100+ Treasure Hunt Clues for You
Welcome to the huge page of clues! Here you’ll find more than 100 different ideas for clues and riddles to make your own scavenger hunt an unforgettable event.
You’ll also find great ideas for creating a scavenger hunt for kids or a scavenger hunt for adults packed with even more clues and riddles.
Before you start – decide on a concept
Don’t just dive into it, first pick a concept. We’ve created an entire page to help you with this – it’s essential for a successful treasure hunt. Our 8 step list on how to create your own hunt will guide you through the process and make sure you won’t forget anything.
The long list of 100+ scavenger hunt clues
One day I started thinking about the treasure hunt creation process. I asked myself: What are the very best clues? Which riddles are tricky, yet not impossible? Which clues work better for which age groups? To answer these questions, I decided to put together a definitive list of 100 Scavenger Hunt Clues and treasure hunt riddles to cover a wide variety of scenarios, settings, and age groups.
After some research, I realized most websites related to scavenger hunts don’t cover a wide variety of clues. Or they list only a couple of truly good clues, and the rest is filler. In other words: they are simply incomplete.
We decided to remedy this. We’ve put together 100 great treasure hunt clues so you’ll never have to worry about finding good clues for your next scavenger/treasure hunt. Half the list is for kids and the other half for adults, but there’s plently of overlap.
If you aren’t sure how to set up a scavenger hunt, check out the How To Set Up Your Own Hunt page. If all you need are various types of clues and riddles, read on!
Overview of scavenger hunt clues:
Click any of the following categories to jump directly to the type of clue you’re looking for:
About me
Howdy! My name is Richard and I want to help you create your own treasure hunt. I’ve worked as a youth instructor in New Zealand, Northern Ireland, and Germany, playing scavenger hunts with many kids. On this page, I’ll share my knowledge with you.
Math Riddles
Working math riddles into your treasure hunt is a great way to get kids to think about numbers and their applications in everyday life. That said, you need a really good treasure to get kids (and adults!) to use their math brains. Here are some riddles to get those mathematical muscles moving!
What number do you get when you multiply all of the numbers on a phone’s number pad?
Answer: 0
The sum of Tim and Allen’s ages is 49. Tim is twice as old as Allen was when Tim was as old as Allen is now. How old are they?
Answer: Tim is 28, Allen is 21.
Jill was very proud of her apple tree. One autumn, after harvesting her apples, she called her three sons together. “Here are 150 apples,” she said. “I want you to sell them at the market tomorrow.” She gave Paul 15 apples, Nick 50, and Ben 85. “Your job is to sell the apples in such a way that each of you bring home the exact same amount of money.” How did they do it?
Answer: The first buyer purchases 12 dozen apples at $1 per dozen. Paul sells him one dozen and has three left. Nick sells him four dozen and has two apples left and Ben sells him seven dozen and has one apple left. Then a second buyer comes along and buys all their remaining apples for $3 each. The three borthers each return home with $10.
A man is twice as old as his little sister. He is also half as old as their dad. Over a period of 50 years, the age of the sister will become half their dad’s age. What is the age of the man now?
Answer: He is 50 years old.
Michael is turning 17 this year and he turned 16 yesterday. How is this possible?
Answer: His birthday is on December 31st.
Pierre has 10 pairs of pears. If Pierre’s pears cost £5 per pair and a pair of pears weighs a pound, how many pounds will I pay for 5 pounds of Pierre’s pears?
Answer: £25. Since the pears cost £5 per pair, and a pair of pairs weighs a pound, you will pay £5 * 5 for 5 pounds of pears. This is a total of £25.
Logic Riddles
Science has proven it! The brain benefits of doing logic puzzles and solving riddles are well documented. Well, this list of riddles has an added benefit – you get a material reward for solving them! (Perhaps something sweet?). The following riddles will test your logical reasoning, all are both kid and adult friendly.
I have hands but can’t hold a thing. What am I?
Answer: A clock.
It belongs to you, but others use it more often than you do. What is it?
Answer: Your name.
There are two ducks in front of two other ducks. There are two ducks behind two other ducks. There are two ducks beside two other ducks. How many ducks are there?
Answer: Just four, in a square formation.
Two men have to ferry a lion and a goat across a river. They have only one boat, but it is small and can only carry two at a time. The goat cannot be left alone with the lion, as the lion will eat it. How can the men and the animals reach the other side of the river safely?
Answer: One man rows to the other side with the lion and comes back for the other man. He rows him over to the other side and goes back for the goat.
