It’s the season of candy canes, snowflakes and lots of festive fun! As you prepare for Christmas add a free printable scavenger hunt to your holiday plans. Creating memories and planning activities for kids doesn’t have to be time consuming or expensive. Scavenger hunts are great any time of year, and this Christmas Scavenger hunt is free to print and you don’t need any special materials.

I love planning fun, engaging activities for my kids and students, especially this time of year. There are so many fun themes and ideas to make even simple activities special and festive.

This Christmas scavenger hunt includes eight themed riddles for children to solve as they are lead on a hunt around your house. The game can be played independently or with a small group. At the end players find a small prize, treat or simply the (included) completion certificates.

You can print and set up the hunt in minutes around your house.

For another popular DIY Christmas activity check out a DIY Christmas Escape Room or if you are preparing early and Thanksgiving is still to come, check out a Free Printable Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt. This hunt follows the same structure as the Christmas scavenger hunt, with with a whole different set of riddles and all Thanksgiving themed.

Christmas Scavenger Hunt Cards

To set up your scavenger hunt, start by printing the eight riddles and completion certificate. On each page there are two riddles. Cut each page in half and you’re ready to hide the clues.

You can either set the clues in each location in an easy and visible location. If you have young players or children that have not done a scavenger hunt before, keeping it simple is best.

If you have a group of children playing or older children, you can add to the challenge of the scavenger hunt by hiding each clue out of sight in each location so that players have to search.

The locations of the clues are:

• A Stocking
• Toys
• Couch/Sofa
• Mittens
• Fruit
• Christmas Tree
• Elf
• Bed

You don’t need to prepare anything in these locations, they are simply where you will set the riddle.

Scavenger Hunt Set Up

On the bottom of each riddle, the location for it to be placed/hidden is printed to help make set up easier and faster!

Set aside about half an hour for the scavenger hunt especially if your children are new to these types of hunts and if you decide to hide the clues so that players have to search in order to find each riddle.

This Christmas scavenger hunt is also a fun way to give children a special present. They have to work through each of the clues and travel around the house until the final clue in order to win. The final spot can include a gift or prize for players. It’s an easy way to create a special memory.

This Christmas scavenger hunt is created to be used at home. If you are an educator looking for a scavenger hunt to try at school, visit Free School Scavenger Hunt. A free Christmas scavenger hunt for the classroom is coming soon.

Christmas Scavenger Hunt Welcome Clue

The first riddle welcomes players to the game. You can read the clue aloud, set it in a location you know players will find or simply give the clue to the players.

This riddle tells players to check stockings and then look inside them for the next clue.

Christmas Scavenger Hunt Clue #2

Once players find and search the stockings, they will find their second clue. The stockings can be ones that are hung up at home or even a small stocking ornament.

This clue tells players to check around their own toys for their next riddle.

Scavenger Hunt for Kids Toy Box Clue

As children search through their toys or around the spot that lots of toys are stored in your home, they will find another clue. This clue tells players that they need to search where they would “curl up to watch a holiday movie or show”.

Christmas Scavenger Hunt Riddle #4

Players search all around the couch, including behind pillows and under cushions for their next clue. When they find the clue it suggests for kids to “Check where the mittens and hats are stored, in a basket or maybe the hall”.

You can place this clue inside a mitten or around the place in your home that children would find their mittens or other items to keep them warm when the weather gets cold.

Christmas Scavenger Hunt Clue #5

As children dig through the mittens, they’ll find their next clue that tells them they’ll find their next clue where they store their fruit. It can be fruit like clementines or even just apples and bananas.

Scavenger Hunt for Kids Clue #6

Whether your fruit is stored on the counter or in the fridge, the next clue is hidden among the fruits. Here the sixth clue can be found. The clue tells players to “Look all around your Christmas tree, it’s a magical sight of wonder.”

Christmas Clue #7

With twinkling lights and ornaments, the next clue is hidden in the branches of your Christmas tree. It can be placed open and easy to find or rolled up and placed behind an ornament.

The clue tells players to search all around an adorable elf.

If you have an elf on the shelf that visits your children, the next riddle can be placed near them. The elf can also be an elf ornament, picture or toy.

Best Christmas Scavenger Hunt Riddle #8

With your adorable elf, the eight and final clue can be found.

This final clue reads:

Your final clue is hidden where you lay your head each night to sleep,

On Christmas Eve a special visitor will come, but he won’t make a peep.

Players hurry to their bed!

Completion Certificate

Somewhere in the bed, or near the bed, the completion certificate can be placed. You can print the certificate for each child or one for the group. This final location can also hold a special treat or present for children.

The scavenger hunt is a fun way to make giving a special gift even more memorable.

To continue the scavenger hunt fun, try a free printable New Years Eve Escape Room game. Simply print and hide the clues, just like the Christmas Scavenger Hunt. Each clue includes a puzzle for children to solve! This activity is perfect for families and groups and it can all be done at home!

I hope that you and your family enjoy the Christmas scavenger hunt! Make sure to check out all of my other freebies to keep kids busy, learning and having fun all year long!

Free Printable Riddles

All of the printables featured in this activity are available for FREE from Hands-On Teaching Ideas. When you subscribe you will gain access to the Resource Library, and receive emails with the latest products, promotions and activity ideas.

More Scavenger Hunt Ideas for Kids

Any time of year is a great time for a scavenger hunt. Children love the challenge and fun of racing around to find each next clue, parents and educators love how easy scavenger hunts are to set up as well as the problem solving and team work children learn.

More Hands-On Teaching Ideas

Christmas is a wonderful time for lots of hands-on activities for kids. If you’re looking for more activities to try with children in the classroom or at home, below is a collection of popular activities from STEM ideas, crafts and hands-on learning activities.