50 Scavenger Hunt Clues & Riddles for Team Building

Picture of Ben Aflalo
Ben Aflalo

Head of Product at Gloww

50+ Scavenger Hunt Clues to Uncover Hidden Treasures

Virtual scavenger hunts are a great team-building exercise for online teams. Just the original version of the game, teams attempt to unearth scavenger hunt clues, solve brain-busting riddles, and unlock the next portion of the game. However you’re hosting your scavenger hunt, you’ll need to assemble a healthy inventory of clues to test the mettle of your team. Need some scavenger hunt ideas for remote employees? We’ve picked out 50 of the best scavenger hunt clues for you to consider. 

Benefits and Importance of Scavenger Hunt for Team Building 

Scavenger hunts can be notoriously tricky, but they’re an excellent tool for testing communication and encouraging collaboration. If your teams are currently struggling to pull together and work towards a common goal, something like a virtual scavenger hunt can be an effective remedy. 

What’s more, you can spot signs of leadership in how certain employees handle their teammates. Some players may express high levels of emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills, making them an appealing prospect for professional development opportunities. 

Furthermore, scavenger hunts are great for employee engagement. Although you’ll be challenging their problem-solving and creativity with all manner of clues and riddles, there’s something irresistibly nostalgic about a scavenger hunt. 

How to Plan a Scavenger Hunt

Planning a scavenger hunt online can be a little tricky if you’ve never organized one before. To get started, consider where you’re going to conceal clues. Are you going to host clues on company servers and hidden in folders? Perhaps you’re going to make a few changes to your website or conceal rhyming scavenger hunt clues in email newsletters. If you need to start sowing the seeds several days or weeks before your scavenger hunt gets started, make sure all the preparation is taken care of, well in advance. 

You’ll also need to think about difficulty levels. Some scavenger hunt clues are easier than others, while others are almost impossible to decipher. Make sure you’re easing participants in with accessible clues to start off, before progressing to more challenging conundrums as the game goes on. 

How to Plan a Scavenger Hunt

50 Scavenger Hunt Clues (with Answers)

Struggling to put together clues for a scavenger hunt? If it’s your first time, you’ll probably need some inspiration. Below, you’ll find a selection of some of the best clues to accommodate all difficulty levels. 

Scavenger Hunt Clues

Easy Scavenger Clues Hunt for Beginners

Looking for simple scavenger hunt clue ideas? Try some of these tried and tested favorites to get your scavenger hunt started. 

1. Something red and round – Answer: An apple

2. Something you wear on your feet – Answer: A shoe

3. Something you find in a library – Answer: A book

4. Something you write with – Answer: A pencil

5. Something you sleep on – Answer: A bed

6. Something cold that you drink – Answer: Water (from the fridge)

7. The tallest thing you see – Answer: A tree

8. Something that tells time – Answer: A clock

9. Something with four legs and fur – Answer: A dog (or cat)

10. Something that swings back and forth – Answer: A swing

Medium Scavenger Hunt Clues

Want to take things up a notch? Up the difficulty level with one of these taxing riddles.

11. Something shiny and reflective – Answer: A mirror

12. Something with a handle that you drink from – Answer: A mug

13. Something with keys that opens a door – Answer: A house key

14. Something you use to clean your teeth – Answer: A toothbrush

15. Something with buttons that you turn on – Answer: A TV

16. Something with pages that you turn – Answer: A magazine

17. Something with a picture of yourself – Answer: A photo

18. Something you wear on your head to keep warm – Answer: A hat

19. Something with stripes or polka dots – Answer: Any clothing item with that pattern

20. Something that makes a sound when you ring it – Answer: A doorbell

Hard Scavenger Hunt Clues 

Ready to separate the wheat from the chaff? When it’s time to get serious, bring these tricky clues into play. 

