Church Scavenger Hunt Riddles

Press Pick 8 new clues for seven rhymes around the church building and a final clue for the snack.

The singers sit here, row on row. To the choir seats, quick, let's go!Hide the next clue: the choir seats. Lay it on a chair in the front row of the choir.Trail
Stack them high and knock them down. In the block bin, look around.Hide the next clue: the bin of blocks. Drop the strip onto the pile of wooden cubes.Trail
Click, clack, we fold up flat. By the stacked chairs is where it's at.Hide the next clue: the stack of folding chairs. Tape it to the side of the stack or its cart. No chair is lifted.Trail
A long seat where a family squeezes in. Look on a pew: let the hunt begin!Hide the next clue: a pew or a row of chairs. Lay it on the seat at the aisle end.Trail
Borrow a book and bring it back. On the lending shelf, you're on track.Hide the next clue: the lending library shelf. Let it poke out from the paperbacks on the middle row.Trail
Plates slide across from the kitchen side. At the pass-through window a clue will hide.Hide the next clue: the pass-through window. Stick it to the hallway edge of the counter, clear of the shutter.Trail
Too small for grown-ups, just right for you. Under a little chair, find the clue.Hide the next clue: the little chairs. Stick the strip under one little chair.Trail
The trail is done, well done to you. Your snack is waiting ____. It's true!The closing clue. The leader writes in the gap where the snack or the prize waits: in the kitchen, say, or on the hall stage.Snack

Next step No riddles: finds and acts of service to tick

How it works

These church scavenger hunt riddles are answered by things most church buildings have: a pew, the hymn board, the coffee urn, the felt board. Each has an easy rhyme and a riddle, written for any Christian denomination.

Read the full guide

Set the trail between services

The page opens on seven easy rhymes and a final clue. Riddles deals the same things as a What am I? for older children. The menu under the button keeps the trail to the Worship space, the Entrance and outside, the Hall and kitchen or the Classrooms and nursery. Lock what your building has and Swap the rest.

Looked at, never touched

The notes keep every strip beside its answer. The font, the lectern and the bell rope are looked at and left alone, and no clue is set during a service. Press Hide all answers, then Print: the answers print on a last page for the leader.

Tips

Pew or chairs, font or baptistery, pulpit or lectern: each note names both. Swap a rhyme that names the one your building lacks.
For a group of mixed ages, pair each reader with a younger child and deal Riddles.

Questions and answers

What are some church scavenger hunt riddles?

Ones answered by something in the building. Write your name on me and you owe the church a casserole: the potluck sign-up sheet. I show only numbers, and by them everyone knows which song comes next: the hymn board.

How do you run a church riddle scavenger hunt?

Ask whoever looks after the building, deal a trail, then print and cut the strips. Hide the snack first, then each clue at the thing the clue before it names. Hand the first strip to the group.

Will the riddles fit our denomination?

They are written to. The note under each clue names both: the seat is a pew or a row of chairs, the water is in a font or a baptistery, and readings come from a pulpit or a lectern.

What ages are the clues for?

Easy rhymes name the thing outright, for ages 4 to 7 with a reader. Riddles never name it and suit ages 8 and up. Both sets cover the same things.

