Familiarize students to key areas in the school using this interactive and free first day of school scavenger hunt.
This scavenger hunt, which focuses on places around the school, breaks the ice among classmates, reduces first day jitters, and encourages a sense of classroom community.
This activity can be tweaked to fit the needs of students no matter the grade.
Students enjoy collaborating in order to find the answers to these fun back to school scavenger hunt riddles.
Related: first day of school activities for elementary students
First Day of School Scavenger Hunt for Students
1. Here you can create magic with something as simple as a straw, but the most obvious thing you’ll do here is learn how to draw. (Art Room)
2. During the school year, on special days, we visit this place to watch spectacular plays. (Auditorium)
3. If I stay in this rest area for too long, a teaching moment I may miss. So I quickly make a run here and take care of my business. (Bathroom)
4. When my tummy is hungry, and I need something to eat, I can go to this place and buy a meal or a treat. (Cafeteria)
5. If a vehicle picks me up after school, then here I have to wait. And the teacher on duty watching me may be worried if my guardian is late. (Carpool)
6. There is a place that I know best, it’s where I show everyone I can stand above the rest. It’s also the place where I take my test. (Classroom)
7. This place is full of magical machines that allow me to print and type, and I can even use the Internet to learn how to make a kite. (Computer Lab)
8. If I’m feeling kind of sad, or even a little mad, I can go to this place to talk about my feelings and then become glad. (Counselor)
9. This area is abuzz with teachers plus students who walk and walk. So to keep the noise level down, we must watch how loud we talk. (Hallway)
10. If I am in the mood for a good book, where can I go to get a book on how to be a cook? (Library)
11. There are many pretty sounds that come from this room, but don’t expect any of them to be made with a broom. (Music Room)
12. When I am in recess, and my leg gets a sprain, who is there to give me joy and take away the pain? (Nurse)
13. When I need some exercise and want to play a game, I can go to this place to work on my aim. (P.E)
14. We can run, play, and chase here when there is no sign of rain. This time of the day is necessary to help us stay sane. (Playground)
15. There is a place that I wouldn’t want to visit, unless I was caught being good then I wouldn’t want to miss it. (School Office)
Related: You might find the back-to-school resources page helpful as you prepare for the start of a new school year.
16. When I’m struggling with my work, there’s a chart on the wall that I can view. And it will help me understand the task by giving me a clue. (Anchor Chart)
17. With personal belongings, here is the place where we keep. But we must organize the things neatly and not throw them into one big heap. (Backpack)
18. This is the place to put our student work on exhibit, so that parents, peers, and the school community can see that all we do is exquisite. (Bulletin Boards)
19. To have enough pointy pencils on hand to pick, it’s faster to use one of these to sharpen them if it’s electric. (Pencil Sharpener)
20. These private areas inside our classroom are convenient when there’s urgency. But they’re even better when we’re experiencing a biological emergency! (Classroom Bathrooms)
21. Books of all genres and levels line the shelves. And at times during the school day, we’re free to pick out a few selections for ourselves. (Classroom Library)
22. Each morning, students review this chart to see what they’re doing in class that day, but many kids are most concerned about the time when they can play. (Classroom Schedule)
23. Chaos would ensue if we stored everything near our seat, so it’s best to place some of our supplies here in order to keep things neat. (Cubbies)
24. Here we can see upcoming school events to review and be sure we are daily taking care of all the things that we need to do. (Daily Calendar)
25. This is your special area in the classroom that the teacher wants you to keep neat and try your best not to distract others by staying in your seat. (Desk)
26. In this basket, I’ll be sure to turn in my assignments before it’s too late. So I better be sure to jot down in my daily agenda the correct due date. (Homework Tray)
27. Using these devices can make the lesson more interesting and hype, because we’re able to speed up the time it takes to finish due to having the chance to type. (Laptops)
28. To transition from easy to harder math problems, it’s necessary to take a mental leap. So use these helpful tools to give your mind a boost for thinking deep. (Math Manipulatives)
29. Our teacher sometimes uses this machine so that all of us can see and pay close attention to all of the essential information that he/she points out as key. (Projector)
30. After my teacher’s mini-lesson, I try out the reading skill. And when I apply the strategy well, I get such an amazing thrill. What block in the day is this? (Reader’s Workshop)
31. In this place, each student will store his/her important document files, because if not, then all of the past work papers will turn into one big pile. (Student File Folders)
32. When I need tools to help me do my work, I dash to look for the appropriate materials in my stash. (Supplies)
33. Here you may sometimes see lots of papers, even piles. But we know it is not wise to ever touch any of the teacher’s files. (Teacher’s Desk)
34. If you’re worried about a word that’s a bit difficult to spell, just take a look around the classroom and this area will have the words to tell. (Word Wall)
35. During this imaginative block, we’re growing young authors. Plus a few times per week, we need to peer edit with a partner. (Writer’s Workshop)
Final Thoughts
Students will love these first day of school scavenger hunt riddles.
For more scavenger hunt fun, test out this gratitude scavenger hunt for kids or send home as first-day-of-school homework a fun indoor scavenger hunt printable.
Now you’re all set to start the back to school season with a bang!
If you enjoyed these first day of school scavenger hunt riddles, you might be interested in ideas for first day of school writing prompts.