Christmas Scavenger Hunt Ideas for Kids (Indoor, Outdoor & Riddle Clues)

Game Night Paper Co. · 2026-10-19

A scavenger hunt is easy to set up and keeps kids busy for a good while. It works on Christmas Eve, during winter break, or as a fun way to hand over one special gift. Here are four kinds of Christmas hunts and how to set each one up.

1. The indoor Christmas hunt

Give kids a checklist of things to find around the house, like a candy cane, something red, a stocking or a family photo. Teams race to check off every item. Add a few tricky ones ("something that jingles") for older kids.

Setup time: 2 minutes. Print the list and hand out pencils.

2. The outdoor winter hunt

Bundle up and take the list outside: a pinecone, an icicle, a bird, a house with lights, footprints in the snow. It's a great way to burn off energy before a big dinner.

3. The picture hunt (for ages 3+)

For kids who can't read yet, use a sheet of pictures instead of words. They color in each item they find. Pair them with an older sibling for extra fun.

4. The holiday lights car hunt

Turn a drive to see Christmas lights into a game. Kids spot items from the car window, like a blow-up snowman, all-blue lights or a lit-up reindeer. The first to fill the card picks the music on the way home.

The big one: a riddle treasure hunt that ends at the gift

This is the hunt kids remember. Write rhyming clues that each point to a hiding spot, like the fridge, the dryer or under a pillow. Each spot holds the next clue, and the last one leads to a gift.

How to set it up:

Write or print your clues and number them.
Hand clue 1 to the kids.
Hide clue 2 at the spot clue 1 describes, clue 3 at the spot clue 2 describes, and so on.
Hide the gift at the final spot.

Tips:

Use 8 to 12 clues. More than that and younger kids lose interest.
Keep a host key so you remember where everything is!
For mixed ages, let the youngest read (or "read") each clue aloud.

Finish with a certificate

A printable "Scavenger Hunt Champion" certificate turns a fun hour into a keepsake.

Print-and-go hunts

Our Christmas Scavenger Hunt pack includes indoor, outdoor, picture and holiday lights hunts. It also has 12 original rhyming clue cards, a host hiding guide and champion certificates.

Christmas Scavenger Hunt

Indoor, outdoor, picture and car-window hunts, plus 12 rhyming treasure clues. $4.49

See it on Payhip