A treasure hunt is the easiest way to make a birthday morning or a rainy afternoon feel magical. Here are 16 rhyming clues for common spots around the house. Pick 5 to 8, hide each clue in the spot named by the clue before it, and put the treasure at the end.
The clues
- Fridge: "I'm cold inside but I'm not snow. Open my door, and there you go!"
- Bed: "You sleep on me every night. Look under the pillow, hold on tight!"
- Couch: "Sit on me to watch TV. Check under my cushions, what will you see?"
- Bathtub: "Splash, splash, bubbles galore! Look where you get clean, for sure."
- Washing machine: "I spin your clothes round and round. Look inside where socks are found."
- Shoes by the door: "Left and right, we come in pairs. Look in the shoes by the door or the stairs."
- Bookshelf: "I'm full of stories, tall and wide. Find the book with a clue inside."
- Plant pot: "I'm green and I drink water every day. Look by my pot, hip hip hooray!"
- Toy box: "I hold your toys when playtime ends. Look inside with all your friends."
- Coat closet: "Coats and jackets hang in me. Open my door and look carefully."
- Under the table: "Where you eat your breakfast and tea, look underneath and you'll find me."
- Toothbrush: "Brush, brush, brush, morning and night. Look by your toothbrush, shiny and bright."
- Mirror: "Look at me and you'll see you! Your next clue is close to me too."
- Laundry basket: "Socks and shirts that need a wash: dig in my basket, oh my gosh!"
- Mailbox: "Letters and parcels come to me. Peek inside and you will see."
- Snack cupboard: "Crackers, cereal, snacks to munch. Look where we keep the food for lunch."
How to set it up
- Choose your route. Pick spots in an order that zig-zags around the house, so kids run back and forth.
- Hide clue 2 at spot 1, clue 3 at spot 2, and so on. Hand them clue 1 to start.
- Put the treasure at the last spot. A present, a bag of sweets or a "treasure map" to the park.
Make it extra fun
- Pick a theme. Pirates ("Ahoy, Captain!"), dinosaurs, unicorns or space explorers.
- Add a magic word. Put a picture or word at each spot that kids must say or show you before getting the next clue.
- Read clues aloud for younger kids, or let older kids read them to the little ones.
- Two kids? Make two routes so nobody grabs all the clues.
Short on time?
You can make one in five minutes with this free treasure hunt maker: tap your hiding spots, pick a theme, and print the clue cards. The hunt runs on your phone too: kids find each card, tap its picture, and the next riddle appears, ending with confetti at the treasure. It's free, with nothing to sign up for.
Happy hunting!
---
Tags: treasure hunt clues, indoor scavenger hunt, kids party games, rainy day activities for kids