Valentine scavenger hunt for kids
Hide a trail of paper hearts around the house, then let children follow the rhymes to a shared prize. The pack above contains 27 cards: 12 household clues, one treasure verse, eight find-something-red prompts and six classroom clues. Use the home trail or the classroom trail as a separate game; you do not need to hide all 27 cards in one route.
The maps below tell you where each card goes. Allow about 15 minutes to hide the home cards once they are prepared, with extra time for printing, cutting or changing clues.
Print and prepare the cards
The pack’s Print all 27 button prints the page, including host labels and answers. It does not download a separate PDF or supply finished heart-shaped cards. To give children clues without revealing the answers, copy just the rhymes onto separate cards. You can cut the paper into hearts if you like.
- Print or copy the player rhymes, keeping the home, red-object and classroom cards in separate stacks.
- Number the home card backs 1–13, with the treasure verse as card 13. Number the six classroom cards separately.
- Gather scissors, a marker, tape or other attachments suited to your surfaces, and the prize.
- Pick the exact chair, pillow, jar and backpack you will use. Write them in the host notes below.
- Keep paper off warm or damp surfaces and place cards at a height the hunters can reach.
- Hide the cards using the appropriate map, then read through the whole route before children start.
Keep the answer key on the helper’s copy. Our printable party games guide explains how to separate player sheets from the notes another adult needs to run a game.
The random picker is for previewing the pack. During a clue trail, follow the printed numbers rather than drawing a random card.
Your checkmarks will not be saved when you leave the page.
Where to hide the home trail cards
Hand card 1 to the team. Its shoe-rack rhyme sends them to card 2, which you have hidden at the shoe rack. Card 2 sends them to the couch cushions, where card 3 waits. Continue that pattern through the backpack, where card 13 and the prize finish the trail.
The destination order stays the same as the rhymes: shoe rack → couch cushions → fridge door → behind the TV → bookshelf → bathroom mirror → sock drawer → kitchen chair → bathtub → bed pillow → cookie jar → backpack.
| Card | Where the host puts it | Where its rhyme sends the team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keep with the host; hand out at the start | Shoe rack |
| 2 | At the shoe rack | Couch cushions |
| 3 | Between the couch cushions | Fridge door |
| 4 | On the fridge door | Behind the TV |
| 5 | Behind the TV | Bookshelf |
| 6 | On the bookshelf | Bathroom mirror |
| 7 | At the bathroom mirror | Sock drawer |
| 8 | In the sock drawer | Under the chosen kitchen chair |
| 9 | Under that kitchen chair | Bathtub |
| 10 | In the bathtub | Under the chosen bed pillow |
| 11 | Under that pillow | Cookie jar |
| 12 | At the cookie jar | School backpack |
| 13 | In the chosen backpack, with the prize | Finish here and read the treasure verse |
The fridge rhyme says “open my door,” but the answer is the fridge door. Point out the card attached to the door if children start searching inside. Card 12’s “heart twelve” is part of the supplied rhyme; use the numbers on the card backs to keep the setup in order.
Change a hiding spot your home does not have
Change the clue on the previous card whenever you move a hidden card. For example, if card 12 will wait beside a snack basket instead of a cookie jar, replace card 11’s rhyme with a direct instruction such as “Look beside the basket where we keep our snacks.” Update your map too.
If you shorten the hunt, rewrite the last remaining clue so it leads to the treasure. Simply removing a card leaves the previous rhyme pointing to an empty spot. Our scavenger hunt ideas explain the difference between a list of finds and a linked clue trail.
For another holiday, the Christmas household hunt includes replacement clues for missing objects. The Halloween household hunt also shows how to keep a starting card with the host and hide the next card at each answer.
Host notes to print
| Detail | Your notes |
|---|---|
| Starting place and adult handing out card 1 | ______________________________ |
| Kitchen chair used for card 9 | ______________________________ |
| Bed pillow used for card 11 | ______________________________ |
| Cookie jar or replacement for card 12 | ______________________________ |
| Backpack and prize location for card 13 | ______________________________ |
| Changed clue and new hiding spot | ______________________________ |
| Another changed clue and hiding spot | ______________________________ |
| Rooms included in the hunt | ______________________________ |
| Number of hunters and prizes | ______________________________ |
| Adult helping each team | ______________________________ |
Help teams follow the trail
For a larger group, make teams of 3–6 hunters, with one reader per team and reading buddies for children who need them. Start teams 60 seconds apart, giving each team its own copy of card 1. Hidden cards stay in place so the next team can read them too. With one child or a small family, follow the trail together instead.
Explain the game before handing out the first clue:
Stay with your team. Take turns reading and spotting the next heart. Leave every hidden card where it is. Wait until everyone has seen and heard the clue before moving on. Ask me for a hint if you get stuck.
Offer a hint first when a rhyme stalls the group. If two teams reach one spot together, let one finish reading before the other approaches. A one-minute start gap may not keep teams apart for the whole hunt; use separate turns if the route stays crowded.
When teams reach the backpack, wait for everyone to finish before opening the shared prize. Read the treasure verse together. The high fives and hugs in the verse can stay as poem words; children can wave or cheer instead.
