A Halloween scavenger hunt is the easiest way to keep a room full of costumed kids busy before the candy comes out. Each clue is a spooky riddle that points to a spot in your home or party space. Kids solve it, race to that spot, and find the next clue waiting there, until the last one leads to a bag of treats.
These 25 clues use things most homes have on Halloween: the jack-oβ-lantern, the candy bowl, the front door, a mirror and even the broom closet. The easy clues work for kids as young as five, the medium ones need a little more thinking, and the tricky clues are written for big kids who like wordplay. Pick the ones that fit your home, then follow the setup steps at the end.
Easy Halloween Scavenger Hunt Clues
I have a big orange face and a candle smile. I grin on the porch all night, but I canβt say a word. Look by me for your next clue!
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Iβm full of sweet treats, and everyone who knocks gets a handful. Look underneath me, not inside, for the next clue!
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Knock, knock! Trick-or-treaters bang on me all night long. I open and close but never leave the house. Whereβs your clue?
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A witch could ride me, but at your house I just sweep the floor. Open the little closet where I hide!
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Look at me and youβll see a monster, a pirate or a princess staring back. A vampire canβt see himself in me!
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A monster might hide under me at night, but really, Iβm where you sleep. Lift my pillow to find your clue.
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Iβm a cold, tall box that keeps the milk fresh and the leftover pumpkin pie cool. Your clue is stuck to my door with a magnet!
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Iβm made of glass, and on Halloween night, spooky faces peek through me from outside. Check my windowsill!
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Iβm soft and squishy, and the whole family sits on me for a scary movie. Dig between my cushions!
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Medium Halloween Scavenger Hunt Clues
I hold scary stories, ghost tales and a book about bats, all standing in a row. Look on my lowest level.
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A witch would fill me with bubbling potion, but you fill me with water and bubbles. Your clue is on my edge, nice and dry.
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Up you go and down you go, one step at a time. A ghost would float, but you have to climb. Look on my bottom step!
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Capes, hats and coats all hang on me when trick-or-treaters come inside. I have hooks but no fishing line.
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Teddy bears, blocks and dress-up wings all sleep inside me. Open my lid, if you dare!
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At a Halloween party, Iβm the witchβs cauldron full of red or green drink, and thereβs a ladle in me. Your clue is under my edge.
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Iβm a light that shines outside the front door. On Halloween night, when Iβm switched on, trick-or-treaters know theyβre welcome.
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I tick and I tock, and when I strike midnight, the ghosts come out to play. Look behind me or under me.
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Iβm a basket for clothes that need a wash: muddy socks and a costume with a pumpkin-pie stain. Look under the top shirt!
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Tricky Halloween Scavenger Hunt Clues
Iβm full of pairs, but nobody here is married. Witchesβ boots and monster slippers line up on me by the door.
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Iβm green and Iβm alive, but Iβm not a zombie. I drink water, sit in a pot, and never leave my spot. Look in my saucer!
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I have keys but no locks, and when you play me, I can make the spookiest music in the house.
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Iβm a cupboard full of food, but nothing on my shelves needs to stay cold. Cans, cereal and the extra bags of Halloween candy hide inside me.
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I have a face that never changes, but I keep my familyβs smiles still forever. I hang on the wall or sit on a shelf.
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I catch every drop that falls from your hands, and Iβm where witches might rinse their potion jars. Look on the counter next to me.
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I have a mouth thatβs always open. Letters and cards go into me, and they come out the next day in someone elseβs hands. Look beside me, not in me.
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How to Set Up a Halloween Scavenger Hunt
- Choose your clues. Pick 8 to 12 clues for a party (about 15 to 20 minutes) or all 25 for a long Halloween afternoon. Skip any spot you donβt have; not every home has a piano, a mailbox or a punch bowl.
- Plan a route. Write the spots in order, ending at the spot where the treasure is hidden. Bounce between rooms so kids keep moving, and save the jack-oβ-lantern or the candy bowl for near the end, when the excitement is highest.
- Hide them as a chain. Write each riddle on an orange or black card. Hand the first card to the kids, then put card 2 at the answer to card 1, card 3 at the answer to card 2, and so on.
- Add spooky touches. Fold each card into a small envelope with a spider sticker, or tie it with string to a plastic bat. Number the cards in the corner so kids know theyβre on track.
- Keep it safe. Never put a clue next to a lit candle. Use a battery tea light in the jack-oβ-lantern, and keep outdoor clues to the porch or yard you can see.
- Pick the treasure. A bag of treats for every player, glow sticks, Halloween stickers or a βgolden ticketβ for first pick of the candy all work well.
Party tips: For a big group, make two teams with different card colors and different routes that end at the same treasure. Pair younger kids with an older βghost guide,β and give each team one free hint. Let costumes count: anyone who solves a clue in character earns a bonus treat.
Want more hunts and spooky fun? Try our treasure hunt clues, these indoor scavenger hunt riddles or our costume riddles.