All 72 clues

Easy rhymes 32

A long seat where a family squeezes in. Look on a pew: let the hunt begin! Hide the next clue: a pew or a row of chairs. Lay it on the seat at the aisle end.
A star for every week you're here. By the sticker chart the clue is near. Hide the next clue: the sticker chart. Fasten the strip just below the bottom row of stars.
A stone with a date from long ago. At the building's corner, look down low. Hide the next clue: the cornerstone. Outside, with an adult. Set it on the ground against the stone, under a pebble.
After the service the grown-ups sip. By the coffee urn, find the next tip. Hide the next clue: the coffee urn. Only when it is off and cold. Tape it to the table in front of it.
Big doors open, come right in. On the handle the clue has been. Hide the next clue: the front door handles. Hang it from one handle on a loop of yarn, on the indoor side, where a child reaches.
Black and white keys in the fellowship hall. On the piano bench, that's all! Hide the next clue: the hall piano. Rest it on the closed keyboard lid, or on the bench.
Borrow a book and bring it back. On the lending shelf, you're on track. Hide the next clue: the lending library shelf. Let it poke out from the paperbacks on the middle row.
Bright cloth hanging, words sewn on. Look by the banner before you're gone. Hide the next clue: the banner. Tape it to the wall beside the banner or its stand. Nothing is pinned to the cloth.
Cans and boxes for neighbors in need. By the food drive box, a clue to read. Hide the next clue: the food drive box. Fasten it to the carton's outer flap. Donations stay where they are.
Click, clack, we fold up flat. By the stacked chairs is where it's at. Hide the next clue: the stack of folding chairs. Tape it to the side of the stack or its cart. No chair is lifted.
Ding dong! It calls the town to pray. Look near the bell rope. Pull it? No way! Hide the next clue: the bell rope or the bell tower door. Seen, never pulled. Tape it to the wall beside the rope, or to the tower door.
Felt sheep and shepherds stick with no glue. By the felt board, a clue for you. Hide the next clue: the felt board. Clip the strip to the easel leg. The felt figures are left as they are.
Flyers and news for the week ahead. At the bulletin board the clue is read. Hide the next clue: the bulletin board. A spare thumbtack holds it at child height, covering no announcement.
Folded papers handed out at the door. Under the bulletins, look for more. Hide the next clue: the stack of bulletins. Slip it under the stack with one corner showing.
Hands go in and stories come out. In the puppet box, look about. Hide the next clue: the puppet box. Drop the strip among the puppets, lid left open.
It holds the dishes for the potluck spread. Under the long table, look ahead. Hide the next clue: the long folding table. Fasten it beneath the rim at the narrow end, legs locked open.
Little envelopes in a row. Behind their box, the clue lies low. Hide the next clue: the box of offering envelopes. Ask the leader first. Stand it behind the box.
Numbers on the wall say what we sing. By the hymn board, find the next thing. Hide the next clue: the hymn board. Tape it to the wall beside the board. The numbers are left as they are.
Out in front, where passers-by read, the church sign has the clue you need. Hide the next clue: the church sign. Outside, with an adult. Tie it around the signpost with yarn, well back from the curb.
Plates slide across from the kitchen side. At the pass-through window a clue will hide. Hide the next clue: the pass-through window. Stick it to the hallway edge of the counter, clear of the shutter.
The singers sit here, row on row. To the choir seats, quick, let's go! Hide the next clue: the choir seats. Lay it on a chair in the front row of the choir.
Sliders and knobs make soft words loud. Look by the sound desk, behind the crowd. Hide the next clue: the sound desk. Ask whoever runs the sound. Tape it to the front of the desk, away from the controls.
Someone stands here to read out loud. Look by the lectern, away from the crowd. Hide the next clue: the pulpit or the lectern. Ask the leader first. Lay it on the floor beside it. Nothing on it is moved.
Songbooks rest in a tidy row. Check their rack, then on you go. Hide the next clue: the songbook rack. Slip it between two books in a rack on a pew back or by the door.
Stack them high and knock them down. In the block bin, look around. Hide the next clue: the bin of blocks. Drop the strip onto the pile of wooden cubes.
Stories with pictures, a whole long shelf. By the picture Bibles, help yourself. Hide the next clue: the shelf of picture Bibles. Tuck the strip behind the first volume on the left.
Tables ride on wheels to bed. Check the table cart, go ahead! Hide the next clue: the table cart. Tie it to the cart's push bar with yarn.
Too small for grown-ups, just right for you. Under a little chair, find the clue. Hide the next clue: the little chairs. Stick the strip under one little chair.
Visitors sign their names in ink. By the guest book, stop and think. Hide the next clue: the guest book table. Rest the strip against the pen holder. The pages stay as visitors left them.
Water for a baptism, calm and still. Look near the font. Touch it? Nobody will. Hide the next clue: the font or the baptistery. Looked at, never touched. Lay it on the floor a step away.
Who brings salad, who brings pie? By the sign-up sheet, give it a try. Hide the next clue: the potluck sign-up sheet. Tape it to the wall beside the sheet. Nobody's name is covered.
Words on the wall to learn by heart. By the memory verse, do your part. Hide the next clue: the memory verse poster. Stick the strip to the paint beside the poster's lower corner.

