A ready-made treasure hunt for a children's party with twelve rhyming clues that suit an ordinary flat or house, a plan for how to lay them out, and versions for ages 3 to 12. Preparation time: about half an hour.
The treasure hunt is the game that has worked at every party we have been to. Three-year-olds run around in a shrieking huddle, ten-year-olds debate the clues like detectives, and everyone ends up in the same place with the same treasure. It is the perfect last half hour: the children are busy, you can clear up, and the party ends on a high.
How the hunt works
- Print or copy out the clues below. Each clue leads to a place, and in that place lies the next clue.
- Swap out any places you do not have. No balcony? Use the windowsill.
- Lay out the notes in reverse order while the children are eating, so the last clue is in place first. The treasure goes in the final spot.
- Give the first clue to the birthday child. Let everyone read it together, with an adult reading aloud for the little ones.
- Stay behind the group. Give an extra hint if they have been stuck for more than two minutes.
Checklist: what you need
- Twelve notes, ideally in different colours so you can tell which is which when you lay them out
- Tape, for notes that go on the radiator or under the basin
- A box or bag for the treasure, ideally with a lid so nobody sees what is inside in advance
- One adult to lay out the clues and one to keep the children in the kitchen meanwhile
- Your phone in your pocket to take a picture when they find the treasure; that is the photo that ends up on the fridge
Twelve clues ready to use
| No. | Clue | Leads to |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | I am cold inside and hum ever so low, I hide the milk and the food, you know. | The fridge |
| 2 | Here you sleep at night, so snug; beneath me there is dust and sometimes a sock. | Under the bed |
| 3 | I have a mouth that opens wide and eats dirty clothes. | The washing machine |
| 4 | I stand in the hall and hold all the coats in my arms. | The coat rack |
| 5 | Here the whole family sits for Friday film night. | The sofa |
| 6 | I am full of books, and at the very bottom is the fattest one. | The bookshelf, behind the fattest book |
| 7 | Here you get clean, and here the duck lives. | The bath or the shower |
| 8 | I am round and white, and every morning you brush your teeth over me. | The basin |
| 9 | I stand on the balcony or in the window and need water. | The flowerpot |
| 10 | Here everyone comes in and out, and here the shoes stand in a row. | The shoe rack |
| 11 | I am warm in winter and cold in summer, and I hang beneath the window. | The radiator |
| 12 | Here you find the final clue: where the plates live. | The kitchen cupboard, and that is where the treasure is |
Five extra clues for gardens and bigger houses
If you live in a house or terrace and want to take the hunt outside, here are five more in the same style. Mix them in among the twelve, or swap out the ones that do not fit.
| No. | Clue | Leads to |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | I stand in the garden and swing to and fro; whoever sits on me laughs, then cries, oh no. | The swing |
| 14 | The postman feeds me every day, but today I hold something of yours, I would say. | The postbox |
| 15 | I am big and green with birds in my hair; look down by my feet, the trail is there. | At the foot of a tree |
| 16 | I stand still in the yard on wheels, two or four; peek underneath me, then look no more. | Under the car or the bike |
| 17 | In summer I am hot and I sizzle and hiss; now I am cold, but the next clue is this. | The barbecue |
Adapting by age
3 to 4 years: pictures instead of rhymes
Draw or photograph the place on the note instead of writing. Four to six clues are enough. Let all the children run together and keep the clues in the same room so nobody gets lost in the flat.
5 to 7 years: the rhymes above, with help
Read the rhymes aloud and let the children guess in chorus. Six to eight clues. An adult walks at the back and makes sure nobody is left behind.
8 to 12 years: harder, and with a code
Use all twelve clues and add a digit to each note. The digits in the right order open a combination lock on the treasure box, or form a phone number for an adult who reads out where the treasure is. The riddles in our 100 riddles for kids with answers, sorted by age work perfectly in place of the rhymes.
