Rainy Day Puzzle Compendium
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Entertaining kids at home on rainy days without succumbing to 12 hours of screentime can be tricky. While we always say that you don't need blue skies and sunshine for your Trail adventure, we know that stepping outside isn't always the best option with the Great British weather!
Don't worry - we've got you covered with loads of fun puzzles and activities pulled from the Treasure Trails archives. They'll keep the kids (and you!) entertained while also getting your minds in gear ahead of your next Trail adventure.
Scroll down to solve some of our past Virtual Trails, or click here to skip straight to the puzzle collection.
Virtual Trails
Great British Sports Venues
With the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and Wimbledon in, well, Wimbledon, summer 2022 was jam-packed with super sporting events!
In this virtual Trail, you'll get to visit five of the main iconic sporting locations in Britain, all from the comfort of your home (or garden, if the wifi stretches that far!). Click the link below to download the PDF and begin your virtual quest.
(Stuck? Don’t worry - the answers can be found here!)
Exploring Urban Parks
Did you know there are 27,000 city parks which feature all over the UK?!
Once seen as a radical and revolutionary proposition, they're now the heart of our towns and cities. They're also great places for us to set Treasure Trails clues!
In this virtual Trail, you'll visit five popular public parks in the UK. All you need to do is solve the clues and get the code solution! Click the link below to download the PDF and begin your virtual mission.
(Stuck? Don’t worry - the answers can be found here!)
The right-royal mini Treasure Trail
Have you ever wanted to take a peek inside a royal palace to see how the monarchs lived? Well, you're in luck with this virtual Trail adventure!
Your quest will take you around five of the UK's castles and palaces, beginning inside Buckingham Palace itself.
Simply find the answers to the clues and note down the number you find. The total of all five numbers you find will be the answer to your mini Trail. Click the link below to download the PDF and begin your virtual quest.
(Stuck? Don’t worry, the answers can be found here!)
A Proper Courtside Drama
A rainy day might not be the perfect time to practise our swings, but there’s no reason why we can’t imagine ourselves in SW19 as we solve a Wimbledon mystery. May we suggest a nice bowl of strawberries and cream as a snack whilst you are sleuthing?
In ‘A Proper Courtside Drama’ you will need to uncover who served up a slice of murder to legendary tennis umpire Diddy Seeit.
Simply find the answers to the clues and eliminate the suspects. When you have only one left you will know who allegedly bumped off the umpire. Click the link below to download the PDF and begin your virtual case.
(Stuck? Don’t worry, the answers can be found here!)
Real-life superheroes!
Getting out to explore in a downpour might not sound appealing, but there’s no reason why we can’t make like Supergirl/Superman and VIRTUALLY fly about a bit!
Here's another mind-twisting mini Trail for you to wrap your super-elastic mind around. Simply seek the answers to the clues and note down the number you find. The total of all five numbers you find will be the answer to your mini Trail. Click the link below to download the PDF and begin your virtual quest.
(Stuck? Don’t worry, you don’t have to use your laser eyes, the answers for it can be found here!)
Journey through time
Climb aboard that time machine to journey with us as we pull the lever to reverse and head into the past with our Journey into History Virtual Trail.
Simply seek the answers to the clues and note down the letter you find. The final letters in alphabetical order will be the answer code for your mini Trail. Click the link below to download the PDF and begin your virtual mission.
(Stuck? Don’t worry, the answers can be found here!)
Puzzles
A wonderful Wordsworth poetic acrostic
To celebrate the life of Wordsworth, this acrostic has a poetic twist! Click on the link below to download the puzzle sheet and instructions. Solve the clues and enter your answers into the boxes next to them – one letter per box.
Once solved, the letters in the numbered boxes can be copied into the matching numbered boxes below. This will give you a quote from a piece of prose written by a famous poet, who happened to be friends with Wordsworth.
The first column of your answer grid, when read vertically, will reveal this poet’s surname. Good luck!
(Stuck? Don’t worry - the answers can be found here!)