21. Something written in a language you don’t understand – Answer: A foreign language label

22. Something that tells a story without words – Answer: A painting

23. The smallest thing you can find – Answer: A grain of rice/seed

24. Something that is both hot and cold – Answer: A cup of coffee

25. Something that smells sweet – Answer: A flower

26. Something with a shadow but no body – Answer: A tree branch

27. Something you can hear but not see – Answer: Music

28. Something that is heavy but can float – Answer: A boat (made of metal but floats)

29. Something with a beginning, middle, and end – Answer: A story

30. Something that is always coming but never arrives – Answer: Tomorrow

31. Hidden in Plain Sight: I stand tall and proud, a symbol of time, yet my hands have no fingers to mark the rhyme. Find me where the past and present collide, with numbers etched on my weathered side. (Answer: A clock tower)

32. I hold stories untold, of victories won and battles bold. Search for the weathered stone that speaks, etched with names and history’s streaks. (Answer: A war memorial)

33. I stand on guard, a silent knight, protecting knowledge, bathed in light. Find the hidden symbol, carved with care, above the doorway, a wisdom to share. (Answer: A library with a gargoyle or emblem above the entrance)

34. I wear a crown, yet rule no land, with needles sharp, I take a stand. Amongst my kin, I tallest grow, a silent giant, secrets to sow. (Answer: The tallest evergreen tree in the area)

35. Silent whispers on the breeze, carried through rustling leaves. Find the message nature writes, carved in bark beneath the sunlight. (Answer: Look for a message scratched or carved into the bark of a prominent tree)

36. I exist but have no form, a reflection in a passing storm. Find the puddle that mirrors the sky, where clouds and buildings dance nearby. (Answer: A large puddle reflecting the sky)

37. With rhythmic clicks and chirps so sweet, a tiny musician graces the street. Find the hidden songbird’s call, perched on a wire, unseen by all. (Answer: Listen for a specific bird call, not necessarily seeing the bird itself)

38. Recall the forgotten rhyme, etched on weathered stone one by one time. Find the inscription, faded and worn, a cryptic message, a story reborn. (Answer: Look for a faded inscription on a tombstone or historical marker)

39. Where shadows dance and silence reigns, a hidden message whispers in the drains. Follow the path the water takes, to the grate that whispers secrets it makes. (Answer: Look for a message written near a storm drain)

40. A map unfolds, a treasure untold, with cryptic symbols, both new and old. Decipher the markings, a hidden key, to unlock the location, where the prize shall be. (Answer: Provide a cryptic map with symbols that need to be deciphered to find the next clue location)

Advanced Photo Scavenger Hunt Clues

Not all scavenger hunt clues are a riddle that needs to be deciphered. Make your teams work for it with these photo scavenger hunt clue ideas. 

41. A picture of something that rhymes with “cat”

42. A picture of something that starts with the letter “B”

43. A picture of something that is round

44. A picture of something with stripes

45. A picture of something that is fuzzy

Wildcard Clues

To make things more interesting, consider throwing a few wildcard clues into the mix. These clues don’t have any specific answer and are essentially a free pass for lucky players. 

46. Something that makes you happy – Answer: Anything the participant chooses!

47. Something that reminds you of a special person – Answer: Anything the participant chooses!

48. The smelliest thing you can find – Answer: Up to the participant’s interpretation!

49. The heaviest thing you can carry – Answer: Up to the participant’s interpretation!

50. Something that makes a funny noise – Answer: Up to the participant’s interpretation!

Create a Virtual Scavenger Hunt to Remember with Gloww

Hosting scavenger hunts online may seem like a tall order, but it’s easier than you think. With the right clues assembled, a virtual scavenger hunt can run surprisingly smoothly. Just remember to stage difficulty levels and provide the odd wildcard to mix things up. 

However, you’ll need the right tools to pull off a virtual scavenger hunt successfully. A video conferencing platform like Gloww is always a good place to start. You can create custom sessions in moments or use our ready-made templates if you need some pointers. Add multimedia assets to conceal clues, or bring third-party games and activities into the mix to engage your employees. 

You can get started creating your virtual scavenger hunt with Gloww today. Want to use Gloww’s advanced features? Have a look at our premium pricing tiers or get in touch to find out more. 

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Picture of ben aflalo
ben aflalo

Ben Aflalo heads Gloww's product team with over two decades of leadership experience. Passionate about leveraging innovative technology, he is committed to building products for the greater good.

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