Riddles 32

A hundred knobs and sliders. From me, one quiet person runs every microphone. What am I? Hide the next clue: the sound desk. Ask whoever runs the sound. Tape it to the front of the desk, away from the controls.
Bake sales, choir practice and lost umbrellas are all pinned to me. What am I? Hide the next clue: the bulletin board. A spare thumbtack holds it at child height, covering no announcement.
Every week you come, I gain one small shiny star in your row. What am I? Hide the next clue: the sticker chart. Fasten the strip just below the bottom row of stars.
Everyone who comes to worship takes hold of us first. What are we? Hide the next clue: the front door handles. Hang it from one handle on a loop of yarn, on the indoor side, where a child reaches.
Grown-up knees do not fit under our table. We suit the youngest class. What are we? Hide the next clue: the little chairs. Stick the strip under one little chair.
I am a glassless window from kitchen to hall, and soup passes through me. What am I? Hide the next clue: the pass-through window. Stick it to the hallway edge of the counter, clear of the shutter.
I am a tall silver pot with a spigot, and grown-ups line up at me after church. What am I? Hide the next clue: the coffee urn. Only when it is off and cold. Tape it to the table in front of it.
I am cloth and thread, I hang from a pole, and my words are stitched on. What am I? Hide the next clue: the banner. Tape it to the wall beside the banner or its stand. Nothing is pinned to the cloth.
I am one long seat that a whole row shares, and I face the front all week. What am I? Hide the next clue: a pew or a row of chairs. Lay it on the seat at the aisle end.
I carry a stack of folded tables on my back and roll them to the closet. What am I? Hide the next clue: the table cart. Tie it to the cart's push bar with yarn.
I hang down out of the dark, and one pull on me is heard across the town. What am I? Hide the next clue: the bell rope or the bell tower door. Seen, never pulled. Tape it to the wall beside the rope, or to the tower door.
I hang on the classroom wall, and the class repeats my words until they stick. What am I? Hide the next clue: the memory verse poster. Stick the strip to the paint beside the poster's lower corner.
I have a lid, a bench and black and white teeth, and the hall sings with me. What am I? Hide the next clue: the hall piano. Rest it on the closed keyboard lid, or on the bench.
I have a slanted top, and I hold an open book for whoever reads to the room. What am I? Hide the next clue: the pulpit or the lectern. Ask the leader first. Lay it on the floor beside it. Nothing on it is moved.
I hold the water for a baptism. In some churches I am a bowl, in others a pool. What am I? Hide the next clue: the font or the baptistery. Looked at, never touched. Lay it on the floor a step away.
I show only numbers, and by them everyone knows which song comes next. What am I? Hide the next clue: the hymn board. Tape it to the wall beside the board. The numbers are left as they are.
I stand out by the street and tell passers-by when the doors open. What am I? Hide the next clue: the church sign. Outside, with an adult. Tie it around the signpost with yarn, well back from the curb.
I was the first stone laid, and I still wear a year carved on my face. What am I? Hide the next clue: the cornerstone. Outside, with an adult. Set it on the ground against the stone, under a pebble.
My legs fold under me. I hold every dish at the potluck and eat nothing. What am I? Hide the next clue: the long folding table. Fasten it beneath the rim at the narrow end, legs locked open.
Our mouths open only when a hand is inside us. We live in a box. What are we? Hide the next clue: the puppet box. Drop the strip among the puppets, lid left open.
People fill me with cans and pasta, and none of it is for them. What am I? Hide the next clue: the food drive box. Fasten it to the carton's outer flap. Donations stay where they are.
Stories are told on me with cut-out figures that cling without glue or tape. What am I? Hide the next clue: the felt board. Clip the strip to the easel leg. The felt figures are left as they are.
Strangers write their names in me on a first visit, and I keep them for years. What am I? Hide the next clue: the guest book table. Rest the strip against the pen holder. The pages stay as visitors left them.
Take a story from me and bring it back someday. Nobody stamps a card. What am I? Hide the next clue: the lending library shelf. Let it poke out from the paperbacks on the middle row.
We are folded papers handed out at the door, and we list what happens next. What are we? Hide the next clue: the stack of bulletins. Slip it under the stack with one corner showing.
We are small paper pockets waiting in a box for the offering. What are we? Hide the next clue: the box of offering envelopes. Ask the leader first. Stand it behind the box.
We build towers and walls, we fall with a crash, and we sleep in a bin. What are we? Hide the next clue: the bin of blocks. Drop the strip onto the pile of wooden cubes.
We lean together against the wall until the hall needs a hundred seats. What are we? Hide the next clue: the stack of folding chairs. Tape it to the side of the stack or its cart. No chair is lifted.
We tell very old stories with a picture on every page, for small readers. What are we? Hide the next clue: the shelf of picture Bibles. Tuck the strip behind the first volume on the left.
We wait in a row, ribbons between our pages, until someone calls a number. What are we? Hide the next clue: the songbook rack. Slip it between two books in a rack on a pew back or by the door.
When the church gathers we are full of voices. Other days we sit silent. What are we? Hide the next clue: the choir seats. Lay it on a chair in the front row of the choir.
Write your name on me and you owe the church a casserole. What am I? Hide the next clue: the potluck sign-up sheet. Tape it to the wall beside the sheet. Nobody's name is covered.

