Everyday Objects

Indoor Scavenger Hunt Riddles: 32 Clues with Answers for Kids

32 riddles Β· tap Hint or Answer to reveal

An indoor scavenger hunt turns a rainy day, a sleepover or a birthday party into a race around the house. Each of these indoor scavenger hunt riddles points to exactly one ordinary spot in a home: the fridge, the bathtub, under the bed, the bookshelf and more. Kids solve the riddle, run to that spot and find the next clue waiting there, until the last one leads to a treasure.

There are 32 scavenger hunt riddles with answers, sorted into easy clues for little kids (read them aloud), medium clues for ages 7 to 9 and tricky clues for older kids. Each has a hint you can give if a team gets stuck. Pick 8 to 12 that match the rooms in your home, then use the setup guide at the end to put them in order and hide them safely.

Easy Indoor Scavenger Hunt Riddles (Ages 4-6)

I’m cold inside and I hum all night. I keep your milk and yogurt chilly. Open my door and look on a shelf for your next clue!

Hint
A little light turns on when you open me.
Answer
The fridge

I fill with warm water and bubbles, and rubber ducks float in me. Look in me (when I’m empty) for your next clue!

Hint
You splash in me before bedtime.
Answer
The bathtub

Crawl down low where the monsters don’t really live. Your next clue is hiding in the dark under the place where you sleep.

Hint
Bring a flashlight and look under the mattress, not on it.
Answer
Under the bed

Everyone in the family sits on me to read stories and watch movies. Squish your hand down between my cushions!

Hint
I’m the biggest seat in the living room.
Answer
The couch

Blocks, dolls and cars sleep inside me at night. Lift my lid and dig around for your clue!

Hint
Toys go in me at clean-up time.
Answer
The toy box

Sneakers, boots and sandals line up on me, waiting for you to go outside. Look between the shoes!

Hint
I’m near the front door.
Answer
The shoe rack

Every morning and every night, you scrub your teeth so they’re bright. The brush you use stands up in me. Look right behind me!

Hint
I’m a little cup or stand next to the bathroom sink.
Answer
The toothbrush holder

I’m a bowl, but nobody eats soup from me. I’m full of apples, bananas and oranges. Look under the fruit!

Hint
I sit on the kitchen counter or the table.
Answer
The fruit bowl

You throw paper and wrappers into me, but this time look on the floor behind me, not inside!

Hint
I have a lid, and sometimes a foot pedal.
Answer
The trash can

I have four legs and a big flat top. You eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at me. Look underneath!

Hint
Chairs sit all around me.
Answer
The kitchen table

I’m full of stories, but I’m not a storyteller. Look on my shelves between the books!

Hint
I stand against the wall and hold lots of things with spines.
Answer
The bookshelf

Medium Indoor Scavenger Hunt Riddles (Ages 7-9)

I spin and swish and make dirty clothes clean. Your next clue is taped on top of my lid, not inside me!

Hint
I fill with soapy water and I’m in the laundry room.
Answer
The washing machine

I hold your dirty socks and T-shirts until wash day. Dig gently near the bottom for your clue.

Hint
I’m a basket, and I smell a bit like socks.
Answer
The laundry basket (hamper)

I have a faucet, a drain and a pile of dishes waiting for me. Look on the counter right next to me.

Hint
I’m in the kitchen, and you wash your hands in me before dinner.
Answer
The kitchen sink

I’m a box with a picture of breakfast on the front. Shake me gently, then look behind me in the cupboard.

Hint
You pour me into a bowl and add milk.
Answer
The cereal box

I hang on the wall and hold something soft and fluffy that dries you after a bath. Look behind what I’m holding!

Hint
I’m a bar or a hook in the bathroom.
Answer
The towel rack

I’m a roll that gets shorter every day, and I live right next to the toilet. Look inside my cardboard tube!

Hint
When I run out, someone shouts for a new one.
Answer
The toilet paper roll

Jackets, scarves and umbrellas hang inside me by the front door. Open my door and check the pockets!

Hint
Guests’ coats go in me when they visit.
Answer
The coat closet

I’m a ledge that sunshine warms every day. Plants and sleepy cats love to sit on me.

