Looking for some fun indoor scavenger hunt ideas? These ideas are easy, creative, and great for kids and adults. With a free scavenger hunt app, these will be great activities to keep everyone happy.
What Are Scavenger Hunts?
Traditionally, scavenger hunts are done outdoors, where you need to collect a number of items to complete the hunt. These scavenger hunt items can be miscellaneous items or follow a certain theme. Clues like riddles or puzzles will lead you from one item to the next until the list is complete.
Because of quarantine and COVID protocols like social distancing, many people are opting to do indoor scavenger hunts instead of going outdoors. However, it’s interesting to note that indoor treasure hunts have become a popular activity even before the pandemic, especially among kids. Parents who want to throw a themed birthday party for their little ones tend to include a birthday party scavenger hunt activity, and a prize will be given to the participant who finds all the items first. For some, the invitations can serve as one of the first indoor scavenger hunt clues or gifts can be the hidden items.
Aside from birthdays, scavenger hunts can also be done during other occasions. You can have an easter scavenger hunt, a holiday scavenger hunt, a halloween scavenger hunt, and many more.
As mentioned, some follow a theme, such as a color scavenger hunt, a riddle scavenger hunt, a pirate treasure hunt, and the like.
Apps for Scavenger Hunts
Thanks to technology, your scavenger hunt party can turn into a virtual scavenger hunt. Guests can participate in this fun activity by downloading apps that provide fun scavenger hunt ideas. These apps also enable them to track their progress and can work for both indoor or outdoor scavenger hunts.
Some apps might be a little more complex as they require GPS tracking, but there are three apps that you can use when you want you and your kids to go on indoor or outdoor treasure hunts. These include the following:
Treasure Hunt-Scavenger Hunt App
This app features predetermined hunts, so setting it up won’t be too complicated. It’s also beginner-friendly and won’t put any pressure on young hunters as it has no time limit. Moreover, if a participant can’t find an item, they can skip it and move onto the next. When the hunt is done and all the objects have been located, the participant will receive a piece of pirate “treasure.”
Overall, this app can serve as the perfect way to introduce young children to the basic mechanics of scavenger hunts.
Goose Chase
This app can let you create more customized scavenger hunts through its website. However, unlike Treasure Hunt-Scavenger Hunt, Goose Chase requires you to set a start and end time for the activity.
Perhaps the app’s best feature is its versatility and variety of choices; you can list down specific items you want to be located or choose from a wide database of premade options. Participants can also submit responses via photos, videos, or text. It’s an app that families can use to make a really unique scavenger hunt everyone can enjoy.
Let’s Roam
If you want an app that can work for any occasion or location, Let’s Roam is a great choice. Not only does this cater to events like a birthday party or a graduation ceremony, but you can also use this app if you want to conduct your scavenger hunts in another city. Whether your hunt happens indoors or outdoors, there’s always something from Let’s Roam that you and your family can create and have fun with.
25 Indoor Scavenger Hunt Ideas
Staying at home has never been more fun with indoor scavenger hunts. You can play while using the apps mentioned above for bonus points. While using these apps, it’s recommended to have an internet connection, so all the features will work.
Alternatively, you can still enjoy these indoor scavenger hunt ideas with the classic pen-and-paper combo. Many of these ideas are accompanied by printables you can download using your browser. Some might require purchases but most are free.
That said, here are 25 indoor scavenger hunt ideas that will have something for mom, dad, and the kids to enjoy:
- If you have younger kids that need a refresher on sight words, this make-a-sight-word treasure hunt from Hands on as We Grow is a simple but fun approach.
- This outdoor sketching scavenger hunt with a free printable template from Buggy and Buddy will make kids appreciate different things in your garden or yard.
- Kids still learning about lowercase letters can have an enjoyable but educational time with No Time for Flashcards’ bug alphabet scavenger hunt.
- Simple but creative, this color scavenger hunt from I Heart Crafty Things only needs a few colored markers, a white paper bag, and some imagination!
- With a pen in hand, younger and older kids can hunt down different shapes at home with this shape scavenger hunt from The Many Little Joys.
- Want to encourage your kids to read? Modern Parents Messy Kids has the ultimate reading scavenger hunt map that will get your kids flipping pages all day long!
- While they have their noses buried in a book, they can also do these more specific book scavenger hunt activities from I Love 2 Teach.
- Football enthusiasts don’t have to wait for the Super Bowl to let their kids play this football scavenger hunt from Celebrate Everyday With Me.
- The Spruce has a list of indoor scavenger hunt riddles that will keep your kids preoccupied for hours.
- Destination Imagination has a classic indoor scavenger hunt list that lets kids become familiar with household items such as baskets, knobs, the dishwasher, the shower, locks, and the like.
- Hey Let’s Make Stuff also has its own version of a stay-at-home scavenger hunt.
- Thinking of having an indoor scavenger hunt at night? This printable PDF from The Dating Divas features a glow-in-the-dark scavenger hunt activity. Get your glow sticks ready!
- If Easter is on the way, bust out those colorful plastic eggs from storage and try out this word family egg hunt from Sweet Sounds of Kindergarten. You can do this at home or in the classroom!
- For kids that have an eye for photography, this photo scavenger hunt from Very Well Family will get them clicking away all afternoon.
- If your kids are more into selfies, this indoor selfie scavenger hunt printable from The Christmas Games Shop will get them enough selfies for a small album!
- Instead of stepping all over your kids’ LEGOs, why not use them for your indoor scavenger hunt? Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls even has printable clues you can use for this activity.
- Learning science doesn’t stop at home with Left Brain Craft Brain’s at-home science scavenger hunt!
- Satisfy your sweet tooth with this indoor Halloween candy scavenger hunt from Edventures with Kids.
- Cook Smarts’ foodie scavenger hunt ideas can be done in grocery stores or while your kids are exploring your kitchen and pantry.
- Where’s Waldo is a classic character that screams scavenger hunt. If you want to do your own Where’s Waldo scavenger hunt at home, check out this idea from Kids Activities Blog.
- Here’s one you don’t see every day — a gratitude scavenger hunt from Natural Beach Living. It teaches kids what they can be thankful for and how to articulate those feelings.
- Not being able to travel doesn’t mean you can’t teach your kids about new places. This geography scavenger hunt from Little Bins for Little Hands will let them roam the country without even having to go out of the house!
- Older kids learning about the constellations can increase their knowledge of the stars and skies with this stargazing scavenger hunt activity from Real Life at Home.
- Is your little one fond of bird watching? Then this find-a-bird scavenger hunt from Tiny Beans will let time fly by quickly!
- Learning about different human emotions is crucial to your child’s psychological development. Make this lesson interesting with this emotions scavenger hunt activity from Mosswood Connections.
Joining your kids in indoor scavenger hunts definitely has a place in your treasure chest of memories. Try out these 25 fun ideas to drive away the boredom of staying at home. Don’t forget to whip up a batch of cookies for your eager explorer!