With a scary homemade kids' scavenger hunt, you can have Halloween any time of the year that you want. And thanks to our tips, entertaining your little monsters when they’re desperate to get in on the Halloween action weeks in advance just got a whole lot easier.
How to Host a Hair-Raisingly Scary Homemade Kids Scavenger Hunt
It doesn’t take a haunted mansion master to put together a scary scavenger hunt. From setting a budget to compiling your list of items, we’re covering all the things you need to know to successfully host your own.
Step 1: Figure Out Your Budget
Before party planning, you need to settle on a budget. Homemade can look very different depending on who you ask. If you set your budget in the beginning, you’ll be able to plan your decorations, scavenger items, and snacks accordingly.
Step 2: Make a Scavenger List
A scavenger hunt is only as good as its list of items and questions to find them. Think of what you already have on hand that fits the spooky theme and then build off of that. With homemade scavenger hunts, you want to keep costs as low as possible, so consider picking items that come in bundles or that you can source second-hand.
Once you’ve made your list of items, write out your leading prompts. Embrace the holiday’s energy by leaning into a gothic vibe.
Here are some example questions you could use in your own scary scavenger hunt.
- Black cat: I may have nine lives but when I cross your path, you’ll be down to just one.
- Scarecrow: I’ve got an easy job just hanging around all day.
- Witch’s broom: I spend just as much time on the ground as I do sweeping through the sky.
- Ouija Board: I’ve got a lot to say, but my favorites are yes and no.
- Iron chains: Faeries don’t like me, but not for the way I rattle around.
- Ectoplasm slime: My favorite thing to do is ooze through every crack and crevice in your house.
Step 3: Consider Decorating the Scavenger Space
Thankfully, the main point of a scavenger hunt is to hunt down the items on your list. So, decorations aren’t a must. Regular Halloween decorations will fit the bill if you’re already planning on decorating your house. But, if you’re running low on funds, feel free to allocate your budget to other goodies.
Step 4: Plan a Post-Hunt Meal
Kids are ravenous no matter what time of the year it is. Capitalize on your Halloween creativity with some themed treats. A spider-web cheese pizza and mummy pigs in a blanket make for a delicious post-hunt meal.
Don’t forget to leave a bowl of candy out for the kids to rifle through. It wouldn’t be Halloween if there wasn't a little trick-or-treat action going on.
If you’re tag-teaming the hunt with friends, family, or neighbors, Halloween goodie bags might be an easier way to offer up a post-hunt treat.
Related: Spooktacular Halloween Scavenger Hunt Ideas for Adults
Kid-Friendly Scary Halloween Scavenger Hunt Ideas
Listen, October is busy for everyone. If you’re a little burnt out on ideas, we’ve got a few spooktacular homemade Halloween scavenger hunt ideas to satisfy the little ghouls and goblins at home.
Monster Mash Scavenger Hunt
Halloween is rife with great theme concepts for a kids' scavenger hunt. One of our favorites is a Monster Mash theme. Tap into all the iconic monsters of decades past and use them as inspiration for the items you hide around the house and backyard.
- Vampire fans
- Vampire bats
- Crucifixes
- Potions
- Broomsticks
- Witches hats
- Werewolf claws
- Ectoplasm slime
- Brains
- Bones
- A scythe
- Mummy wrappings
- Amulets
If you have a lot of time to plan your scavenger hunt, contact any local parks or recreational facilities and see if you can rent a space. The unfamiliar area will up the spooky factor tenfold.
Scary Halloween Scavenger Hunt Block Party
Why limit your homemade Halloween scavenger hunt to your backyard when you can get the whole street involved? Ask your neighbors to get in on the action — the more places to hide things, the bigger the eerie extravaganza.
Some things you might want to hide throughout the block include:
- Skeletons
- Ghosts in the window
- Bats
- Zombie cats
- Broken mirrors
- Candelabras
- Tombstones
- Candy eyeballs
- Devil’s horns
- Ouija board
- Pentacles
Take things to the next level by having some of your teenage or adult neighbors dress up as scary creatures of the night and hide through your backyards & garages. Zombies, ghosts, evil clowns, and the like should scare the kiddos without giving them nightmares.
Everyone loves a chance to dress up. Let your kids get a head start on Halloween by dressing up in their costumes to scavenge in.
Harvest Hayride Scavenger Hunt for Younger Kids
If you live in a rural area, take advantage of those wide-open spaces with a harvest hayride hunt. This is the perfect environment to teach your younger kids how to scavenger hunt without scaring them. Set up different stops along the hayride for kids and parents to get off and look for these “hidden” items.
Some family-friendly items you might hide for these scavenger hunt newbies include:
- Haybale
- Scarecrow
- Crow feather
- Jack-o’-lantern
- Broom
- Fall leaves
- Apples
- Cinnamon sticks
Crime Scene Scavenger Hunt for Older Kids
For those older kids with an interest in all things macabre, a crime scene-themed scavenger hunt just might tickle their brains. This one also works well if you’ve only got a small space to host your hunt in.
A few thrilling items your kids can find include:
- Fingerprints
- Crime scene tape
- Evidence bags
- Loose teeth
- Locks of hair
- Jars of fake body parts
- Polaroid photos
- Footprints
- Latex gloves
These Little Monsters Know How to Hunt
Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t take much to keep kids entertained. A little bit of slime, some candy on the side, and competition are all you need to set those little monsters loose. Halloween might only come once a year, but you can host a scary homemade scavenger hunt for your kids anytime you want.
