitchen drawers with knives or other sharp tools, near hot things, or in cupboards that hold medicine or cleaning products. Tape clues to the outside of furniture instead of tucking them inside, and keep small items away from very young children. Check every route yourself first, and stay close the whole time.

How to plan a hunt in six steps

1. Pick a theme

A theme makes the hunt feel like a story. Try pirates, a lost-robot rescue, a jungle trail or simply a morning mission. Let it shape your wording and the first line you read aloud.

2. Hide the treasure

Choose the final spot first and work backwards. Pick a place a child can reach from the floor, in a room where an adult can see. A small box or bag makes it feel special.

3. Write five or six clues

Each clue describes the next hiding place without naming it. Mention what the place does, how it feels or what lives there, in short plain sentences. Read each aloud to check it can only mean one place.

4. Order the clues

Make a chain. Clue one is handed to the players. It leads to the place where clue two is hidden, clue two leads to clue three, and the last clue leads to the treasure. Number the slips on the back so you can lay them out in order.

5. Test the route

Walk the whole route yourself before the game, holding each clue as a child would. Check that every spot is within one safe area, that nothing needs climbing and that the paper is easy to see.

6. Adapt for ages

For ages three to four, use picture clues and walk alongside. For five and six, read the riddles aloud and let children point. For seven and up, let them read the clues, or ask them to write a hunt for a younger sibling, which many children enjoy.

Five riddle clue sets

Each set is a ready chain of five clues. Write each riddle on a slip, tape clue one to the child or hand it over, then hide each next slip at the answer shown for the clue before it. The last answer is where the treasure goes. Hide the slips on the outside of things, in plain sight, and swap in your own objects if your home is different.

Set 1: Around the home

1. I hum all day to keep the milk cool. Look at my front, not inside me. (Answer: the fridge door.)
2. I have two wide arms but cannot hold a thing. Sit in me with a story and I give you a hug. Look at my side. (Answer: the armchair.)
3. Open me and a story steps out, close me and it naps between two covers. Look on the lowest shelf. (Answer: a book on a low shelf.)
4. Each night I catch your sleepy head, and each morning you leave a dent in me. Look closely at my edge. (Answer: a pillow on the bed.)
5. We wait in a row by the front door, ready for feet. The treasure is close by. (Answer: the shoe rack, with the treasure.)

Set 2: The living room

1. I am low and sturdy in the middle of the room. Picture books rest on my flat top while the sofa watches. Look at my side edge. (Answer: the coffee table.)
2. Squashy and square, I sit behind your back on the sofa. (Answer: a sofa cushion.)
3. I lie flat on the floor and wait for toes and toy cars. Picnics and block towers happen on top of me. Look at my edge. (Answer: the living room rug.)
4. I am green and I grow, and I never say a word. Look at my pot, not my leaves. (Answer: a pot plant standing on the floor or a low table.)
5. Wipe your feet on me before you come in. The treasure is beside me. (Answer: the doormat, with the treasure.)

Set 3: Getting ready

1. Stand in front of me and a twin appears who copies every move. Wave, and the twin waves back at once. Look at my frame. (Answer: the mirror, low enough for a child to reach.)
2. Socks, shirts and soft things go into me, and I am never tidy for long. (Answer: the laundry basket.)
3. I ride on your shoulders to school with your books inside, and my zip is my smile. (Answer: the school bag.)
4. A crowd of small teeth lives on my head, yet none of them ever bites. I smooth out morning tangles. Look at my handle. (Answer: the hairbrush, on a low dresser or bedside table.)
5. We sit by the bed, quiet and warm, and we hug your feet. Your treasure is hiding here. (Answer: the slippers, with the treasure.)

Set 4: Around the table

1. Everyone gathers around me at mealtimes, and I hold up all the plates. (Answer: the dining table.)
2. Apples and bananas rest inside my wide curve. (Answer: the fruit bowl.)
3. I am soft cloth on a hook, and damp hands pat me dry. Look at my corner. (Answer: the hand towel on its hook, hung low enough for a child.)
4. Four legs and a back hold you up while you eat. Push me in when you finish. (Answer: a dining chair.)
5. Flat and wipeable, I lie under your plate and catch the crumbs. The treasure is beside me. (Answer: a placemat, with the treasure.)

Set 5: Make and draw

1. A whole rainbow lives inside my box, lined up and waiting. (Answer: the crayon box.)
2. Lift my cover and blank pages wait for your pencil, one after another. (Answer: a drawing pad.)
3. Dolls, blocks and balls all sleep inside me. (Answer: the toy basket.)
4. Flop into me and I squish to fit you. I have no legs, yet I make a very comfy seat. (Answer: the bean bag or a big floor cushion.)
5. I carry a cool drink for your day, and my lid twists on tight. Look beside me for treasure. (Answer: the water bottle, with the treasure.)

Picture clues for non-readers

1. Draw or photograph each hiding place, one picture per card. A quick sketch with a thick pen is enough, and a photo taken by a grown-up works too.
2. Number the cards with dots, one dot on the first card, two on the second, and so on, so children can follow the order without reading.
3. Hand over the first card and let the child point to where it is in the room. Hide the second card there, and carry on until the last picture shows where the treasure is. Only draw places that follow the safety advice above.
4. Use three or four cards for ages three to four. Add a colour border to each card and a matching coloured sticker at the hiding place, so a match feels like a small win.

More to do on Rangooo

Browse more indoor games for kids, try the garden hunt in birthday party games for kids, run about with outdoor games for kids, swap clues for riddles for kids with answers, plan an evening with family game night ideas, fill a wet afternoon with rainy day activities, browse more stories and activities, or see resources for teachers.

Questions

What age is a treasure hunt good for?

Children from about three can join in with picture clues and a grown-up beside them. From five or six, read-aloud riddles work well, and from seven or eight many children can read, solve and even write clues for someone else.

How many clues are enough?

Five or six is a good number for most children. Use three or four picture clues for the youngest players and up to eight for confident older children, and finish early if interest starts to fade.

What can the treasure be?

Keep it small and kind: a sticker sheet, a bookmark, a drawing you made together, or the choice of tonight's story. Avoid food unless you have checked for allergies, and make sure there is enough to share.

Can several children play together?

Yes. Give each child a job, such as reader, finder or clue keeper, and swap the jobs each round. Use the same hiding places for everyone so no one is left out, and open the treasure together.