Being indoors doesn’t need to be boring and your house can become an exciting play spot with a little imagination. An indoor scavenger hunt for kids can give them a way to focus their energy while keeping them engaged.
You can use themed scavenger hunt printables to turn a treasure hunt into a learning activity. The thrill of the hunt can bring out the explorer in all children while they build on their problem-solving skills, work together as team members and even learn how to follow directions.
Here are 10 printable indoor scavenger hunt ideas to try at home:
1. Scavenger Hunt Around the House
This free printable is easy to customize, and the options are open-ended, so you can use it more than once. For example, something that can break could be a glass object, a toy, or even an egg.
You can also specify that your children need to find a certain number of an object. Or, you can time them to see who can complete the scavenger hunt the fastest.
This is a general scavenger hunt and includes items that you can find in your home. That leaves lots of room for creative interpretation. Give each child a bag or basket for their items, and then sit down at the end of the hunt to compare their finds.
Not only will the hunt keep them busy, but seeing what they collect from around your home can be hilarious.
2. Color Scavenger Hunt
A color scavenger hunt is an excellent option for kids of all ages, but it works particularly well for younger children.
It is easy enough for them to match the colors on the scavenger hunt printable to colored objects in your home. It also helps them learn color discrimination as they assess color shades and tones.
You can change the scavenger hunt by asking your children to find five items that match each color. Once your kids have completed the scavenger hunt, you can help them sort all the colors into matching groups.
You can even take it one step further and create a rainbow design using the colorful items they’ve collected. It’s a great activity for learning color comparisons and color shade contrasts.
3. Photo Scavenger Hunt
Most young kids love having access to our cell phones, so a photo scavenger hunt is a fantastic way to keep them occupied on a rainy afternoon.
You may need to lay down some ground rules, like no running with the phone and not getting the phone wet.
This indoor scavenger hunt idea encourages cooperation between your kids. It will also help them learn to take turns and compromise.
They will love taking photos with your phone as they work their way through the list. At the end of the scavenger hunt, you can sit together as a family and go through the photos.
They will make you all laugh, and you may have some gems for the family photo album.
4. Gratitude Scavenger Hunt
Teaching kids gratitude is something important we can do as parents. Gratitude increases their positivity, their ability to be empathetic, and make good decisions.
A gratitude scavenger hunt is a simple but effective way to show your children that there are easy ways to be grateful every day.
There are many small things to be thankful for when we stop and notice them. Encouraging your kids to be more conscious of what they have can help them become kinder and wiser.
A gratitude scavenger hunt is great for the whole family to get involved with. When the hunt is over, you can sit together and share what you found.
A gratitude scavenger hunt for kids is a great way to foster connection while having fun.
5. Toddler Scavenger Hunt
Your young kids can enjoy a scavenger hunt as much as older kids.
A toddler scavenger hunt is a fun way to help them learn new skills and reinforce learning concepts. It can involve shapes, colors, and textures, making it a sensory experience.
This printable had simple pictures, making it easy for your toddler to complete the hunt independently. They will love being able to match items to the pictures and are sure to feel a sense of accomplishment.
6. Classroom Scavenger Hunt
A classroom scavenger hunt is a great option at the beginning of the school year.
It can help children become acquainted with the space and help break the ice with new students. Each child can do the hunt, or you could break the class into small groups.
This is a fun first day of school activity to get kids feeling relaxed and comfortable. To make the scavenger hunt more exciting, you can offer a prize to the winning team.
7. Math Scavenger Hunt
Let’s face it, many children don’t enjoy math, and it can be a struggle to encourage them to learn new concepts.
This math scavenger hunt printable helps your children with math concepts. The best part is they won’t even realize it.
Younger kids can learn to identify different shapes, patterns, and use measurements.
This is another indoor scavenger hunt that you can customize based on your kids and the concepts they need help with. A math scavenger hunt is a fun way to show your kids that numbers are everywhere, and that math is more than addition and subtraction.
8. Alphabet Scavenger Hunt
An alphabet scavenger hunt will help your kids learn letters. The best part is that with 26 letters to work through, it will keep them busy.
This is an effective activity for early readers because they will need to think about the sound each letter makes. They will also have to get quite creative with some letters, such as Q, V, X, and Z.
An alphabet scavenger hunt will encourage your kids to be more observant. It is surprising how many objects they can find for each letter when they look.
9. Christmas Scavenger Hunt
A Christmas scavenger hunt is the perfect way to get into the festive spirit.
You can keep it simple with this printable or customize your scavenger hunt by including crafts and tree decorating.
The pictures make this printable scavenger hunt easy for young kids to do independently. Throw in some Christmas cookies and you are in for a festive afternoon.
This is an indoor Christmas scavenger hunt printable, but you could brave the cold weather and head outside. Try and spot an angel, a star, and a reindeer in the decorations along your street.
10. Book Scavenger Hunt
If your kids are getting tired and need some downtime after a long day inside, a book scavenger hunt might be the ticket.
Get them cozy as they raid the bookshelf and try to find books that match the scavenger hunt list.
You might find that they become distracted as they search. That makes this a great activity to see you through a long afternoon.
At the end of the scavenger hunt, let your kids choose a book they would like to read at bedtime.
This could also be a library scavenger hunt activity that you can do at the public library or at school.
Try These Free Printables for Indoor Fun
Indoor scavenger hunt ideas are one of the best ways to use your house on a rainy afternoon. They not only teach your children educational skills and concepts but are also a whole lot of fun.
You can download these printables to use as is or customize them to suit your kids. Whichever you choose, they are sure to be an engaging and entertaining way to spend a few hours inside.