Worship space 8

Every clue is found, the trail explored. Look ____ for your reward. The closing clue. The leader writes in the gap where the snack or the prize waits: in the kitchen, say, or on the hall stage.
From clue to clue you found each sign. Meet your leader ____ in a line. The closing clue. The leader writes in the gap where the snack or the prize waits: in the kitchen, say, or on the hall stage.
The hunt ends here with one more walk. Juice and cookies wait ____. The closing clue. The leader writes in the gap where the snack or the prize waits: in the kitchen, say, or on the hall stage.
Last clue of all, no more to find. Go ____, and leave no friend behind. The closing clue. The leader writes in the gap where the snack or the prize waits: in the kitchen, say, or on the hall stage.
Sharp eyes, quick feet and thinking caps. The prize is ____. Three loud claps! The closing clue. The leader writes in the gap where the snack or the prize waits: in the kitchen, say, or on the hall stage.
Thank your team and thank your guide. The treat is ____. Look inside! The closing clue. The leader writes in the gap where the snack or the prize waits: in the kitchen, say, or on the hall stage.
The trail is done, well done to you. Your snack is waiting ____. It's true! The closing clue. The leader writes in the gap where the snack or the prize waits: in the kitchen, say, or on the hall stage.
Well hunted! One short walk remains. Look ____ for what your team gains. The closing clue. The leader writes in the gap where the snack or the prize waits: in the kitchen, say, or on the hall stage.

How this list was compiled

Written for this site by its editors on 2 October 2026: original clues for a trail through a church building. Each of 32 things found in most church buildings has an easy rhyme that names it and a riddle that does not, and eight final clues carry a blank for where the snack or the prize waits. Nothing was copied from another clue list. The note under each clue is worded to work in any Christian denomination: a pew or a row of chairs, a font or a baptistery, a pulpit or a lectern. Three easy rhymes (the pew, the lectern, the font) and one riddle (one long seat) name one of the pair. The names of the furnishings follow their English Wikipedia articles, read on 2 October 2026 and again on 3 October 2026 (text under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pew, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lectern, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulpit, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baptismal_font, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hymn_board and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornerstone. The note under each clue names the thing and says where the paper strip goes: the font, the pulpit or lectern and the bell rope are looked at and never touched, the altar or table and the candles are not on the trail at all, and no clue is set during a service. Licence: own work