Gross Motor
PopularAll Ages95 Comments
There are so many different fun scavenger hunt ideas for kids, but these are some of our absolute favorites ways to search and learn together!
The possibilities of ideas for a scavenger hunt for kids are endless!
- Letters
- Numbers
- Words
- Colors
- Nature
- Rocks
- Shapes
- Things around town
And I love that they can be on the fly activities (call out an object to search for) or prepared in detail (hidden clues to discover).
You get the idea: the ideas are endless. Basically, anything can be made into a scavenger hunt.
Yes, even chores!
Plus, you can take any of the ideas below and tweak them to make them meet your needs! Turn that ABC hunt into a numbers hunt. Make your search for flowers into a bug hunt.
Anything goes!
32 Scavenger Hunt Ideas for Kids To Do at Any Age
Maybe that’s why scavenger hunts are such a huge hit with my boys. The flexibility and fun are so adaptable, even as they get older.
I’ve collected 30+ of my personal favorite scavenger hunts that we’ve done over the years at Hands On As We Grow. These are ones that kids, mine and yours, have loved and asked for again and again!
But we’re also always looking for our next good scavenger hunt idea for kids. And we need your help!
Comment below to share your favorite scavenger hunt for kids with our HOAWG community!
Learning Scavenger Hunt Ideas for Kids:
You can use take anything your kids are learning and turn it into a cool scavenger hunt.
Don’t believe me? Check out these neat ideas!
Outdoor Scavenger Hunt Ideas for Kids:
Don’t limit your hunting to inside. Take the fun outdoors with easy, adaptable scavenger hunts for kids of all ages!
Treasure Hunt Ideas:
If you have pirate obsessed kids, hunting for treasure is just such a natural fit. Say “A-hoy!” to these cool scavenger hunts!
Easy Peasy Takes on Classic Scavenger Hunts:
If you’re looking for a classic, with a twist, these ideas are pure gold! You’ll be able to keep your setup and supplies super simple with classic scavenger hunt ideas for kids.
How do you make a fun scavenger hunt for kids?
Here is a quick list of questions to help you choose the right scavenger hunt for your kids.
Or maybe invent some more of your own!
- Where do you want to hunt? (Indoor, backyard, on a walk, at grandma’s)s the theme?
- Is there a theme? (A holiday, season, shapes, colors)
- Do you want a learning aspect to this activity or is it just for fun? (Numbers, letters, matching shapes or colors, sight words, alphabet, spelling their name, etc)
- Do you want to use clues, a list or ledger, or just hunt?
- Are you collecting the items, marking them off, or taking pictures, etc?
Once you know the answer to each of these questions it will make the scavenger hunt creation process so simple!
And your kids will have so much fun searching to find all you set out for them! As simple or complex as you choose to make it.
I’m on a hunt to find more fun scavenger hunt ideas for kids! Share your best ideas in the comments!
WANT TO SAVE THIS ACTIVITY?
Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox so you can access this activity later! Plus, you'll get simple activities from us every week!
Mark Monaghan says
Great ideas pretty awesome. Here are some article we put together that may be of interest to your readers too!
carol says
It’s fun to teach kids while playing…Love to do a scavenger hunt with numbers find 1 leaf find 2 rocks and so on. Find something that starts with A, then B and so on.. How about writing their name and having them find things that start with those letters.
Meagan says
This list is about to seriously up our scavenger hunt game!
Vishal says
Check this out once if you want to have an unforgettable birthday party clues hunt game. Completely customisable as per your needs. Ready to play in 10 min.
Demins Flori says
It’s really effective resources. thanks a lot
Robbin says
Wow, this is really fabulous. I didn’t know there were so many ways to keep children busy right under our noses. The activities you have listed here also suit a vast age group. Thanks a lot for sharing this post.
rube says
this is not helpful it is awesome so fun my kid loved it
Sophia Jones says
Best Work. Keep it up.
Anne Gooljar says
great ideas, can’t wait to try them
Jason Fulks says
I have a kids i just follow this way to tech him thanks for sharing dear
Jim B. Myles says
Thanks for sharing your experience
It’s really helpful for me.
Thanks so much again
Tenzing says
Hi. This website creates a printable treasure hunt that has all the clues converted into a hieroglyphic code and has a treasure chest locked with a combination lock the kids finally open.
I created it 14 years ago for my son’s 8th birthday, and got so many requests that I finally put it online for everyone.
windowsintime says
we would lovr to do this wiyj our elderly population!
Brocho says
You will need paints and an egg carton (cover cut off) for each child participating.
Have the kids paint a different color into each section of an egg compartment. When the cartons are dry, you are ready for the hunt. Head outside and the kids have to find something from nature that matches each color. Later, you can glue each object into the appropriate color.
It is amazing how the children actually do find every color. I do this with 5 yr olds and had the 10 yr olds pining to join.
Amy Sergent says
I have a couple of really good Scavenger hunts that we have done, including one for Easter which was really fun and was geared for teenagers. If you want to send me an email, I can forward them to you and would be happy to share. I really appreciate the ideas I have taken from your website and would be very happy to contribute. – Amy
Mark N says
One thing that I have started doing with my kids is this thing called Geochaching. It is basically a modern day treasure hunt. All you need is a compass or your smartphone. There are over 20 in my neighborhood that me and the kids can walk to plus more around our community. Including some at their favorite places around town.
