Indoor hunts are fun fun fun!

Treasure hunt

This requires nothing more than a pen, some paper and a little imagination.

• Start with a clue that leads to a location or item. For example, 'Go to the place where things are really cold' (the fridge!), or for older kids, something trickier like 'I have hands but can't clap - what am I?' (a clock!). Tailor the difficulty to suit the age of the children playing.
• Have another clue waiting at that spot, leading to the next location, and so on. Aim for at least five or six stops to keep the excitement building.
• To make it even more fun, add a small challenge or mini task at each stop - such as doing ten star jumps or answering a trivia question - before they're allowed to read the next clue.
• Place some 'treasure' at the last destination. It can be anything the kids will enjoy, such as a treat to eat, a small toy, a craft kit or a movie to watch together.
• For a festive twist, theme the hunt around a holiday or birthday, with clues and decorations to match.

As a bonus, treasure hunts are a great way to teach kids about sequencing - understanding why it's important to follow steps in the right order - as well as problem-solving and creative thinking.

Scavenger hunt

A scavenger hunt gives kids a list of items to track down around the house. It's endlessly adaptable, works for a wide range of ages and can be as simple or as elaborate as you like. There are plenty of fun themes and formats to choose from:

• Colour scavenger hunt - give them a sheet listing different colours and challenge them to find one object for each. For an added challenge, time them and see if they can beat their own record.
• Checklist scavenger hunt - a simple list of things to find, such as a stuffed toy, a family photo, something round or something that starts with the letter B. No need to overcomplicate it - straightforward lists work brilliantly for younger children.
• Themed scavenger hunt - pick a theme such as nature (leaves, rocks, feathers), things found in the kitchen or objects for every letter of the alphabet and build the list around it.
• Photo scavenger hunt - give older kids a phone, camera or tablet and a list of things to photograph rather than collect. This works especially well if you want to avoid the chaos of displaced household items!
• Sensory scavenger hunt - instead of naming items, describe them by feel, smell or sound, such as 'find something soft', 'find something that smells nice' or 'find something that makes a noise when you shake it.'

Tips for an awesome scavenger or treasure hunt

• Set some ground rules before you start, such as no running, staying within certain areas of the house and taking turns to read the clues if more than one child is playing. Clear boundaries make for a smoother (and safer!) game.
• Make the clues or list items challenging - but not so tricky that the fun disappears. You want them to succeed with a big smile on their face. If a child gets stuck, offer a hint rather than giving the answer outright.
• Try writing the clues backwards so kids have to hold them up to a mirror to read them - a simple trick that adds a whole extra layer of excitement.
• Write list items as anagrams that need to be unscrambled before the hunt can continue. You can scale the difficulty by choosing shorter or longer words depending on age.
• For younger children, swap written clues or lists for pictures, drawings or even voice recordings on a phone so they don't need to be able to read to join in the fun.
• Consider a team format if you have few children of mixed ages to keep entertained; pair an older child with a younger one so everyone feels included and capable.