This fun Dr. Seuss scavenger hunt is full of clues using words and phrases from Dr. Seuss books in an activity that your kids will absolutely love! It’s a great way to celebrate Read Across America Day or just enjoy an activity inspired by one of your favorite books!
Free Printable Dr Seuss Scavenger Hunt
I’ve always been a huge fan of Dr. Seuss books (there’s a reason they make some of the best baby shower books) and of scavenger hunts so this year for Read Across America Day, I thought it would be fun to share a Dr. Seuss inspired scavenger hunt!
I went through all of my favorite books and picked out characters, words, and phrases that would fit and made a scavenger hunt.
Pair it with this Cat in the Hat craft or any of these other Dr. Seuss games for the perfect activity for Dr. Seuss Day or even if you’re just looking for some reading activities!
Dr. Suess Scavenger Hunt Supplies
This scavenger hunt doesn’t require much. Here’s what you need.
- Scavenger hunt clues – you can get these are the bottom of this post! They’ll need to be printed and cut out.
- Tape – not all spot requires tape, but you will find it comes in handy for some of the clue locations. My go to is painters tape since it is so easy to remove and won’t do any damage to whatever you tape the clues to!
- Prize – this can be whatever you want like a book basket, a treat, family outing, or small prize. You can also forgo a prize entirely. Check out the bottom of the post for a list of easy prize ideas.
Printing Recommendations
- I recommend printing on white paper so the designs don’t get lost (if you printed on color paper).
- For sturdier clues, consider using card stock. It’s not necessary but does afdd weight to the cards!
- If you don’t want to waste ink or you want want a professional look to them, you can easily print these at your local print shop too!
How to Do A Dr. Suess Scavenger Hunt
The hardest part of scavenger hunts is coming up with the clues. Since that’s done for you, the rest is a piece of cake. Just don’t forget the order – I highly recommend writing down the order of the clues on the back of the clues before you hide them!
1 – Print The Clues
- Download the free printable clues and cut them out.
- Write the order of the clues on the back of each individual clue (or a separate paper that you’ll keep with you) along with where the clues need to be hid. This helps immensely when you’re actually hiding the clues!
For example, if the clue is hid in the shoes then leads to the shower I would write, shoes -> shower. That way it’s easy to keep track of the order.
2 – Hide the Clues
I did my best to come up with locations that are universal to most households. If one doesn’t apply to you, you can always skip that clue. It won’t change anything in the hunt, you’ll just have one less clue.
- Take the first clue and place it in an envelope or something similar to hand the kids when you are ready to start.
- Place the next clue in the location that the first clue describes.
- Place the third clue in the location that the second clue describes.
- Continue the pattern until you have all the clues hidden.
- Add a prize or special surprise where the final clue leads. It’s not a scavenger hunt without some sort of surprise at the end! I’ve included some fun scavenger hunt prize ideas if you keep reading this post!
Fun Prize Tip!
If you really want to make it fun, you can include some sort of little Dr. Seuss related surprise or prize along with each clue that the kids can use at the end! It’d be fun to do something like plastic green eggs (for Green Eggs and Ham), gold star stickers (for the Sneetches), etc. No need to spend a lot of money, just do small things!
3 – Find the Scavenger Hunt Clues
Now that you’ve got it all set up, it’s time to play. Fair warning, this can go fast. My family gets so excited about these that they fly through each clue to get to the prize at the end. We all love every minute of it, but it’s typically only a few minutes long!
That’s why I love to pair scavenger hunts with other activities (like these board games for kids!).
- Begin by giving the participants their first clue.
- Let them follow the directions from each clue to the next until they reach the end.
- The hunt ends when they reach the final location or the prize.
Dr. Suess Scavenger Hunt Prizes
I’ve done my best to come up with a bunch of different prizes that can work for a variety of ages. I also wanted to make sure to have some small ideas that you can place at each stop or big prizes that work better at the final location.
- Book set – you can never go wrong with a Dr. Suess book, or five!
- Book themed earaser – these are great for a classroom or to hide at each clue spot.
- Writing class
- Character stress balls – put these in a book basket or use them as their own prize.
- Truffula pens
- Dr. Suess board game
- Kid pajamas
- Lorax stuffed toy – pair it with the Lorax and this is an easy gift.
- Kids cook book – full of fun Dr. Suess recipes that is designed for young chefs.
- Suessical The Musical tickets
Printable FAQs
How many copies do I need to print?
You only need one copy of the scavenger hunt. This can be done with as many people as you want, just have them take turns reading and finding the clues – but everyone goes together! If you do this Dr. Seuss scavenger hunt with multiple people, make sure to have enough prizes for everyone!
What if one of the clue spots doesn’t work for my house?
If you don’t have one of the locations listed on a clue, you can simply skip that clue and not include it in your hunt.
Do you have any blank clues so I can write my own?
Unfortunately, I don’t have blank cards or editable cards included in the editable PDF file. This keeps others from taking my editable files, copying them, and selling them.
More Fun Book Inspired Activities
If your kids like this Dr Seuss scavenger hunt, try one of these other book activities next!
- Harry Potter scavenger hunt
- Call of the Wild activities
- Goosebumps party ideas
- Hunger Games party ideas
- Grinch gift exchange
Download the Printable
Enter your first name and email address in the form below to get the printable PDF. You will receive a link to download the PDF to your email within minutes.
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- Details on what the PDF includes
All printables are for personal use only and cannot be used for any commercial or for profit purposes. If you have questions about use or licensing, please email me.
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