Spy Scavenger Hunt

60 missions for a spy party at home: gear to find, codes to crack, disguises and a final vault.

Spy Scavenger Hunt

TeamDate

  1. Every mission stays inside the home or the yard.
  2. Nobody climbs, and nobody hides anywhere that shuts.
  3. A grown-up is in charge, and nobody outside the party is involved.
  4. A mission counts when the whole team has done it.
  1. Decode: 11 5 252 points. Each number is a letter's place in the alphabet. Answer: KEY.
  2. Report back to headquarters1 point. Tell the grown-up the whole case in under a minute.
  3. Destroy the evidence1 point. Tear the secret message into tiny pieces and recycle it.
  4. Decode: BHFOU2 points. Each letter is one step later in the alphabet. Answer: AGENT.
  5. Find the locked box or bag holding the prize3 points. The grown-up hid it; the last code tells you where.
  6. Freeze like a statue for thirty seconds1 point. The grown-up tries to make you laugh.
  7. Decode: 13 1 162 points. Each number is a letter's place in the alphabet. Answer: MAP.
  8. Draw a disguise on a photo or a picture2 points. A mustache on a magazine face counts.
  9. A coin to flip for tough decisions1 point. Heads, the team goes left. Tails, right.
  10. Count the windows in the house without being seen3 points. Every agent must agree on the number.

Points: of 18

Next step Rhyming clues for hiding the prizeStay in character: charades for kids

How it works

Agents find their gear, crack codes, cross the room without a sound and open the vault. This spy scavenger hunt holds 60 missions for home or a yard, with every code's answer in its note.

Read the full guide

Set up the party in three lists

Deal Spy kit to find first, then Codes to crack and Secret missions, and end with The final mission. Choose each in the menu beside the main button. Under More options, Hide all notes hides the code answers before you press Print this list.

The three kinds of code

Each code is one of three: shift every letter one step back (IFMMP is HELLO), read it backward (TERCES), or turn numbers into letters (19 16 25 is SPY). Teach one on the first card and let agents find the others.

Tips
  • Tape the laser-maze string low across a hallway, never at neck height.
  • Hide the prize before the party, and write its hiding place as the last code.

Questions and answers

What do you need for a spy scavenger hunt?

Paper, a pencil, a flashlight, a roll of tape, some string and a small prize in a box or a bag. The first list sends agents to find the rest of their kit around the house.

How do you make a secret code for kids?

Start with a backward word, such as ESAB for BASE. Next, number the alphabet, so KEY becomes 11 5 25. Hardest is the shift: move each letter one step, so CLUE becomes DMVF.

Does it work in a small apartment?

Yes. Every mission stays indoors or in a yard, and the only one that needs length, walking the yard backward, can use a hallway instead.

More tools

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All 60 missions

Spy kit to find 12

  • A coin to flip for tough decisions 1 point. Heads, the team goes left. Tails, right.
  • A flashlight for night work 1 point. Test it by signaling three short flashes.
  • A hat that hides your eyes 1 point. Pull it low for the rest of the hunt.
  • A key that does not open anything you know of 2 points. Keys the grown-up is using stay where they are.
  • A map to plan the route 2 points. A road map, a mall map or one you draw counts.
  • A mirror small enough to hold 2 points. Use it to look around a corner without stepping out.
  • A pair of dark glasses 1 point. Wear them for the next mission.
  • A piece of string as long as your arm 2 points. It becomes the tripwire for the laser mission.
  • A roll of tape 1 point. Use one strip to mark the team's secret base.
  • A small notebook and a pencil 1 point. This becomes the team's case book.
  • Something that makes small things look bigger 1 point. A magnifying glass, reading glasses or the lid of a clear jar.
  • Something with a code on it 3 points. A barcode, a lock with numbers or a keypad counts.
Show all 60 missions (48 more)

