Easter Basket Scavenger Hunt: Three Printable Clue Trails That End at the Basket, by Age
Here is an Easter basket scavenger hunt in three versions: 8 clues for ages 4 to 6, 8 for ages 7 to 10 and 8 for teens. Each is a clue trail: every answer is the place where the next card is hidden, and the last card sends the child to their basket. Print the cards and an answer key from the card maker, hide them the night before, and hand each child their first card in the morning. Easter Sunday is on March 28 in 2027.
Ages 7 to 10 trail Ages 4 to 6 TeensWhich trail for which child
| Trail | Clues | Average length | Clue style | Reading | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ages 4 to 6 | 8 | 9 words | Direct: names the room or the thing | An adult reads each card aloud | 8 |
| Ages 7 to 10 | 8 | 14 words | A short riddle about the place | Most can read them alone | 12 |
| Teens | 8 | 14 words | Riddles with a joke or a double meaning | Read alone; worth more points | 19 |
Pick by reading, not by birthday: a six-year-old who reads well may manage the 7 to 10 trail with help on a word or two, and a ten-year-old who likes riddles can try the teen cards. Every answer is an ordinary place inside the home, so you can mix cards from two trails if your children are close in age.
Ages 4 to 6 (8 clues)
Short, direct clues about rooms and things a small child knows: where the toothbrushes are, where the shoes go, the toy box. Read each card aloud. If your child does not read yet, draw a small picture of the answer on the back of each card before you hide it.
| # | Clue | Answer (a place) | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hop, hop! Look where we brush our teeth. | Bathroom sink | 1 |
| 2 | The bunny hid the next egg where the shoes sleep. | Shoe rack | 1 |
| 3 | Look in the box where the toys live. | Toy chest | 1 |
| 4 | Peek under the pillow where you sleep. | Bed pillow | 1 |
| 5 | Brrr! Look on the shelf where the milk stays cold. | Fridge shelf | 1 |
| 6 | The bunny likes stories too. Look by the books. | Book basket | 1 |
| 7 | Look under the chair where you eat breakfast. | Kitchen chair | 1 |
| 8 | Splash! Look in the bath. No water today! | Empty bathtub | 1 |
Ages 7 to 10 (8 clues)
Each clue is a small riddle: the keyboard has keys but opens no doors, the clock has a face and hands. Points go up for the ones that take some thinking.
| # | Clue | Answer (a place) | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Even the Easter Bunny washes its paws. Check where the hand towel hangs. | Hand towel | 1 |
| 2 | I have keys but I open no doors. Look under my end, by the space bar. | Computer keyboard | 2 |
| 3 | Carrots and lettuce: the bunny would love my cold bottom drawer. | Vegetable drawer | 2 |
| 4 | I have a face and two hands, but I never wash them. Look below me. | Clock | 2 |
| 5 | Bunnies dig for their food. You only need to dig under my cushions. | Sofa cushions | 1 |
| 6 | I am flat, I lie by the bed, and I am the first thing bare feet touch in the morning. | Bedroom rug | 1 |
| 7 | Dirty socks go in me. The next egg is under me. | Hamper | 1 |
| 8 | Cereal, crackers and soup cans line up on me. | Pantry shelf | 2 |
?teams=2, for two children on the same route. The map shows the 8 stops and the flags show where each child starts (stops 1 and 5). Open this example in the card maker.Teens (8 clues)
For teenagers who say they are too old for an Easter hunt. These clues are riddles with a bit of attitude (the coffee table holds “three days of mail”), and they are worth more points if you want to make it a race between siblings.
| # | Clue | Answer (a place) | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A phone spends every night with me. Look where I plug into the wall. | Phone charger by the bed | 2 |
| 2 | I go through the motions every week and come out spotless. Check my lid. | Top of the washing machine | 2 |
| 3 | Every water bottle that ever went missing ends up on my top shelf. | Cup cupboard | 2 |
| 4 | I hold the remote and three days of mail. Look underneath me. | Coffee table | 2 |
| 5 | Full of jackets nobody has worn since winter. Check the pockets of the oldest one. | Coat closet | 3 |
| 6 | Hot water and a long playlist happen behind me. Check my top corner. | Shower curtain | 2 |
| 7 | Cards, dice and a puzzle with pieces missing: the clue is in the bottom box. | Board game stack | 3 |
| 8 | The vacuum, the mop and the ironing board live in the dark with me. | Utility closet | 3 |
Siblings: one trail, different starting stops
Two or three children of the same age can share a trail without following each other around. Set Teams to the number of children: the card maker starts each one at a different stop of the same loop (for three children on the 7 to 10 trail: stops 1, 3, 6) and every stop holds one card per child, in that child's color. Every child's last card says the same thing, “the Easter basket with the right name tag”, so put a name on each basket and hide them together.
Children of different ages? Print a separate trail for each age group. The trails use different places (the youngest trail's bathroom sink, the older trail's hand towel), so two trails can run in the same house at once.
Two safety notes
- Real eggs: if you hide hard-cooked eggs as well as cards, do not eat them afterwards. The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service does not recommend eating hard-cooked eggs after hiding or playing with them, because bacteria picked up on the shells can reach the egg; it also says to refrigerate dyed eggs within 2 hours of cooking (USDA FSIS). Plastic eggs avoid the question.
- Small toys and toddlers: tiny toys are a common basket and plastic-egg filler. For children under 3, the Consumer Product Safety Commission bans children's products with small parts, meaning anything that fits entirely into its small parts cylinder, sized to a young child's throat (CPSC). If a toddler is joining in, keep small-toy fillers out of their eggs and basket.
Next steps
- Clues in rhyme for the older kids: rhyming scavenger hunt clues.
- More easy clues for young children: scavenger hunt clues for kids.
- The same idea for a birthday present: birthday scavenger hunt.
Sources
- USDA FSIS — Are Easter eggs safe? — https://ask.fsis.usda.gov/article/Are-Easter-eggs-safe, read November 14, 2026
- CPSC — Small Parts Ban and Choking Hazard Labeling — https://www.cpsc.gov/Business--Manufacturing/Business-Education/Business-Guidance/Small-Parts-for-Toys-and-Childrens-Products, read November 14, 2026