Riddles
Treasure hunt riddles that make them think.
Riddles suit children aged about 9 to 12: they describe a place without naming it. Each riddle below points to a hiding spot. Tap "Answer" to check, and see where to hide the next clue.
Riddles for around the house
Riddle · ages 9 to 12
I hum in the kitchen all day and all night. Open my door and I switch on a light. Everything inside me stays chilly. What am I?
Answer
Riddle · ages 9 to 12
I have a round window, but there's no view. I swallow dirty clothes and give them back clean. I spin, but I'm not a dancer. Your clue is on my door or on my top, not inside me.
Answer
Riddle · ages 9 to 12
I have no eyes, yet I show you yourself. If you raise your right hand, I raise my left. Look at my corner for your next clue.
Answer
Riddle · ages 9 to 12
I tell you something new every minute but I never say a word. Count my numbers and you'll know if it's lunchtime yet. What am I?
Answer
Riddle · ages 9 to 12
We have spines but no bones, and covers but no beds. We stand side by side on a shelf. Find the one with a paper poking out.
Answer
Riddle · ages 9 to 12
I'm a long strip of soft squares, rolled round a cardboard tube. I spin on my holder, and nobody wants to be the one who uses my last sheet. What am I?
Answer
Riddle · ages 9 to 12
I go up when the rain comes down. I have ribs but no bones, and when I'm open I'm a roof you can carry. What am I?
Answer
Riddle · ages 9 to 12
Some of us are at the top and some at the bottom, and feet visit each of us in turn. Together we're a hill cut into flat slices. Look near the bottom of us.
Answer
Riddle · ages 9 to 12
I have four legs and a back, but I can't walk and I never bend over. Only one person can sit on me at a time, and I live indoors. Look on or under my seat.
Answer
Riddle · ages 9 to 12
I let the light in but keep the rain out. You can look straight through me and hardly see me at all. Check my ledge, on the inside, for your next clue.
Answer
Riddle · ages 9 to 12
I hold a dozen breakfasts but never eat one. I'm made of cardboard, full of bumps and hollows, and my treasures came from hens. Open my lid.
Answer
Riddle · ages 9 to 12
I have arms but no hands, a collar but no dog, and pockets but no money (just a clue today). You wear me outside when it's chilly. What am I?
Answer
Riddles for the garden
Riddle · ages 9 to 12
I have a trunk but never pack it, bark but never bite, and branches but no bank. I'm much taller than a bush. Look at my feet.
Answer
Riddle · ages 9 to 12
I go back and forth all day but never get anywhere. I have a seat but no legs, and I hang from ropes or chains. The harder you kick, the higher I go. What am I?
Answer
Riddle · ages 9 to 12
I'm a bed you should never sleep on, with springs all round but no mattress. Whatever lands on me comes flying back up. Look near my edge.
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Riddle · ages 9 to 12
I have a mouth but I never eat food, only paper. Most days I'm fed envelopes, and on your birthday I'm stuffed with cards. Peek into me.
Answer
Riddle · ages 9 to 12
I have a long nose and a round belly, but I'm not an elephant. Fill me up and I'll cry all over the flowers. Look inside me for your next clue.
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Riddle · ages 9 to 12
I'm a hole with a handle. Water, soil, shells and even tadpoles can stay in me for a while. Look inside me for your next clue.
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Riddle · ages 9 to 12
I have no legs, but I never fall over. I'm as hard as can be, and beetles use me as a roof. Your next clue is underneath me.
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Riddle · ages 9 to 12
I'm a door that stands outside with no house behind me. I swing to let friends in and click shut to keep the garden safe. What am I?
Answer
Make a riddle easier or harder
- Easier: add one plain hint at the end, such as the room ("It’s in the kitchen").
- Easier: end with "What am I?" so they know to name a thing.
- Harder: drop the last line, which is usually the biggest giveaway.
- Harder: turn the answer into a secret code, such as A = 1, B = 2, and put the code under the riddle.
- Test a riddle on another grown-up. If they get it in a few seconds, a 10-year-old will too.
Let Hiddlewink write the whole hunt
Pick the ages, the rooms and a theme. Hiddlewink puts the clues in order for your home, with a cheat sheet for the hider. Print the cards, or play from your phone.
Make a riddle huntFree, no sign-up.
Questions
What age are treasure hunt riddles for?
Most children can solve simple riddles from about 8 and enjoy harder ones from 9 to 12. Younger children do better with rhymes or picture clues.
How do I write my own treasure hunt riddle?
Describe what the place does, what it looks like and what goes in it, without saying its name. Add one twist, such as "I have hands but no fingers" for a clock.
Are these riddles free to use?
Yes, copy them for your own family or party. Hiddlewink has many more and puts them in order for your home.
Is Hiddlewink free?
The free version makes a 5-clue hunt with rhyming clues or riddles in the Treasure Map or Pirates theme. Pro (USD 4.99, one payment) adds picture clues, secret codes, longer hunts and every theme, including Christmas Elves and the Present Hunt.