In this guide
A Halloween scavenger hunt is a trail of clues: each clue is a small riddle, and its answer is the place where the next clue is hidden. The last clue leads to a treat bag. Below are 18 rhyming clues you can copy onto cards, with the answer under each one, and a few notes on setting up the hunt so it runs smoothly.
How to set up the hunt
- Pick 8 to 10 clues. That's about 20 to 30 minutes for kids aged 5 to 9. For preschoolers, 5 or 6 is enough.
- Put them in order. Write the list of hiding spots in the order you want the kids to go, so the trail zigzags through the house instead of doubling back.
- Hide each clue at the answer of the one before it. Clue 1 goes in the child's hand. Its answer is the fridge, so clue 2 goes in the fridge, and so on. The last clue's answer is where the prize waits.
- Keep your list in your pocket. When a clue goes missing (a sibling picked it up, the dog found it), you'll know where the trail picks up again.
12 clues for inside the house
1. I'm cold inside, but I'm not a ghost. Open my door for the snack you like most. Answer: the fridge
2. You put your feet in me before you go out. Look in a shoe, there's a clue about. Answer: a shoe by the door
3. Teddy and blocks all sleep inside me. Lift my lid and see what you see. Answer: the toy box
4. I'm full of stories, spooky and sweet. Look between the books for your next treat. Answer: the bookshelf
5. At night you lay your sleepy head here. Lift up the pillow, your clue is near. Answer: under a pillow
6. I spin and I spin like a witch's brew. Look in my drum for your next clue. Answer: the washing machine
7. You sit on me to watch your shows. Check under my cushion, who knows what it holds? Answer: the couch
8. Look in me and who do you see? A little monster, as spooky as can be. Answer: a mirror (tape the clue to it)
9. I hold treats that crunch and crumble. Lift my lid, but don't let me tumble. Answer: the cookie jar
10. Brush, brush, brush, and rinse with care. Your clue is by the cup with the toothbrushes there. Answer: the bathroom sink
11. I keep your coats and hats in a row. Look in a pocket, then off you go. Answer: the coat rack or closet
12. You splash in me with bubbles and foam. Pull back the curtain, your clue's found a home. Answer: the bathtub
6 clues for the yard
13. Wipe your feet before you come in. Lift me up and let the hunt begin. Answer: the doormat
14. Letters and cards drop into me. Open my flap and you will see. Answer: the mailbox
15. I lose my leaves when October gets cold. Look round my trunk for a clue, if you're bold. Answer: a tree
16. I'm long like a snake, but I don't bite. I water the garden. Look near me, alright? Answer: the garden hose
17. Two wheels, a bell and a basket too. Look by the pedals for your next clue. Answer: a bike
18. I sit on the porch with a big orange grin. Look under me, your next clue's in. Answer: a pumpkin on the porch
For the last clue, point to wherever the treats are: "Your hunt is done, you found every clue. Look in the ___, a treat waits for you."
For kids who can't read yet
Swap the rhymes for pictures. Draw or print a small picture of each hiding spot (a fridge, a shoe, a pillow) and hide them the same way, or print our free Halloween picture trail with 12 ready clue cards. Three- and four-year-olds can follow a picture trail alone, and older siblings can read the rhymes on their own trail.
Another option is a "find it" sheet instead of a trail: a page with ten Halloween things to spot around the house (a pumpkin, a bat, a spider, a black cat, a candy corn) and a box to tick for each.
Tips from hosts
- Two trails for mixed ages. Give each age group its own clues in its own color, so the older kids don't solve everything for the little ones.
- Teams of two or three work better than one big group, where the fastest reader runs off with every clue.
- Everyone gets the prize. Put one treat bag per child at the end, not one winner's bag.
- Outside, keep it in sight. Use only the front yard or backyard, and hide nothing near the street or the car.
- Test the trail once while the kids are out of the room, reading each clue and walking to its answer.
Questions and answers
How many clues should a kids' scavenger hunt have?
Eight to ten clues for kids aged 5 to 9, about 20 to 30 minutes. For kids under five, five or six picture clues are enough, and older kids can handle twelve or more if the riddles get harder.
How do you make a Halloween scavenger hunt for toddlers?
Use pictures instead of words, hide the clues at a toddler's eye level in one or two rooms, and walk the trail with them. Five stops and a small treat at the end is plenty.
Where do you hide scavenger hunt clues?
At the answer of the previous clue: in the fridge, under a pillow, in a shoe, taped to a mirror. Keep them visible once the child is in the right spot, so the challenge is solving the riddle, not searching the room.