Mary has 7 daughters and each of them has a brother. How many kids does Mary have in total?
Answer: 8 (Because each of the sisters only have one brother).
“If you can get the water on the plate into this glass without touching or moving this plate, I will give you $100,” the man said. “You can use the match and lemon to do this.”
A few minutes later, the waiter walked away with $100 in his pocket. How did the waiter get the water into the glass?
Answer: First, the waiter stuck the match into the lemon wedge, so that it would stand straight. Then he lit the match, and put it in the middle of the plate with the lemon. Then, he placed the glass upside-down over the match. As the flame used up the oxygen in the glass, it created a small vacuum, which sucked in the water through the space between the glass and the plate. Thus, the waiter got the water into the glass without touching or moving the plate. Try it yourself at home – everybody will be amazed 🙂
Alice comes across a lion and a unicorn in a forest of forgetfulness. Those two are strange beings. The lion lies every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and the other days he speaks the truth. The unicorn lies on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, however the other days of the week he speaks the truth.
Lion: Yesterday I was lying.
Unicorn: So was I.
On which day did they say that?
Answer: Thursday (Only the Lion spoke the truth when he met Alice on Thursday and spoke with the Unicorn about Wednesday.).
Research Riddles
Doing “research” simply means finding out obscure facts about your neighbors or your surroundings. These are great for a scavenger hunt focused on the collection of various objects and information in order to get the treasure. You can also be playful – make the questions and answers funny! Getting kids to confidently ask people questions is great for their social skills. Of course, be sure to remind them to be safe!
- Go to three different people in your neighborhood and ask them why the moon is lit up at night. Record their answers.
- Find four different kinds of leaves and name the trees they belong to. (Only take one leaf! Be nice to the trees!)
- Ask three strangers to tell their favorite jokes and record them.
- Ask the same three people which year they were born in.
- My favorite: Take a photo of the cutest dog you see around town (ask the owner first if they don’t mind you snapping a pic).
- Give every group the same item, for example a box of matches, and ask them to trade it for a different item.
Word Games
A classic way to get people thinking about words is to introduce a palindrome. For those of you who aren’t sure what a palindrome is, it’s a word, phrase, or sentence that’s spelt the same way forwards as backwards.
Some easy examples? Here we go: radar, level, noon, eye, racecar, pup, nun. Some tougher ones for adults? No probblm: deified, civic, tenet, kayak, deed, ewe (a female sheep).
Using palindromes in a treasure hunt setting is easy. Tell the kids or adults to each come up with their own palindrome. Encourage teamwork if people get stuck.
Other word riddles are similar to logic riddles. The main difference is that the answer focuses on a rearrangement of letters to get the correct answer, testing both logical thinking and vocabulary.
What heavy seven letter word can you take two away from and be left with 8?
Answer: weights
What common English verb becomes its own past tense if you rearrange the letters?
Answer: eat (-> ate)
It occurs once a minute, twice in a moment, but never in an hour.
Answer: the letter M
What necessary garment drops a letter, only to become a group of hardworking insects?
Answer: pants (– p = ants)
Indoor clues
If you don’t live close to a public park, or if the weather’s bad, it’s good to have a backup plan for an indoor event. Try to have riddles that are not impossible to crack (even for adults) but make the kids think and use their vocabulary.
I’m never wicked, but I do have a wick. I come in all sizes, from skinny to thick. What am I?
Answer: a candle
I hold all the words you need to know. Use me to make your vocabulary grow.
Answer: a dictionary
I’m not a selfie, but I do show faces. Find me in a bathroom and a few other places.
Answer: a mirror
Time to chill, time to think. For your next clue go here for a cool drink.
Answer: the fridge
Inside here you’ll find coats and shoes. Keep it organized so you know whose and whose.
Answer: a closet
Outdoor clues
Having a back yard or a park close to home is great for setting up treasure hunts. Setting up your treasure hunt or scavenger hunt outside gives the kids the chance to blow off some energy before they sit down for cake and pizza later on. It also gives them an opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors and experience a bit of nature, a rare thing in modern life! Here I’ve collected some clues that are connected to the outdoors.
It’s not sharp even though there are thousands of blades.
Answer: Grass
They grow by soaking up the sun’s rays. Then they’re cut and put in a vase.
Answer: Flowers
The wider I seem the older I am. On me the sun falls, and in fall the green goes.
Answer: A tree
If you can’t make up your mind, this might be where you’re sitting.