The wonderfully weird wartime wordsearch
You’ll probably need an Enigma decrypting machine state of mind to figure this one out! Be warned it is a tricky one – but we know you’ll get it in the end…
Click the link below to download the puzzle PDF. Read the fascinating, totally true wartime tale, then try to find the words from the story in the grid. Will you find them all and reveal the puzzle's secret?
(Stuck? Don’t worry - the answers can be found here!)
An egg-cellent Easter wordsearch
It doesn't have to be Easter to enjoy some egg-citing puzzle solving, and if there are no chocolate eggs in the shops to fuel your puzzling brain, any chocolate will do!
Can YOU crackthis Easter wordsearch to discover the secret riddle hidden within it? Click the link below to download the PDF and begin searching for the themed words.
(Stuck? Don’t worry, the answers can be found here!)
A heroic acrostic
Be the rainy-day hero with this marvellous acrostic puzzle to defeat!
Click on the link below to download the puzzle sheet and instructions. Solve the clues and enter your answers into the boxes next to them – one letter per box.
Once solved, the letters in the numbered boxes can be copied into the matching numbered boxes below. This will give you a quote from one of our favourite caped heroes. The first column of your answer grid, when read vertically, will reveal this hero's full name. Good luck!
(Stuck? Yeah, don’t worry, we were too! We’ve just got Doctor Strange to retrieve the answers from the Multiverse of Madness for us and they can be found here!)
The Great British summer wordsearch
Summer is upon us! But if you're here, that can only mean one thing… Storms, wind, gales and cancelled events of course!
Don’t panic though – we’ve filled that summertime void with The Treasure Trails Great British Summer Wordsearch. Click the link below to download the PDF and begin searching for the summery terms. Make sure you read the instructions closely. By the time you've solved it, the sun will (hopefully) be shining!
(Stuck? Don’t worry - the answers can be found here!)
The cryptic UK location spotter wordsearch
Let’s see how well you can identify some UK locations from the cryptic clues provided!
This puzzle is all about getting to know the UK a bit better. Solve the clue that is hidden in this wordsearch - the answer is a town or city somewhere in the UK. Once you've discovered them all, you'll reveal one last cryptic clue to crack!
Click the link below to download the PDF and begin searching for the curious locations.
(Stuck? Don’t worry - the answers can be found here!)
Extreme dot-to-dot
Thought that dot-to-dot drawing was simple? Then oh boy, have we come up with a challenge for you!
Click the link below to download our extreme dot-to-dot puzzle within a puzzle. Pay close attention to the instructions and top tips, or you'll be working on this puzzle for days!
Once you reveal the hidden picture, there's another clue for you to crack. Best of luck - we think you’ll need it...
(Stuck? Don’t worry - the answers can be found here!)
Treat your inbox
Want more awesome puzzles? Make sure you're signed up to our mailing list for all our latest Virtual Trails, puzzles, games, news and chances to win super prizes throughout the year. Simply scroll down to the bottom of this page and sign up in the 'Treat your inbox' section.
Brave the rain on a Trail adventure
A bit of rain can add to the fun of your Treasure Trail, whether it's sheltering from showers or dodging puddles between clues. And you can still go out on almost all Trail adventures - especially those set in towns and cities, rather than countryside and coast paths.
Trailer Diane Jeary and her detective squad proved this when they took on a Trail in Winchester and landed themselves in our record book for the Trail completed in the wettest weather!
So, when you've had your fill of indoor puzzling and you're ready to put your geared-up minds to good use, get your hands on a Treasure Trail and set off on an adventure. You might even pinch the record from them!
The main things to remember when Trailing in the rain is to check for weather warnings and be prepared. Kit yourselves out with your coats and wellies just in case - especially if post-mission puddle jumping is on the cards.
Make sure you've got somewhere to stash the Trail booklet and keep it dry if the rain gets heavy - this could be a waterproof bag or pocket if you're waiting for the latest shower to pass. If you're not going to let a little rain stop you, A4 plastic pockets - like the ones you'd use in a ring binder - are brilliant for keeping your Trail dry while keeping the clues visible.