Codes to crack 12

  • Decode: 11 5 25 2 points. Each number is a letter's place in the alphabet. Answer: KEY.
  • Decode: 13 1 16 2 points. Each number is a letter's place in the alphabet. Answer: MAP.
  • Decode: 19 16 25 1 point. Each number is a letter's place in the alphabet. Answer: SPY.
  • Decode: 3 15 4 5 1 point. Each number is a letter's place in the alphabet. Answer: CODE.
  • Decode: BHFOU 2 points. Each letter is one step later in the alphabet. Answer: AGENT.
  • Decode: DMVF 2 points. Each letter is one step later in the alphabet. Answer: CLUE.
  • Decode: ESAB 1 point. Read it backward. Answer: BASE.
  • Decode: IFMMP 1 point. Each letter is one step later in the alphabet. Answer: HELLO.
  • Decode: NOISSIM 1 point. Read it backward. Answer: MISSION.
  • Decode: TERCES 1 point. Read it backward. Answer: SECRET.
  • Decode: TUFBMUI 3 points. Each letter is one step later in the alphabet. Answer: STEALTH.
  • Write your own code name in numbers 3 points. A is 1, B is 2 and so on. Another agent must decode it.

Secret missions 12

  • Count the windows in the house without being seen 3 points. Every agent must agree on the number.
  • Cross a room without making a sound 2 points. Every agent listens. One creak and you start again.
  • Follow footprints drawn in chalk or taped on the floor 1 point. The trail ends at the next clue.
  • Freeze like a statue for thirty seconds 1 point. The grown-up tries to make you laugh.
  • Get through the string laser maze without touching it 3 points. The string is taped low across a hallway, never at neck height.
  • Hide a note where only your team will find it 2 points. A drawer or under a cushion. Nothing that shuts with a person inside.
  • Memorize ten things on a tray in thirty seconds 2 points. The grown-up covers the tray. Name seven to pass.
  • Pass a message down the line in a whisper 1 point. The last agent says it aloud. Close enough counts.
  • Recite your cover story in one breath 1 point. Name, city and favorite snack, all made up.
  • Signal to your team without speaking 1 point. Invent three hand signals and use them for the next mission.
  • Spot what changed in the room 2 points. A grown-up moves one thing while agents close their eyes.
  • Walk the length of the yard backward 2 points. A teammate guides you with signals only.

Disguise and cover 12

  • Blend in with the furniture for ten seconds 2 points. The team counts; nobody points.
  • Carry a newspaper or a book with holes to peek through 2 points. Fold a page; do not cut a book.
  • Change your walk 2 points. The team must guess who you are with eyes half closed.
  • Draw a disguise on a photo or a picture 2 points. A mustache on a magazine face counts.
  • Find a coat with an inside pocket 2 points. Hide one item in it for the final mission.
  • Invent a code name 1 point. It must be used by everyone for the rest of the hunt.
  • Make a spy badge from paper 1 point. It needs a code name and a number.
  • Put on something that makes you look taller 1 point. A hat or a hood counts; standing on furniture does not.
  • Speak in an accent for one whole mission 3 points. Friendly accents only.
  • Swap one piece of clothing with a teammate 1 point. Hats, scarves or jackets only.
  • Wear a scarf as a mask 1 point. Loose, and off again before any running.
  • Wear gloves for the whole hunt 1 point. No fingerprints, the team jokes.

The final mission 12

  • Choose the next mission leader 2 points. The team votes by secret ballot on scraps of paper.
  • Collect three clue cards before the vault opens 2 points. Each earlier mission can earn one.
  • Crack the vault code from the numbers you found 3 points. The code is the answers of three missions in order.
  • Deliver the prize to the base 2 points. It must stay hidden in the coat pocket on the way.
  • Destroy the evidence 1 point. Tear the secret message into tiny pieces and recycle it.
  • Find the locked box or bag holding the prize 3 points. The grown-up hid it; the last code tells you where.
  • Give each agent a medal 1 point. A sticker or a paper badge works.
  • Report back to headquarters 1 point. Tell the grown-up the whole case in under a minute.
  • Salute your fellow agents 1 point. Invent the team salute.
  • Sign the case book with your code name 1 point. Every agent signs.
  • Tell the story of the mission 2 points. Each agent adds one sentence.
  • Unmask the double agent 3 points. The grown-up slipped one wrong clue in. Find it.

How this list was compiled: Written for this site by its editors in September 2026: 60 original missions for a spy-themed hunt at home or in a yard. Nothing was copied from another list, and no film, book, character or brand is named. No outside page was read for it: the codes were made for this list and their answers sit in the note, and the other notes are judging rules. Every mission stays inside the home or the yard with a grown-up in charge: nobody leaves the boundary, climbs, hides anywhere that shuts, or involves anyone outside the party. Points and levels are the editors' judgment. Licence: own work