Answer: On the fence.
It’s what you need to plant a seed, it’s mostly moist and brown. No need to go far, or look to the stars, for in the garden it’s all around.
Answer: soil/dirt
Adult clues
Finding good riddles for adults is a challenge. During my research I found a lot of riddles I found very unintuitive – to the pooint of absurdity. Could that be the point? Or are some people simply better at riddling than others? Tough questions demand tougher answers, but these riddles will find a way of making your head spin without the frustration of being unanswerable.
Red as blood, sour but divine, a hard hard heart yet it’s flesh tastes sublime.
Answer: Cherry
I start with an “e”, I end with an “e”, but I usually contain only one letter.
Answer: Envelope
I am the beginning of the end, the end of every place. I am the beginning of eternity, the end of time and space. What am I?
Answer: The letter “E”
Where does a king go to get his crown replaced?
Answer: The dentist
Which country would you GO to just for the SAKE of it?
Answer: Japan
When she’s small, she’s deadly, feared, and can move all directions as long as far as she pleases,
But in reality she’s reserved, well protected, and can also be considered something musical.
Answer: Queen
Who am I talking to? “Hi there Margherita, you look lovely today. I hope this doesn’t sound too cheesy, but I think you would be perfect with some wine.”
Answer: Pizza Margherita
Trivia questions
Trivia is something that can work for adults with solid general knowledge about music, movies, art, history, and geography.
Since these are some of the traditional trivia subjects, I thought up some trivia questions for adult players. But I’d be really impressed if kids could figure out the answers…do kids still know who Elvis is?
Hopefully your group of adult players have a broad general knowledge. If so, these shouldn’t be too difficult. If you reckon they’re too easy, drop your suggestion in the comments below and I’ll see if I can come up with even more difficult ones 🙂
My tip: Trivia questions get really good when the teams can find the answers along the way, maybe they’re passing an “Elvis Presley Fan Shop” and should find out something about the King. Or add in some info from signposts along a nature trail.
What was the family name of the rulers of Russia from the 17th Century until the Russian Revolution in 1917?
Answer: Romanov
During what year did the Ford Model T enter production?
Answer: 1908
When did Elvis Presley pass away?
Answer: 1977
What is the capital of Madagascar?
Answer: Antananarivo
Where are puffins exclusively found?
Answer: The north Atlantic ocean. (Puffins are not to be confused with penguins!)
Rhyming Clues
As you’ve noticed, rhyming clues elevate a good a treasure hunt to greatness. Rhymes feature heavily in this list because they’re just so fun, and get the attention of kids as well. Giving kids the power to play with language and make words sound good together is a great gift. Allow these rhyming clues to be the first of many such gifts.
- Ask the teams to write a little poem or limmerick. Choose a funny subject.
- How about this: Let them write a poem about their group, with the rule that all their first names must be in it.
- Find 10 words that rhyme with a certain word, e.g. table.
I’m off to the room where work is done, but there one can also have find quiet and fun. Perhaps on the surface you’ll find me here, printers and papers and pens are near.
Answer: Desk in the office
When I’m in your hand, I’m likely to click
But on the ground, I’m likely to speak
Unless I’m your friend, you must catch me quick
Or the last thing you’ll hear from me is a squeak
Answer: Mouse
During the night they light up the sky
It’s something you wouldn’t even see in the day
Americans see them during July
Animals would rather stay far, far away
Answer: Fireworks
Wrapped around rice, some think I’m nice
But when I’m where I should be, fish have me for free
Answer: Seaweed
Roses are red, this isn’t a clue,
What color is fuchsia if violets aren’t blue?
Answer: Magenta
Trees can have many, a wife may have one,
Big Ben has had more than anyone under the sun.
Answer: Rings
Guessing riddles
Sometimes it is just impossible to know the answer and even the internet will not help. That’s when guessing comes into place. Of course, you should know the answer and be ready to prove it. Whoever can make the best aproximation is going to win, when you ask the following questions:
- How many marbls are in the bag. (Let them feel the marbles in the bag from the outside.)
- What is the distance between the gate and the first street lamp.
- How many siblings does the team members of the other teams have?
More ideas
Still need more clues and ideas for your scavenger hunt? Visit our Huge List of Ideas page for more inspiring instructions.
Share your amazing clues with us
… and if you have more clues, we will be delighted if you share them with us, just write me a message on our Submit your clue page. Thanks a lot 🙂
For more ideas, riddles and tips … Visit our Scavenger Hunt Blog!
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