Treasure Hunt Hiding Places: Where to Hide Clues for Kids

Find the best treasure hunt hiding places with easy indoor and outdoor ideas to hide clues and create an exciting, well-organised birthday adventure.

Treasure hunt hiding places are the locations where clues and riddles are hidden to guide children through the game. Choosing the right spots makes the adventure more exciting and easier to manage.

Searching for and discovering a hidden clue is just as exciting for children as solving the riddle itself. This guide explains how to choose the best hiding places and avoid common mistakes to create a perfect treasure hunt experience.

Think Carefully About Your Treasure Hunt Playing Area

Before hiding any clues, take time to define the authorised playing area. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Will children be allowed to enter all rooms in the house?
• Can they go into the parents’ bedroom?
• Are they allowed to open cupboards and wardrobes? If so, which ones?
• Can they go from the basement to the attic?
• May they enter the garage or the car?
• Are there any restricted areas?

Set Clear Rules and Boundaries for Hiding Clues

If you do not set limits, children may feel free to explore everything, especially when excitement takes over and finding the treasure becomes their only focus.

To avoid constantly intervening during the game, clearly explain from the start which areas are allowed and which are forbidden. Ideally, physically block restricted zones by locking doors or placing obstacles.

Consider Safety and Potential Risks

Pay close attention to possible dangers in your home or garden. Remove sharp objects, unplug electrical appliances, and avoid leaving tools, kitchen knives, or hot devices accessible.

We also recommend creating a locked “safe room” where you store valuable or fragile items during the game.

Keep Your Treasure Hunt Fun and Creative

If you stay close to the group, everything will usually run smoothly. Once safety rules are clear, focus on creativity and fun.

Use your environment and accessories to enhance the adventure: hang scrolls from trees, place messages in bottles, bury small boxes, tape clues under chairs, or hide notes inside everyday objects. Let your imagination guide you.

Treasure Hunt Hiding Place Examples

To help you prepare, here is a list of practical hiding place ideas for your treasure hunt clues.

In BOOKLET 4, you will find 92 ready-to-print generic clue cards (56 for indoor hunts and 36 for outdoor hunts) designed to match these hiding places. You can adapt them to your location if needed.

Indoor Treasure Hunt Hiding Places (House or Apartment)

• Kitchen: fridge, sink, dishwasher, coffee machine, fruit bowl, vacuum cleaner, drawers, cupboards, under chairs, table.
• Entrance: doormat, key cabinet, telephone, coat rack.
• Living room: carpet, vase, photo frame, speaker, TV, aquarium, sofa, cushions, game console, coffee table, DVD cases.
• Office / Library: books, comics, printer, desk drawers, magazine holder, pen pot.
• Bedroom: bed, pillow, bedside table, toy chest, stuffed animals, globe.
• Bathroom / Toilet: toilet tank, toilet paper roll, toothbrush cup, sink, towels, laundry basket.
• Other: stairs, doors, windowsills, radiators, wall frames.

Outdoor Treasure Hunt Hiding Places

• Garage, basement, shed: wheelbarrow, washing machine, dryer, water heater, wine rack, bicycles, car, storage cabinets.
• Garden: stones, watering can, flower pots, trees, wall cracks, swings, garden tables, hose nozzle, buried box, trampoline, sandbox, hedge, bird feeder, compost bin, slide, vegetable garden, statues.

Best Hiding Place Ideas for Kids’ Treasure Hunts

• Under chairs, tables, or cushions
• Inside books, drawers, or toy boxes
• Behind doors, curtains, or picture frames
• Inside flower pots or watering cans
• In backpacks, hats, or costume accessories
• Under garden furniture or play equipment

How to Hide Treasure Hunt Clues in 5 Easy Steps

1. Choose safe and accessible locations
2. Avoid fragile or dangerous areas
3. Make sure each clue is easy to retrieve
4. Test the route before the party
5. Prepare backup hiding spots if needed

How to Give Clues for Treasure Hunt Hiding Places

During a treasure hunt, children must locate hidden objects, clues, or treasures. As the organiser, you have several ways to guide them toward each hiding place.

After a correct answer, you may simply point them to the next location. However, using coded clues makes the experience much more playful and engaging.

Simple and Challenging Riddles

You can guide children using spoken or written riddles, such as:

• “The cosy place facing the TV” (sofa)
• “A place where an Eskimo feels at home” (fridge)
• “Hold your nose before looking inside” (bin)

Reversed and Coded Texts

You can also give children a sheet with coded or transformed text, such as reversed sentences, mirror writing, or scrambled words, which they must decode to find the next clue.

This method adds an extra challenge and strengthens problem-solving skills.