Indoor Scavenger Hunt for Kids

There are so many situations that are perfect for an indoor scavenger hunt for kids. This free 4-page printable scavenger hunt will keep children happily occupied when they’re stuck indoors.

I always loved playing scavenger hunt games as a child, but the ones I played were always outside games. Anyone who has or works with children know that there are many occasions when an indoor scavenger hunt is exactly what you (and the children) need.

• It’s too cold outside.
• It’s too hot outside.
• It’s raining.
• You don’t have time to be outside supervising the game.
• One or more of the children are unable to go outside.
• You’re just not in the mood to wrestle everyone into coats, shoes, hats, gloves and so on to go outside.
• Or-rrrr, an entirely unexpected virus causes the entire country to shut down and you’re safely at home 24-7 with your children.

How Do You Make a Scavenger Hunt?

1. Decide the location of your hunt.
2. Decide if the players will play individually or as teams.
3. Decide what type of scavenger hunt it will be and what items the players will be searching for.
4. Choose a scavenger hunt game board, like the ones for an indoor scavenger hunt below.
   1. Decide if the players have to find the exact item on the board or what parameters will be set for finding items.
5. Establish the rules.
   1. Boundaries of the search.
   2. Whether there’s a time limit for the search.
   3. Does the winner have to find all the items or just the most items.
6. Decide whether the winner will receive a prize or the prize of bragging rights.

Indoor Scavenger Hunt for Kids

Download the Indoor Scavenger Hunt PDF

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Print the Indoor Scavenger Hunt Game Boards

Print copies of the game boards on your home printer or take the file to an office supply store to be printed.

You can print the scavenger hunt game boards on regular computer paper, but I prefer to use heavier card stock paper because it holds up better to the excitement of an indoor scavenger hunt for kids

I also recommend you consider laminating the game boards so that you can use them again and again. Trust me, the game will be such a hit that the children will want to play this indoor scavenger hunt many more times.

If you’re wondering whether you’d use a home laminating machine in your home, check out this post and see how I use it in my every day life.

How to Play an Indoor Scavenger Hunt

You can set the rules for the game any way you want. Some things to consider are:

• Set the boundaries of the game and where the children can go in the home or building.
• Establish if the children are playing as individuals or as teams.
• If you have children of different ages playing, consider pairing younger children with older children or an adult so that all the children can play.
• Establish if the players are required to find every item on the game board or if they are to find as many as they can in a set period of time.
• Look over the list of items on the scavenger hunt boards. If you don’t not have all of them, you can have the children play the Indoor Scavenger Hunt game like you play Bingo, which means finding all the items in a row or column.
• Even if you do have all the items, you can also choose to play the Indoor Scavenger Hunt like a Bingo game, with players finding items in a row or column.

Expert Tips for Printables

How do I access the free indoor scavenger hunt?

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How do I print the pdf file?

The pdf usually opens right up when you click on the link in the VIP Resources Library. When that happens, simply right click on the pdf and either print or save the document to your device.

If the pdf does not pop up for you, you’ll most likely find it in your computer’s Downloads folder. You can also select “Downloads” in your browser menu to see a list of your downloads, then select “Show in folder” below the file name to see where it is located on your computer.

I’m worried about wasting printer ink – what can I do?

Most printers offer you the option to print in greyscale which is in black and white.

You can also look for the option to print in draft or economy mode. This usually means that the sheet is printed out with less ink. It still looks great and is a good way to print in color but use less ink.

How can I use the printable (what restrictions are there on use)?

You can print these pdf files as many times as you’d like for your personal or classroom use. Please do not share the file with family, friends or coworkers. Please do share the link to this post so they can access their own copy of the printable. All printables are copyrighted.

More Scavenger Hunt Games and Indoor Activities

• Fall Scavenger Hunt – Explore autumn with this free 4-page printable fall scavenger hunt. It’s perfect for a backyard or great outdoors activity for kids and families.
• Christmas Scavenger Hunt – Make the Christmas season even more fun with this free printable Christmas scavenger hunt. It comes with both indoor and outdoor game cards.
• New Year’s Eve Scavenger Hunt – Looking for things to do with kids on New Year’s Eve (or even for adults)? This free printable 3-page New Year’s Eve Scavenger Hunt is perfect for all ages.
• Superhero Scavenger Hunt – A free 4-page superhero scavenger hunt you can download and print immediately. Works for all ages and as a fun activity in many situations.

• Free Summer Word Search Printable – This free 5-page summer word search printable is a fun way to learn for kids and adults. Includes 41 summer themed words & an answer key.
• Scavenger Hunt Printable for the 4th of July – Add even more fun to your patriotic celebrations with a free scavenger hunt printable for the 4th of July. It’s fun for kids of all ages.
• Football Scavenger Hunt – A free 3-page printable football game scavenger hunt that is perfect for watching the Super Bowl, a game watching party, a football-themed party and more.
• Scavenger Hunt Kids Summer Olympics – Make memories and have fun with this free 4-page scavenger hunt for kids when you watch the summer Olympics together as a family.
• Scavenger Hunt Template – Use these free scavenger hunt templates in 8 different colors to create your own unique & personalized scavenger hunt. Can be downloaded immediately.

Be sure to pin this Indoor Scavenger Hunt for Kids printable so that you can always find it whenever you need to keep children occupied while inside.

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