There are two things that children love to do: play and run around. An indoor scavenger hunt is a fantastic way to combine the two! As a bonus, it takes the pressure off of you because—let’s be honest—sometimes, it’s hard to keep little ones entertained.
A scavenger hunt at home is a simple but effective solution. The kids will have a blast as they traipse around the house, looking for common (or not-so-common) items and completing giggle-filled challenges. You’ll get to see their eyes light up as they set out on their little adventure.
The #1 Scavenger Hunt for Families
Look to ScavengerHunt.com to help you unlock a world of adventure! Roam from home with incredible scavenger hunt options that are sure to thrill everyone. See your surroundings in new and exciting ways when you go on an indoor hunt. When you’re ready to head outdoors, our flexible tickets can be used for our outdoor city scavenger hunts. Each experience is packed with tricky challenges that will have the little ones (and even the bigger ones) laughing, discovering, and having a blast!
Kiddos Love Indoor Scavenger Hunts!
One of the biggest challenges parents face when children have to stay indoors is keeping them off the electronics. After a certain age, it seems like nothing else will capture their interest. Typical activities simply won’t do. Games? Toys? Books? Nope! Kids often want something fresh—something different.
Every scavenger hunt is unique, so it’s always interesting! Your young explorers should never get bored.
We’ve talked to tons of happy customers and here are the things their children loved most about our scavenger hunts:
- Thinking through riddles
- Hunting through the house
- Taking silly selfies
- Fun (and funny!) challenges
- Family bonding time
- Competing against other teams
Parents Love Them, Too
Of course, knowing that your family is having a great time is important, but there are other reasons you’ll be glad you picked this option to keep everyone occupied. Indoor scavenger hunts:
- Stimulate creativity with riddles and problem solving
- Promote physical wellness with challenges
- Foster “team spirit”
- Beat cabin fever!
Plus, older kids can compete on their own or help younger siblings, giving you a chance to catch up on emails or your endless to-do list.
How Does an Indoor Scavenger Hunt Work?
On a classic outdoor scavenger hunt, participants race through a predetermined area to gather items on a list, sometimes having to figure out clues first. There are often challenges along the way. Indoor scavenger hunts work much the same way, but items can be hidden beforehand, or just objects normally found around the house.
When being outdoors isn’t an option, an indoor scavenger hunt can save the day! It’s the same level of fun, packed into the safety and security of your home (or wherever you’re spending time indoors). The weather isn’t even a factor!
It’s an enjoyable activity for any age. Even preschoolers can participate, with your help or the help of an older sibling.
Indoor Scavenger Hunt Options
- DIY: You can opt for a do-it-yourself scavenger hunt, but that can be a bit time-consuming. You’ll need to think of objects you have around the house or hide some. Then, write clues or riddles, come up with some challenges (costumes, anyone?), and print out your list.
- Online Search: If you google “free printable scavenger hunt,” you’ll be bombarded with tons of options. You can sift through them and find one that’s appropriate for certain ages/reading abilities. Don’t forget to read through the lists, though. You want to be sure that you have all of the necessary items on hand, for when the kids go looking for them.
- Rely on the Experts: When you choose an indoor scavenger hunt by Let’s Roam, we take care of the details. Just gather your crew, grab your smartphone or Internet-enabled device, and you’ll be ready to explore! We’ve included riddles, selfies, and lots of reasons to get up and get moving.
How to Plan an Indoor Scavenger Hunt
Planning an indoor scavenger hunt can be as straightforward or as complicated as you make it!
Keep It Age-Appropriate
If your children are younger, keep it on the simple side. If they get frustrated with difficult clues or challenges, they won’t enjoy it, and neither will you. On the other hand, if your little ones aren’t so little, feel free to really challenge them with riddles and clues that they need to figure out.
Prepare Your Hunt
Search online for a printable indoor scavenger hunt or create your own. Make sure you include a variety of activities:
- Riddles, clues, and brain-teasers to solve
- Physical challenges to complete
- Silly selfies and videos
- Items to gather
- Bonding activities
- Crafting activities
Depending on the group, you might not use all of the ideas above. But definitely pick at least 3-4 of them, to keep things lively!
If this seems overwhelming, keep things easy-peasy by purchasing tickets to a ready-made virtual scavenger hunt from Let’s Roam!
Hand Out Your List
Print out enough copies of the scavenger hunt for each participant or team. If you’re using one of ours, we’ll save you time with an interactive smartphone app.
Watch the Excitement Unfold!
Take lots of photos and videos, because you’ll want to share the adventure with family and friends when it’s all over.
Themed Scavenger Hunts
A scavenger hunt doesn’t need a theme, but certain holidays, events, and even hobbies just call for it! Here are some of our favorite scavenger hunt ideas:
Around the World Scavenger Hunt
Teach your kids all about another country even as they hunt clues around the house. This is the ideal opportunity for trivia, and even having them learn a word or two in a foreign language. Stumped as to what to plan? Our Global Geographers Hunt is suitable for all ages!
Color Scavenger Hunt
This one is particularly popular with the preschool crowd, especially if you use some rhyming riddles as clues. It can be as easy as finding something blue, or even a little more challenging: “Find something in the living room the same color as Santa’s coat.” These younger kiddos love hands-on activities, so try to include some arts and crafts, too.
Holiday Scavenger Hunt
Holidays make wonderful themes for hunts! A Christmas, Easter, or Halloween indoor scavenger hunt, complete with holiday-themed riddles and trivia, is engaging and educational for children. (Don’t worry, we won’t tell them they’re learning from it!)
Photo Scavenger Hunt
Perfect for the photo-savvy tweens! Give them your most challenging riddles, puzzles, and brainteasers to work out—no Googling allowed. Once they’ve figured out the item they need to gather, they can take a selfie with it instead of gathering it. This cuts down on the cleanup time afterward, since nothing gets moved from its place.
Wildlife Scavenger Hunt
This one’s fitting for the animal lovers in the family. Go beyond the more common animals and go for some of the more exotic species. Ibex, anyone? You can also combine this scavenger hunt with a specific country or continent—think koalas, kangaroos, and emus. If you’re stuck for ideas, our All About Animals Scavenger Hunt will please crowds of any age.
Final Thoughts
An indoor scavenger hunt is a quick and inexpensive solution to the “I’m bored” blues. Your whole family can participate. You can engage in a little friendly competition, or challenge other teams for some serious family bonding time.
Our virtual party pack is a multi-household challenge. Instead of competing against one another, your family gets serious team bonding time as you challenge up to six households.
With a little creativity, your hunt possibilities are endless! Check out our Season Pass for limitless adventures