Where in the party the treasure hunt should go
| Time | What happens | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 14.00 | Guests arrive, free play | Not everyone is there until ten past, so do not start anything organised |
| 14.30 | One or two games | Energy is at its peak, use it |
| 15.00 | Fika (the Swedish coffee-and-cake break) and birthday cake | The children are sitting down, you lay out the notes |
| 15.30 | The treasure hunt | The children are full, you clear up meanwhile |
| 16.00 | The treasure, party bags, pick-up | The party ends on a high, not with waiting around |
What the treasure should be
- One for everyone. A bag with the same small thing for each child. Nobody gets more than anyone else.
- The ice cream. Put the ice cream in the freezer and let the last clue point there. The treasure becomes dessert.
- The key to the party bags. The party bags are in a locked box. The treasure is the key.
- No sweets under four. Little ones cannot compete for sweets without tears. Stickers work just as well.
When things go wrong
- A note has gone missing. A child found it early, or the dog did. Keep the clues on your phone and read the next one aloud; the hunt carries on.
- They get stuck. After two minutes: 'warmer or colder'. After four: point. Nobody thinks it is cheating, everyone wants to move on.
- They finish in five minutes. The children were older than you thought. Say the treasure is locked and the code is in the digits on the notes, which they now have to collect again in the right order.
- Someone cries. Usually the one who did not get to the note first. Give that child the next note to read, or let them carry the treasure box once it is found.
How we do it with our families
The treasure hunt is the first thing our nannies suggest when a family wants help at a party. Nike helped at a sixth birthday party in Spånga on a Saturday in April: ten children, a three-room flat, the parents in the kitchen with the cake. She copied the twelve rhymes onto coloured notes the day before, swapped the balcony for the windowsill, and laid them out in reverse while the children sang to the birthday girl. The hunt itself took twenty-five minutes, with a pause at the bookshelf where she had to say 'warmer' three times. The treasure was the ice cream in the freezer. The children already know her, so she can lead the hunt while you greet people at the door. And afterwards: the same nanny as usual on Tuesday, with the same children, who now have one more party to talk about.
Would you like a nanny who comes on the same days every week and whom the children know? Book a free first meeting with the nanny at your home, and we will work out a quote for your hours.
Read more: Party games for kids by age · Children's birthday party at home · 100 riddles for kids with answers, sorted by age · FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How many clues should a treasure hunt have?
Six to eight for children under seven, ten to twelve for older ones. Each clue should take two or three minutes to solve. Any longer and the youngest lose the thread; any shorter and it is over before it has begun. With twelve clues and a treasure at the end, the whole hunt comes to about half an hour, which is exactly what a party needs towards the end.
What should the treasure be?
Something everyone can share: a bag with a small thing for each child, sweets to share equally, or the last part of the party, like the ice cream. Avoid a treasure that only one child gets. It is not a competition, it is a hunt. For the youngest, stickers and bubbles work better than sweets, and for the oldest, the key to the box of party bags is the best treasure of all.
How do you do a treasure hunt outdoors?
Same principle, bigger area. Put clues in fixed places such as a bench, a tree with a red ribbon, under a particular stone, in the postbox. Walk the route yourself beforehand, and allow for wind: tape each note down or put a stone on it. Keep the area small enough that you can see all the children the whole time, and have an adult at the back to round up stragglers.
How long does it take to prepare?
Half an hour if you use the template above. Print, cut up, swap the places for your own and lay out the notes while the children are eating. What takes time is walking the route once yourself to check that each note can actually be found from the previous clue, and that no note is lying where a child might spot it by accident before the hunt starts.
What do we do if one child finds all the clues first?
It happens at every party: a child who is faster or older runs ahead and finds the next note before the others have finished reading. Say in advance that whoever finds the note gives it to the birthday child, who reads it aloud for everyone. That gives the speedy one a role without the others losing the hunt. If that does not work, let the children take turns being the one who searches.