For a separate picture-based activity, the dinosaur scavenger hunt kit describes a fossil-card spotting round for children who are not reading yet. This Valentine pack contains written rhymes, not ready-made picture clues.
Play a find-something-red round
Use these eight prompts when a team finishes early or when you want a short game without a hidden trail. Read one prompt aloud, agree where children may look and have everyone return to the same host.
For the original competitive version, the first hunter back with a matching find wins that round. The host decides what counts and asks the child to show the find to everyone. Matching the actual prompt matters: a red object with numbers answers a different card from something red you can wear.
You could put out a red block for “fits in your hand,” a red scarf for “you can wear,” or a red paper calendar for “with numbers on it.” These are suggested props; check that each selected prompt has a possible answer before playing. For the last card, ask the child why their friend would like the object.
As an alternative to bringing objects back, let children point to a find and have the host check it. If a prompt has no suitable answer in the agreed area, skip it or supply a prop. The sleepover scavenger hunt has more examples of spotting and recording household finds without collecting them.
Hide six clues in the classroom
Prepare this as a separate route during recess or another break. Choose the particular pencil cup, chair, coat hook, desk and crayon tub before you hide anything. Tell table teams which desk the words “your desk” mean.
Keep classroom card 1 with the host. Each of the six rhymes sends children to the next card; the last one sends them to the crayon tub, where the treasure verse waits.
| Card | Where the host puts it | Its answer |
|---|---|---|
| Classroom 1 | Hand to the team at the start | Pencil cup |
| Classroom 2 | In the pencil cup | Under the chosen chair |
| Classroom 3 | Under that chair | Reading corner |
| Classroom 4 | In the reading corner | Coat hooks |
| Classroom 5 | On the chosen coat hook | Under the chosen desk |
| Classroom 6 | Under that desk | Crayon tub |
| Treasure verse | At the crayon tub, with the prize box | Finish |
Use whisper voices and walking feet. Leave cards in place for other teams, and gather the class to read the treasure verse before opening the prize box. If several table teams would crowd the same locations, run them in separate turns rather than trying to fit everyone into one recess slot.
Keep the home and classroom stacks apart. They can use similar objects, such as a chair, but their card numbers and hiding maps are different. The hunt guide by theme and location can help if you need a different format for your space.
For a seated spring activity afterward, Easter picture bingo provides calls and blank boards. Its pictures need to be drawn and copied before play; it is not a finished picture-card download.
Classroom start: ____________________ Chosen desk: ____________________
Chosen chair and coat hook: __________________________________________
Team names and start times: __________________________________________
Replacement location and changed clue: _______________________________
An example 25-minute hunt
This illustrative 25-minute block starts after the cards are hidden. It gives one group or two small teams time to hear the rules, follow the home trail and finish together. Add time for more teams or extra reading help.
- 0:00–0:03 · Explain the game — 3 minutes. Show the search area, pair reading buddies and hand out card 1. If using two teams, start the second one 60 seconds after the first.
- 0:03–0:18 · Follow the trail — 15 minutes. Let teams read and find cards together. Offer hints when needed and leave the cards in place.
- 0:18–0:23 · Try red-object prompts — 5 minutes. Try up to three prompts, shortening or skipping the block if the trail takes longer.
- 0:23–0:25 · Read the verse and open the prize — 2 minutes. Gather everyone at the finish and share the treasure.
Print and cut the cards beforehand. Once you know your locations, allow about 15 minutes to hide them. After play, collect the cards and use the numbered backs and map to re-hide them; about five minutes is a reset estimate, rather than a deadline.
Games to play after the hunt
You do not need to use every red prompt or start another game. If the children want more, choose something that fits the room and the time you have left. Our easy party games include cup stacking and other short activities with clear ways to finish a round.
For a separate outdoor gathering, nature scavenger hunt cards ask teams to observe finds rather than follow this household route. Keep that activity separate from the Valentine cards.
If you want another spring hunt, Easter egg hunt clues offer indoor, outdoor and picture prompts with a different setup: the host hands out clues to eggs. For activities after an egg hunt, Easter games beyond the hunt explain relays and quieter table options.
Valentine hunt questions
How do you set up the indoor hunt?
Keep card 1 with the host, hide cards 2–13 using the map and put the prize with card 13 in the backpack. Allow about 15 minutes to hide already prepared cards; printing, cutting and changing clues take extra time.
How long does the home trail take?
Allow roughly 10–15 minutes for a team of four as a starting estimate. Reading help, changed locations and the number of teams can change the timing. Red-object rounds can fill an extra short block.
What if two teams reach the same clue?
Start teams 60 seconds apart, leave cards in place and let one team finish reading before the other approaches. If the route stays crowded, run separate turns.
Can children who cannot read join in?
Pair them with a reading buddy who reads each rhyme aloud. They can help spot cards. For a separate red-object round, the host reads the prompt aloud.
Can we use the cards without a classroom?
Yes. Use the home trail, or adapt the six classroom clues to matching objects you have. Change each clue to name the actual destination and keep a separate hiding map for that round.