Classroom Scavenger Hunt Printable

176 first-week tasks, from the pencil sharpener to the gym.

Classroom Scavenger Hunt Printable

  1. Shelves of stories, row on row. Whisper here, then borrow and go.Answer: the school library. For a hunt that leaves the room with the whole class.
  2. The schedule for todayFind what comes right after lunch.
  3. The route from your first class to your second, timed on footCompare your minutes with the passing time on the bell schedule.
  4. A protractor, or a picture of one in a math bookA protractor measures angles, and the half-circle kind is marked up to 180 degrees.
  5. When it is time to go, this is the spot. Stand in a line and wiggle not.Answer: the line-up spot by the door.
  6. Something longer than your pencilLay the pencil beside it to prove it.
  7. Four legs, a flat top, and your work sits on me. Look under my edge and see.Answer: a desk or a table. Tape the clue under the edge, not inside anyone's desk.
  8. Find a classmate who can name three planetsListen to all three.
  9. A display of student work in the hallwayPick one piece you like and say why.
  10. A flag in the roomIf it is the United States flag, count as far as you can: 13 stripes and 50 stars.
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Classroom Scavenger Hunt Printable: how it works

This classroom scavenger hunt printable is made for the first week of school: 176 tasks that show a new class where things live and who is in the room. Six chips sort them: In the classroom, At your desk, Find a classmate who, Around the school, Riddle clues and High school.

Press a chip before you deal

With no chip pressed the list mixes all six groups, so choose one first. In the classroom holds 30 tasks, At your desk 22, all done from a seat, Find a classmate who 40 and Around the school 27. Choose 10, press New tasks, Swap anything your room lacks, such as a sink, then Print.

Find a classmate who, minus the awkward questions

All 40 lines ask about likes, skills and books: a classmate who knows a joke, likes rainy days or can name three planets. None asks about family, home, money, food or looks. A classmate who says yes ticks that line on your sheet, one tick per classmate, and the note underneath gives a follow-up question.

Tips

  • These classroom scavenger hunt ideas run best in pairs on day one, so nobody hunts alone.
  • School scavenger hunt clues sit under the Riddle clues chip: 27 rhymes for the room and 4 for the library, gym, cafeteria and playground.
  • Walk the Around the school tasks as one class with the teacher in front.

Questions and answers

How do the riddle clues work?

Each clue is a two-line rhyme, and its answer sits in the note underneath, such as the pencil sharpener. Copy all takes the rhymes without the notes, ready to paste and cut into strips. Print keeps the notes, so the printed sheet is your answer key. Tape each strip where the clue before it points, in plain sight, never inside a desk, a bag or a bin.

Are there high school scavenger hunt ideas here?

Yes. The High school chip holds 26 orientation tasks for new students: open your locker in three tries, time the walk between two classes, find the counseling office and learn the deadline for changing a class. Most are answered in writing, so phones stay away, and groups stay with their orientation leader.

Which scavenger hunt ideas for school still work after the first week?

At your desk makes a five-minute warm-up in any month, and its notes carry small lessons: a pencil's core is graphite and clay, never lead, and letter paper measures 8.5 by 11 inches. On a library visit, Around the school sends the class to the 500s for science. Deal 5 and swap freely.

