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)
Iβm 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!
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I fill with warm water and bubbles, and rubber ducks float in me. Look in me (when Iβm empty) for your next clue!
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Crawl down low where the monsters donβt really live. Your next clue is hiding in the dark under the place where you sleep.
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Everyone in the family sits on me to read stories and watch movies. Squish your hand down between my cushions!
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Blocks, dolls and cars sleep inside me at night. Lift my lid and dig around for your clue!
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Sneakers, boots and sandals line up on me, waiting for you to go outside. Look between the shoes!
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Every morning and every night, you scrub your teeth so theyβre bright. The brush you use stands up in me. Look right behind me!
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Iβm a bowl, but nobody eats soup from me. Iβm full of apples, bananas and oranges. Look under the fruit!
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You throw paper and wrappers into me, but this time look on the floor behind me, not inside!
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I have four legs and a big flat top. You eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at me. Look underneath!
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Iβm full of stories, but Iβm not a storyteller. Look on my shelves between the books!
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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!
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I hold your dirty socks and T-shirts until wash day. Dig gently near the bottom for your clue.
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I have a faucet, a drain and a pile of dishes waiting for me. Look on the counter right next to me.
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Iβm a box with a picture of breakfast on the front. Shake me gently, then look behind me in the cupboard.
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I hang on the wall and hold something soft and fluffy that dries you after a bath. Look behind what Iβm holding!
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Iβm a roll that gets shorter every day, and I live right next to the toilet. Look inside my cardboard tube!
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Jackets, scarves and umbrellas hang inside me by the front door. Open my door and check the pockets!
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Iβm a ledge that sunshine warms every day. Plants and sleepy cats love to sit on me.
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Iβm green and Iβm growing, but I never go outside. Someone waters me once a week. Look under my pot!
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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!
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I have 12 pages, one for every month, and all the birthdays are written on me. Lift this monthβs page!
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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!
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I hold a smiling moment that never moves. Lift me off the shelf and check my back.
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Iβm 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.
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Everyone wipes their feet on me, and I never complain. Lift my corner to find whatβs underneath.
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Iβm hungry for coins, and I get heavier every time you save. Look under me, not inside.
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I hold the things that open your front door and start the car, so nobody loses them. Look behind whatβs hanging on me.
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I keep hands safe from hot pans, but right now Iβm cool and hanging on my hook. Your clue is tucked inside my thumb.
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Cinnamon, pepper and paprika live on me in tiny jars, lined up in rows. Find the clue between two jars.
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Iβm not the trash, but Iβm right next to it. Bottles, cans and boxes ride in me to get a second life. Look behind me!
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Iβm 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.
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How to Set Up an Indoor Scavenger Hunt
- 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 doesnβt have, and use easy clues for kids who canβt read yet.
- 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.
- 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.
- Print and number them. Print the riddles in large letters, and write a small number in the corner of each card so players know theyβre on track and you can find a missing card. Keep the hints on a separate sheet for the grown-up in charge.
- 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.
- 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.
- End with a treasure. Small treats, stickers, a new book or a βgolden ticketβ 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.