Hint
I’m at the bottom of a window, inside the house.
Answer
The windowsill

I’m green and I’m growing, but I never go outside. Someone waters me once a week. Look under my pot!

Hint
I have leaves, but I’m not a tree in the yard.
Answer
The houseplant

I have lots of buttons, but no shirt. Point me at the TV and press, and the show begins. Lift me up and look underneath!

Hint
I’m small enough to hold in one hand, and I need batteries.
Answer
The TV remote

I have 12 pages, one for every month, and all the birthdays are written on me. Lift this month’s page!

Hint
I often hang on the kitchen wall or the fridge.
Answer
The calendar

Tricky Indoor Scavenger Hunt Riddles (Ages 8+)

I have a face but no nose, and two hands but no fingers. I keep running but never leave the wall. Look behind me!

Hint
Tick, tock.
Answer
The wall clock

I hold a smiling moment that never moves. Lift me off the shelf and check my back.

Hint
I’m made of wood, metal or plastic, with glass in front of a photo.
Answer
The picture frame

I’m useless when the sun is shining, but on a rainy day I go up while the rain comes down. Look near the door where I wait, folded.

Hint
When you open me, I look like a little roof.
Answer
The umbrella

Everyone wipes their feet on me, and I never complain. Lift my corner to find what’s underneath.

Hint
I lie in front of the door and sometimes say β€œWelcome.”
Answer
The doormat

I’m hungry for coins, and I get heavier every time you save. Look under me, not inside.

Hint
I’m often shaped like a pink animal that says β€œoink.”
Answer
The piggy bank

I hold the things that open your front door and start the car, so nobody loses them. Look behind what’s hanging on me.

Hint
I’m a hook or a little rack by the entrance.
Answer
The key hook

I keep hands safe from hot pans, but right now I’m cool and hanging on my hook. Your clue is tucked inside my thumb.

Hint
I’m a padded glove that lives in the kitchen.
Answer
The oven mitt

Cinnamon, pepper and paprika live on me in tiny jars, lined up in rows. Find the clue between two jars.

Hint
A cook reaches for me to add flavor.
Answer
The spice rack

I’m not the trash, but I’m right next to it. Bottles, cans and boxes ride in me to get a second life. Look behind me!

Hint
I’m often blue, and I have arrows going around in a circle.
Answer
The recycling bin

I’m a wall made of fabric that you can open and close. At night I keep the street lights out. Look behind my folds near the bottom.

Hint
I hang from a rod above a window.
Answer
The curtains

How to Set Up an Indoor Scavenger Hunt

  1. Pick the clues. Choose 8 to 12 riddles for a party (about 15 to 20 minutes of searching) or 15 or more for a long rainy afternoon. Skip any spot your home doesn’t have, and use easy clues for kids who can’t read yet.
  2. Put them in order. Write a list of the spots in the order kids will visit them, ending at the spot where the treasure waits. Bounce between rooms (kitchen, then bedroom, then back to the living room) so the hunt feels bigger.
  3. Hide them as a chain. Write or print each riddle on its own card. Hand the first card to the players. Hide card 2 at the answer to card 1, card 3 at the answer to card 2, and so on. The answer to the last card is where you hide the prize.
  4. Print and number them. Print the riddles in large letters, and write a small number in the corner of each card so players know they’re on track and you can find a missing card. Keep the hints on a separate sheet for the grown-up in charge.
  5. Hide clues safely. Tape clues next to things, never inside them. Never hide a clue in or on the oven, stove, dryer, microwave, toaster or a heater, and keep clues away from outlets, cords and cleaning products. For the washing machine, tape the card to the outside of the lid.
  6. Adapt for ages. Read clues aloud for ages 4 to 6 and add a picture of the spot to each card. For ages 7 to 9, use medium clues and let them read. For older kids, use tricky clues, add a time limit, or make teams solve a riddle before they can run.
  7. End with a treasure. Small treats, stickers, a new book or a β€œgolden ticket” for a family movie night all work. For a group, make sure every player gets something.

For bigger groups, run two teams with different colored cards and routes that end at the same treasure. Want more hunts? Try our treasure hunt clues, these spooky Halloween scavenger hunt riddles or a round of our riddles for kids.