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All 176 tasks

In the classroom 30

  • A class library book with a bird, a bear or a bug on the cover Look, point and leave it on the shelf.
  • A clock with hands Say the time it shows. No hands on any clock? Find the digital one.
  • A flag in the room If it is the United States flag, count as far as you can: 13 stripes and 50 stars.
  • A globe A globe leans on its stand by 23.5 degrees, the same tilt as the Earth. No globe? Find a map.
  • A number line or a hundreds chart Point to the number that matches your grade, then to today's date.
  • A word on the wall with more than eight letters Count the letters on your fingers to prove it.
  • The alphabet on the wall Put a finger in the air under the first letter of your first name.
  • The board at the front of the room The first blackboards were thin sheets of slate stone. Say what yours is made for: chalk, marker or a projector.
  • The class rules, wherever they are posted Read the first one in a quiet voice.
  • The classroom job chart No chart yet? Name one job the room needs.
  • The door your class uses in a fire drill Look for the map beside it. Your teacher shows the way on a calm day.
  • The keyboard nearest to you Read the first six letter keys on the top row: Q, W, E, R, T, Y. The layout is named after them.
  • The light switches Point only. Flipping them is the teacher's job.
  • The pencil sharpener Walk to it and point. Learn the rule for when you may use it.
  • The place where coats and lunch boxes go Hooks, cubbies or lockers. Find your own spot.
  • The place where finished work goes A tray, a basket or a folder. Ask whether there is more than one.
  • The place where papers to take home are kept A mailbox, a folder or a tray. Find the slot that is yours.
  • The quietest corner of the room Stand still there for five seconds and listen.
  • The schedule for today Find what comes right after lunch.
  • The sink or the hand sanitizer Point to it, and learn when the class washes hands.
  • Something in the room that is older than you The teacher is the judge. A well-worn dictionary is a good guess.
  • Something that plugs into the wall Spot it and point from a step away. Cords and outlets are not for touching.
  • The spot where the class lines up Stand on it for a moment, then make room for the next hunter.
  • The supply shelf: scissors, glue and paper Find all three, and learn which you may take without asking.
  • The teacher's name, written somewhere in the room The door, the board or a name plate. Practice saying it.
  • Three things the same color as your shirt Point to each one from where you stand.
  • The tissue box Better to know where it lives before you need it.
  • Today's date, written somewhere in the room The board, a calendar or a screen all count.
  • The trash can and the recycling bin Two bins, two jobs. Point to the one for paper.
  • The window with the best view Say one thing you can see through it.

At your desk 22

  • A book you are in the middle of Or a book from the class shelf you would like to start.
  • A crayon or marker in your favorite color Hold it up and read the color name printed on it, if it has one.
  • A number bigger than 100, printed on anything Page numbers and the millimeter side of a ruler are good places to look.
  • A pencil that needs sharpening Hold it up. Class pencils count.
  • A pencil with its eraser worn flat The first patent for an eraser fixed to the end of a pencil dates from 1858.
  • A protractor, or a picture of one in a math book A protractor measures angles, and the half-circle kind is marked up to 180 degrees.
  • A sheet of blank paper Standard letter paper in the United States measures 8.5 by 11 inches. Check it with a ruler.
  • A word with a double letter, anywhere on your desk Look at labels and worksheets. The word book is one.
  • A yellow pencil Most pencils made in the United States are painted yellow.
  • An eraser Before rubber erasers, people rubbed out pencil marks with crustless bread.
  • The letters or numbers printed on the side of a pencil HB and number 2 mark the same middle grade, the usual one for writing.
  • The number on the last page of a book near you Turn to the end gently and read the number in a quiet voice.
  • The point of a pencil, looked at closely The dark core is graphite mixed with clay. It has never contained any lead.
  • Something longer than your pencil Lay the pencil beside it to prove it.
  • Something made of metal A paper clip, a zipper pull or the band that holds a pencil's eraser.
  • Something made of wood A pencil is the quick answer. Find a second thing.
  • Something red, something blue and something yellow All three from your desk or the supply tub, held up together.
  • Something smaller than a paper clip An eraser cap, a pencil stub or a staple that is safely in its paper.
  • Something that makes a quiet sound A zipper, a turning page or a pencil tapped once. Quiet is the rule.
  • Something with your name already on it A folder, a name tag or a notebook. Point to it. There is nothing new to write.
  • Something you can see through A clear ruler, a water bottle or a pencil case.
  • Three things that are exactly the same Three paper clips, three crayons of one color or three sheets of paper.