Heather says
Good day!
I love scavenger hunts! Just to be upfront, that’s why I started a company that exclusively develops and administers to scavenger hunts, Thrill of the Hunt. (www.ThrillScavengerHunt.com)
We do all sorts of hunts with kids and families. We have one that can be done inside our out, that gets the kids thinking creatively. Simply ask the children to find something in pairs, or find an object that looks like a turtle, or find three of a kind. The possibilities are endless! To make it more interactive I have options to pair up kids, if there are a bunch or they’re at a birthday party. I also include stamping a card etc. But that can be done as the parent sees fit. Kids the love the sense of accomplishment when they complete every item on the list and get rewarded with a stamp.
Another idea to establish work ethic, even for a youngster is to hide clues under the child’s pile of toys, which need to be picked up and put away. If the toy has a designated area, then add another clue for the child to find, perhaps allowing them to work on compound words (clue #1 – work & clue #2 – station) or the clues can have pictures that match (clue #1 – a pic of a cloud with rain & clue #2 – an umbrella). Again, ideas are endless.
Good luck to you!
Aunt Heather
Heather in Jersey City says
Thank you for the two hours you gave back to me this morning! I was sitting here, attempting earnestly to think of good ideas for a scavenger hunt that I’m doing with my friend’s kids. I had a few, but not enough. Then I realized I should Pinterest it…found you…and I’m done! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Jamie Reimer says
Fantastic to hear! Let me know what you do!!!
Misty says
So many fantastic ideas! Thank you!
April Rodgers says
Thanks for posting this.
katepickle says
I have such fond memories of treasure hunts as a kid, I need to do more of them for my kids! Thanks for the inspiration!
Natalie says
Here is a link to my nature scavenger hunt with questions you can ask: http://mamaandbabybear.blogspot.com/2013/06/scavenger-hunt-walksmaking-most-of.html
Heidi Hosking says
Hello! Being a speech pathologist, I don’t miss a chance to add language to games. Here is a link to our ‘backyard treasure list’ – ‘You can find language in your backyard’ http://wp.me/p3lx9U-oa
This list is full of describing words that we re-use each time to find new things that match the adjectives. And we add in drawing each item to avoid touching the spiders etc and promote brain development :) Heidi
Jamie Reimer says
I Love your treasure list Heidi! Thank you for sharing that. (btw I deleted your dupe comment, no worries!)
Rebecca says
Thank you for this wonderful list of scavenger hunt ideas!
Roni says
I have done a scavenger hunt for my tween’s sleepover birthday party. We didn’t start until about 10:00 that night and by the time it was over, they were exhausted and fell asleep by 1:00. We had her siblings participate and everything was in the house, nothing to do outside. They also had their cell phones to take photos of certian clues that required only a picture.
Jamie Reimer says
This sounds awesome Roni! Can’t wait for the tween years when they stay up all night.
Louise says
When my grandkids were small 2-6 years I took a pot and wrapped treasures in aluminum foil and buried them in the pot. I then gave them shovels and let them dig for buried treasures. It was fun and took them quite awhile to find all of them as the pot was large.
Shirley Wilson says
We had pirate treasure hunts at the beach on vacation. We made a beat up treasure chest and filled it with old looking treasure. We made a map out of a crumpled up brown bag with clues. We buried it when they weren’t looking and rolled the map up and said look what is that, must be the pirates map that the peg leg Willie lost. It is hilarious to make them do everything on the map before they finally locate it. So much fun and creating lots of memories! That what family vacations are all about.
Shawna says
We love doing scavenger hunts! We have also done around the town hunts where I give the kids written clues or photos of locations they have to find and they have to direct us there. And library hunts where the kids find books, movies, etc. in the library using their dewey decimal and computer skills.
Jamie Reimer says
Shawna – the library hunt sounds fascinating! We’ll have to try something like that.
Mandy says
Both of my children love what we call stamper hunts. I hide small self inking stampers around I take a picture of the location and then the kids stamp their paper next to the picture. They love to stamp and they know it can only be on the paper. It can be done inside or outside the kids love it outside.
Thank you so much for all the other great ideas.
Jamie Reimer says
Oh I like that version Mandy! I like the idea of taking the picture of where something is hidden too. Fun idea! The stamps add a twist too!
Racheal Tighe says
I loved this post! There are so many great ideas here. I recently wrote about encouraging reluctant readers with active reading games. One suggestion was to create a treasure hunt with simple written clues leading to a treat at the end of the game.
Jamie Reimer says
Great idea!
Jessica @ Play Trains! says
Great list! So many of these would be so much fun to do with my son. Pinned!
Jamie Reimer says
Thanks Jessica!
Rachel says
I love these ideas! I used to tell my kids what room to go in and what color of object I wanted them to bring me. They loved it!
Jamie Reimer says
Rachel – simple is best! Love it!
Dyan says
We have done an alphabet scavenger hunt. You can read about it here: http://andnextcomesl.blogspot.ca/2013/04/alphabet-scavenger-hunt.html
Jamie Reimer says
Excellent idea! Thanks for sharing Dyan!