How to Create a Valentine’s Day Scavenger Hunt

Valentine’s Day isn’t just for couples—it’s a fantastic opportunity to celebrate love and kindness with your little ones too!

You may be asking yourself: “How do families celebrate Valentine’s Day?” One of our favorite ideas is to host a Valentine’s Day scavenger hunt. It’s a great way to spread the love and keep everyone moving—whether you do a Valentine’s hunt for your own children, a classroom party, or a group of neighborhood friends.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to planning an experience kids will love. It’s sure to become one of your new favorite Valentine’s Day activities for kids.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Choose a Theme

To make your Valentine’s Day scavenger hunt extra special, start by picking a theme that ties into the holiday and fits your group’s age and interests. Here are some ideas for Valentine’s Day themes that are perfect for kids:

• Love Letters: Have kids search for pieces of a heartfelt message or poem and put them together in the right order.
• Heart Hunt: Hide a bunch of paper hearts or heart-shaped items as the treasures. These could be construction paper hearts, heart-shaped erasers, heart knickknacks…you get the idea.
• Sweet Treats: Incorporate candy and other goodies as clues or rewards. Think beyond chocolate by including Welch’s^® Fruit Snacks Valentine’s Day. Made with real fruit, these adorable heart-shaped treats offer a mouthwatering taste and come in fun holiday packaging for a festive touch!

Step 2: Prepare the Clues

Scavenger hunt clues are the heart of your Valentine’s hunt (pun intended!). Tailor them to the kids’ age and reading level. You can print or handwrite your clues on colorful cards, and if you’re feeling crafty, decorate them with hearts, glitter, or stickers.

• For younger kids: Use picture clues or rhyming riddles that lead to simple hiding spots, like “Look where you sleep; the clue’s buried deep!” (under a pillow).
• For older kids: Incorporate word puzzles, Valentine-themed trivia, or riddles that require problem-solving.

For more inspiration, we’ve included some ideas for Valentine’s Day scavenger hunt riddles later in this post!

Step 3: Choose the Prizes

Decide what treasures the kids will discover along the way and at the end of your home scavenger hunt. You can either hide small prizes with each clue or save the best reward for the final treasure. Scavenger hunt ideas for prizes could include:

• Heart-shaped candies, chocolates, or fruit snacks.
• Small toys like bouncy balls, bubbles, or Valentine’s Day trinkets.
• Craft kits for making their own Valentine cards or other Valentine’s Day activities, such as cookie decorating kits.
• A handwritten “Love Certificate” praising each child for something special about them. If you’re wondering how to do a romantic scavenger hunt, remember that certificates also make great Valentine’s Day ideas for couples!

Step 4: Map Out Hiding Spots

Next, plan where to hide your scavenger hunt clues and treasures.

• For an indoor hunt: Use places like under furniture, behind books, or inside a toy chest.
• For an outdoor hunt: Try the garden, mailbox, or a tree swing.
• For a classroom hunt: Venture into other areas of the school, such as the library, gym, or cafeteria. School scavenger hunts are a great complement to classroom parties and classmate card exchanges. For any of these Valentine’s Day activities, remember that Welch’s^® Fruit Snacks Valentine’s Day will add the perfect sweet touch!

Pro tip: Keep a master list of hiding spots to avoid any misplaced treasures. We all have our forgetful moments!

Step 5: Add Decorations and Atmosphere

Decorations play a big part in how to celebrate Valentine’s Day. If you’re asking yourself: “How can I make a scavenger hunt more fun?” Consider setting the mood with Valentine’s Day decorations such as:

• Strings of heart-shaped garlands.
• Balloons and crepe paper in pink, red, and white.
• A themed backdrop and photo props, such as Cupid wings, a bow & arrow, X’s & O’s, etc.
• Valentine-themed tablecloths, cups, and plates.

You can also play cheerful love songs or kid-friendly tunes to keep the energy high during the hunt.

Step 6: Let the Hunt Begin!

Kick off your home scavenger hunt or school scavenger hunt with a little storytelling to set the scene. For example: “Cupid has misplaced his bag of love arrows, and it’s up to you to find them before Valentine’s Day ends!”

Hand out the first clue and watch as the kids excitedly dive into the adventure. Encourage teamwork if you have a group of participants.

Scavenger Hunt Clues

Need some inspiration for your Valentine’s Day scavenger hunt riddles? Here are some ideas for Valentine’s Day hunts:

• Under the Sofa Cushion: “We snuggle up here, watching TV, it’s fluffy and comfy, come find me!”
• In the Fridge: “I’m cold as ice and full of treats; find me where you grab your eats!”
• For the Closet: “I’m where you hang your clothes each day, find me now without delay!”
• By a Window: “Look to the light where the sun shines through, your next clue is waiting for you!”
• Under a Table: “I’m low to the ground and easy to see, crouch down and find the clue near me!”
• For the Mirror: “Look into me and you’ll see, the one who holds my heart is staring at me!”
• For the Bathroom: “I’m in the room where you get squeaky clean, I’m where the water flows and gleams!”
• Inside a Shoe: “Step by step, you’ll find your way; look inside where your feet stay!”

Obviously, you can tweak these clues based on your hiding spots and the age group of your participants.

End with a Sweet Celebration

After the final treasure is found, celebrate with some Valentine’s Day treats or a fun craft activity. Set up a station where kids can decorate heart-shaped cookies or make their own Valentine cards for loved ones. By having themed activities planned, you’ll end the scavenger hunt on a high note and give everyone a chance to wind down.

We hope we gave you plenty of ideas for how to celebrate Valentine’s Day with a scavenger hunt! With a little planning and creativity, it could become one of your new family Valentine’s traditions. So, gather your clues, hide your treasures, and get ready to spread the love this Valentine’s Day with Welch’s^® Fruit Snacks!