Find a classmate who 40

  • Find a classmate who can do a magic trick or wants to learn one Ask to see it at recess.
  • Find a classmate who can name a book that made them laugh Remember the title for your next library visit.
  • Find a classmate who can name the author of a book Any book, any author. Check a cover if one is near.
  • Find a classmate who can name three planets Listen to all three.
  • Find a classmate who can say hello in a language other than English Hear it, then try saying it back.
  • Find a classmate who can spell the name of your school Check the spelling against a sign or a school paper.
  • Find a classmate who can tell you a fact about an animal Hear the fact and guess where they learned it.
  • Find a classmate who can tell you a fact about space Hear the fact, then pass it on to the next classmate you meet.
  • Find a classmate who can whistle a tune A few quiet notes are proof enough.
  • Find a classmate who has a favorite animal you have never seen in real life Ask where in the world it lives.
  • Find a classmate who has a favorite number Ask why that one.
  • Find a classmate who has helped someone today Ask what they did. Holding a door counts.
  • Find a classmate who has not talked with you yet today Say hello and trade one thing you each like.
  • Find a classmate who has read a book you have read Say the title together.
  • Find a classmate who has the same favorite school subject as you Say the subject at the same time on the count of three.
  • Find a classmate who is new to this school this year Tell them one good thing about the school, or say that you are new too.
  • Find a classmate who is wearing the same color as you Point to the matching color on each of you.
  • Find a classmate who knows a joke Hear the joke. A groan counts as a laugh.
  • Find a classmate who knows a tongue twister Hear it once slowly, then try it yourself.
  • Find a classmate who knows how to play chess or checkers Ask who taught them the rules, or offer to learn together at indoor recess.
  • Find a classmate who knows the principal's name Ask the teacher to confirm it.
  • Find a classmate who knows what they want to learn this year Ask what, then tell them yours.
  • Find a classmate who learned something new this summer Ask what it was. A card trick, a recipe and a new word all count.
  • Find a classmate who likes math best Ask which part: adding, shapes or puzzles.
  • Find a classmate who likes puzzles Jigsaw, word or number. Ask which kind.
  • Find a classmate who likes rainy days Ask what they do on one.
  • Find a classmate who likes recess games with a ball Ask which game.
  • Find a classmate who likes science experiments Ask which one they would like to try this year.
  • Find a classmate who likes the same color as you Ask what they would paint in that color.
  • Find a classmate who likes the same sport or game as you Ask what position or piece they like to play.
  • Find a classmate who likes to build things Blocks, models, forts or code. Ask which.
  • Find a classmate who likes to dance or to run Ask which, and where they like to do it.
  • Find a classmate who likes to draw Ask what they draw most.
  • Find a classmate who likes to sing Ask for a favorite song. Singing it is optional.
  • Find a classmate who likes to write stories Ask who the hero of the last one was.
  • Find a classmate who plays an instrument or wants to learn one Ask which instrument.
  • Find a classmate who would choose a trip to space over a trip under the sea Ask what they would pack first.
  • Find a classmate who would pick winter over summer Ask for one reason.
  • Find a classmate who would rather be a bird than a fish Ask where they would fly first.
  • Find a classmate who would rather read a story than watch one Ask which story.

Around the school 27

  • The 700s in the library Arts and recreation in the Dewey system. The 800s next door are literature.
  • The 900s in the library History and geography in the Dewey system, which was first published in 1876.
  • A compass rose on a map, a floor or the playground North, east, south and west are its four main points.
  • A display of student work in the hallway Pick one piece you like and say why.
  • A grown-up who works at the school and is not a teacher A custodian, a secretary or a cook. Say good morning as a class.
  • A school bus or the bus lane, seen from a window or the sidewalk School bus yellow was formulated in 1939: black letters on it are the easiest to read in half-light.
  • A sign that tells you a rule Read it together. Hallway and playground signs both count.
  • A staircase or a ramp Learn which side your school walks on.
  • An exit sign In the United States an exit sign can be red or green, and red is the traditional color.
  • The cafeteria Find where the line starts and where the trays go back.
  • The computer lab, or the cart where the laptops live Learn the rule for carrying one: two hands, lid closed.
  • The door your class uses to go out to recess Learn where the class lines up to come back in.
  • The flagpole The United States flag has carried the same 50 stars since July 4, 1960.
  • The gym Stand on a painted line and say which game it belongs to, if you know.
  • The lost and found Look with your eyes only. Is anything of yours in there already?
  • The main office Walk past with your class and wave. Learn who to ask for help there.
  • The music room or the art room Look in from the doorway with your class and name one thing you see.
  • The nurse's office or health room Learn the way with your class, so it is easy to find later.
  • The restroom nearest to your classroom Count the doors between it and your room.
  • The room number on your own classroom door Then read the rooms on each side. Do the numbers go up or down?
  • The school library Whisper the name of one book you would like to borrow.
  • The school mascot, wherever it appears A wall, a banner or a shirt. Name the animal or character.
  • The school's name on the front of the building Count the letters.
  • The science shelves in the library If the shelves use Dewey numbers, science sits in the 500s.
  • Something growing on the school grounds A tree, a garden bed or a patch of grass, seen from the path with your class.
  • The spot where your class meets outside in a fire drill Your teacher leads the way. It is easier to learn on a calm day.
  • The water fountain nearest to your classroom Count your steps back to the classroom door.

