Easter Hunts are great fun for any age group. The excitement of finding where the Easter Bunny has hidden the eggs adds a little anticipation and mystery to the day. As kids get older they start to transition out of the Easter Bunny stage but we still want them to feel part of the fun. An Easter Hunt for Tweens and Teens with cryptic clues to solve, can be a great way for older kids to still enjoy the celebrations. It can also help make the excitement of Easter morning last that little bit longer.
Over the years our Easter Scavenger Hunts have evolved and changed as the kids have gotten older. Originally they were picture clue based, then rhyming clues once our eldest could read. Each year the clues have had to be more cryptic.
I know I could just hide some eggs around our yard, but I know I’ll forget where they’re hidden, and the kids will inevitably miss some. Then I’ll find the chocolate eggs in a melted mess weeks later, or send them flying in a colourful foil and chocolate spray around the backyard when I hit them with the lawn mower. So for us, Scavenger Hunts are definitely the way to go. And besides, they’re lots of fun!
Encrypted Clues!
At 13 and 10 years old, our kids are in the teen and tween stage. As we’ve lived in the same house for quite a few years, coming up with original clues for the same old hiding spots can be tricky. We need to up our game to make the Easter Hunt fun and not too easy. So we’re doing something different this year. Taking inspiration from our daughter’s love of detective novels, the kids will need to ‘crack’ the code and solve the clues to find their Easter eggs. This will also help make the fun of Easter morning last a bit longer.
Free printables to host your own Easter Egg Hunt for Tweens and Teens
If you’re looking for a fun way to include your tweens and teens this Easter, grab our FREE printables with 20 clues for items/places found in most homes at the end of this post. Along with a decoder table and full instructions for maximum fun and minimal effort on the grown ups’ part.
The Decoder table I’ve created, is a ‘Caeser Cipher’ with a right shift of three. Which simply means it’s a basic substitution cipher, where the letter A is replaced with the number 4, B is replaced with the number 5 and so on. I’ll explain it all below.
If you’d like to learn more about Caeser Cipher codes, visit here.
Use the clues that best suit your family. If you don’t have a clothes dryer for example, just remove that clue. If you think 20 clues is too many and your kids might lose interest, then cut it down to 15 or 10.
I’ve made the clues a bit cryptic so it’s not too obvious what the word is when they start deciphering the code. For example, when the hiding place is ‘Oven’, the clue is: 26,11,8,21,8,23,18,5,4,14,8,4,6,4,14,8.
Using the Decoder table as shown below, the answer is: ‘where to bake a cake’ (i.e. oven)
| 26 | 11 | 8 | 21 | 8 | 23 | 18 | 5 | 4 | 14 |
| W | H | E | R | E | T | O | B | A | K |
| 8 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 14 | 8 | ||||
| E | A | C | A | K | E |
Feel free to use these clues as they are, or as a starting point for clues for your own family. You can use the Decoder Table to create your own clues for your own home, or to add more clues to make the fun last longer or to include outside clues.
Have fun!
What you’ll need:
*printer to print out the clues and instructions
*scissors to cut the clues along the dotted lines and separate the clues
*pens
*re-usable plastic Easter eggs (optional, but certainly add to the Easter fun when filled with a few mini eggs and the next clue)
*treats for the kids to find along the way.
Based on the kid’s ages, treats may include, mini choc eggs, craft supplies, lip balms, or Easter books. As we’re heading into the Winter months at Easter in Australia, a practical gift of cosy pjs or a new pair of slippers can be a great gift to find.
Please note: the fun really is in solving the clues, so this doesn’t need to be expensive. If you’d prefer to keep chocolate and/or expense to a minimum, you could just have one larger Easter egg or treat to be found at the end of the Hunt.
Instructions
- Download and print the FREE printables at the end of this post.
- Purchase the eggs and any other treats for along the way ahead of time.
- On the kid’s copy, cut along the lines (———–) to separate the clues and the Decoder Table.
- Keep the Solutions copy at hand as it contains the answers. This will help if you need to provide any additional verbal clues on the day.
On the day
- Hide the clues and treats. It can be a good idea to do this on Easter morning rather than the night before. Especially if you have pets that might accidentally find the edible treats.
- While the clues and treats are being hidden, it can be a good idea to get the kids out of the house so they don’t find any of the clues before the hunt starts. Or set the kids up in one room where no clues will be hidden with an Easter book, game or TV show while the clues are set up.
- At each stop, place the clue for the next stop and a few treats. For example, once the first clue is solved (oven), they go to the oven, then they’ll find the next clue to solve (under pillow), then when they look under the pillow, they find the next clue, and so on until the final clue (coat pocket). Then when they go to the coat pocket they find their Easter Eggs!
- Leave the Easter Letter with the Decoder Table for your tween or teen where they’ll find it, so they know what to look forward to.
- When you’re ready to start the hunt, give them the first clue (and a pen to record the answers). Then, the Hunt is on!
Please note, these clues can be used in any order. Just make sure that at each stop, you leave the next clue.
Clues
Below are the clues to use for your own cryptic Easter Hunt. Choose a few or use them all.
Grab the Free printables at the end of this post. The clues are encrypted and ready to be solved by your tween or teen!
- WHERE TO BAKE A CAKE (oven)
- REST YOUR WEARY HEAD (under pillow)
- STRETCHY PAIRS FOR YOUR FEET (sock drawer)
- FIND YOUR FAVOURITE BOOK (bookcase)
- TURN DIRTY CLOTHES INTO CLEAN (washing machine)
- WHERE WE KEEP TOOTHBRUSHES (toothbrush drawer)
- RECLINE HERE TO RELAX (under couch or couch cushion)
- CLOTHES DRY QUICKLY HERE (clothes dryer)
- KEEPS FOOD FRESH AND COLD (fridge)
- FUN AND GAMES (toy box or games cupboard)
- STINKY PAIRS FOR OUTSIDE (shoe cupboard or inside a shoe)
- FIND EATING UTENSILS (cutlery drawer)
- PRINTED MEMORY IN A FRAME (behind or near a photo frame)
- WATER AND WATCH GROW (flower pot)
- HANG OUT AS A FAMILY (living room)
- COOK BREAD FAST (toaster)
- DISH WASHING SUPPLIES (under kitchen sink)
- WASH HAIR HERE (shower)
- SEE FAVOURITE SHOW (TV cabinet/behind TV)
- WEAR OUTSIDE ON A COLD DAY (in coat pocket)
Click on the links below for your FREE Printables!
Family Creative Challenge
Hold an Easter Hunt this Easter for you kids or extended family and friends! You can make up your own clues, or print out the Free printables above. Have fun!
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