Riddle clues 31

  • A to Z, I run in a line. Look up high and you will find the sign. Answer: the alphabet strip on the wall. The clue goes below it, within reach.
  • Ah-choo, you say, and reach for me. I am soft and I live in a box, you see. Answer: the tissue box.
  • Bounce and dribble, run and climb. I am the biggest room, and it is game time. Answer: the gym. For a hunt that leaves the room with the whole class.
  • Crumple your scraps and give them a toss. I take them in and count it no loss. Answer: the recycling bin. The clue goes on the outside, never inside.
  • Days in rows and months in a stack. Flip my page and there is no going back. Answer: the calendar.
  • Every rule of the room is written on me. Read number one, then two, then three. Answer: the class rules poster.
  • Feed me a pencil, give me a spin, and I will hand it back sharp and thin. Answer: the pencil sharpener.
  • Four legs, a flat top, and your work sits on me. Look under my edge and see. Answer: a desk or a table. Tape the clue under the edge, not inside anyone's desk.
  • Hungry at noon? I carry your lunch. Find where we wait in a colorful bunch. Answer: the lunch box shelf. The clue goes on the shelf, not in a lunch box.
  • I am full of words from A to Z. Not sure of a spelling? Open me. Answer: the dictionary.
  • I come in a stick and I twist up white. I hold two papers together tight. Answer: a glue stick. Look by the supply tub.
  • I have a spine, but I cannot stand tall without my friends along the wall. Answer: a book on the bookshelf.
  • I have keys but open no door: Q, W, E, R, T, Y and twenty more. Answer: the keyboard. Six letters named plus twenty more makes all 26.
  • I hold your coat while you learn and play. Find me where the jackets stay. Answer: the coat hooks or cubbies. The clue goes on the wall, not in a pocket.
  • I open each morning and close at night. You all walk through me, left and right. Answer: the classroom door. Players stay on the inside of it.
  • I spin on a stand, I am round as a ball, and I hold every ocean, big and small. Answer: the globe.
  • I tell you what comes next all day: reading, lunch, then out to play. Answer: the daily schedule.
  • Look near, not in, the grown-up's seat. A clue is waiting by the teacher's feet. Answer: the teacher's desk. The clue goes on the front. Drawers stay shut.
  • My hands go round, my face stays still. Look up at me, as you all will. Answer: the wall clock. Tape the next clue to the wall below it, within reach.
  • Red, blue and green in a box or a bin. Color the page with what is within. Answer: the crayon or marker bin.
  • Shelves of stories, row on row. Whisper here, then borrow and go. Answer: the school library. For a hunt that leaves the room with the whole class.
  • Stars and stripes on a little pole. Finding me is your next goal. Answer: the classroom flag. Look, do not lift it down.
  • Stories are read here, down on the floor. Sit with the class and listen for more. Answer: the reading rug.
  • Swings and slides and room to run. Find me outside in the recess sun. Answer: the playground. A good last stop, with the whole class and the teacher.
  • Through me you see the sky and rain. Please do not tap on my cold, clear pane. Answer: the window. The clue goes on the sill.
  • Trays and tables, a lunchtime crowd. Of all the rooms I am the most loud. Answer: the cafeteria. For a hunt that leaves the room with the whole class.
  • Turn me on and the water flows. Wash your hands, then off it goes. Answer: the classroom sink.
  • Twelve inches long and straight as can be. Draw a line and measure with me. Answer: a ruler. Try the math shelf.
  • Two blades that open, two loops to hold. I cut along lines, just as I am told. Answer: the scissors. The clue goes under the tub, not among the blades.
  • When it is time to go, this is the spot. Stand in a line and wiggle not. Answer: the line-up spot by the door.
  • Write on me, then wipe me clean. I am the widest thing the class has seen. Answer: the board at the front of the room. The clue goes on the ledge.

High school 26

  • A periodic table in a science room It holds 118 elements in 7 rows. Find the last one and read its symbol.
  • A poster or sign-up sheet for a club you might join Write down when and where it meets.
  • A quiet place to study before school The library, a commons or a teacher's open room.
  • A student from a different middle school than yours Trade the names of your old schools and one thing each did well.
  • A teacher who sponsors a club Ask one question about what the club does.
  • The athletic fields or the theater, whichever you have not seen Go with your orientation group and stay with it.
  • The attendance office Find out what a student does after arriving late.
  • The bell schedule, wherever it is posted Write down when the last class ends on a regular day.
  • The counseling office Find out how a student makes an appointment.
  • The deadline for changing a class Ask the counseling office or check the student handbook.
  • The evacuation map beside the door of each of your classrooms Trace the route with a finger once in every room.
  • The library's rule for borrowing a book How many at a time, and for how long?
  • The lunch lines, and a guess at which moves fastest A guess is fine on day one. Check it again on Friday.
  • The name of one counselor, dean or librarian Office doors and the staff directory have them.
  • One rule in the student handbook you did not know The phone rule and the hall pass rule are good places to start.
  • The place to replace a lost student ID or a lost schedule Usually an office. Ask at the front desk which one.
  • The room where your last class of the day meets Note the nearest stairs and the nearest exit.
  • The route from your first class to your second, timed on foot Compare your minutes with the passing time on the bell schedule.
  • The school colors and the mascot, found together in one place A banner, a gym wall or a spirit shirt.
  • The spot where buses load after school Seen from the sidewalk. Note where the line forms.
  • The tryout or audition date for one team, band or play The athletics board, the music room door and the daily announcements are the places to look.
  • The tutoring or homework help schedule Write down one time that would work for you.
  • What the first digit of a room number tells you Guess whether it means the floor or the wing, then test the guess on three rooms.
  • Where the daily announcements are posted or played A screen, a board or a morning broadcast.
  • Your locker, opened in three tries or fewer Practice until it takes one. The combination stays with you.
  • Your school login, tested on a school computer Log in, then log out. Passwords stay private.

How this list was compiled: Written for this site by its editors in September 2026: 176 original tasks in six groups (in the classroom, at your desk, find a classmate who, around the school, riddle clues, high school). The list is for the first week of school and follows the site's rules for a page children use: every task happens in the room or with the whole class and its teacher, nothing is bought, taken, opened or climbed, and no 'find a classmate who' line asks about family, home, money, religion, health, food, birthdays or anyone's body. Riddle answers sit in the note, so they stay off a copied list. Difficulty levels are the editors' judgment. The facts in the notes were checked against Wikipedia on 2026-09-19, and each item that states one lists its article in x.src: Globe (mounted 23.5 degrees from vertical, matching the Earth's axial tilt), Flag_of_the_United_States (13 stripes, 50 stars, the 50-star version in use since July 4, 1960), Exit_sign (red or green in the United States, traditionally red), QWERTY (named after the first six keys of the top letter row), Pencil (core of graphite and clay that never contained lead; HB equals US number 2; most US-made pencils are painted yellow), Eraser (crustless bread used before rubber; first patent for an eraser attached to a pencil, March 30, 1858), Protractor (measures angles; the half-circle kind is marked to 180 degrees), Letter_(paper_size) (8.5 by 11 inches), Dewey_Decimal_Classification (500 science, 700 arts and recreation, 800 literature, 900 history and geography; first published 1876), School_bus_yellow (formulated in 1939; black lettering on it was most legible in semi-darkness), Compass_rose (north, east, south and west), Periodic_table (118 known elements, seven periods), Blackboard (originally thin sheets of slate stone). All at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ followed by the article name. Licence: own work