Free printable, no sign-up Christmas Scavenger Hunt

How to run a Christmas scavenger hunt

A Christmas scavenger hunt works in any house with a few decorations up. Teams search for holiday things, check them off and meet back by the tree. It's a good way to fill the wait on Christmas Eve, the slow hours after the gifts are open or the middle of a holiday party when the kids start circling the cookie plate.

1. 1Before the hunt, set out a few easy finds: a candy cane, a cookie cutter, a gift tag, a bag of marshmallows.
2. 2Print one sheet per team and hand out pencils.
3. 3Write the team names and the time limit at the top of every sheet.
4. 4Say which rooms are open. Close off any room where presents are still being wrapped.
5. 5Say go. Teams check off each thing where they find it. Ornaments stay on the tree, and treats stay in the kitchen.
6. 6Meet by the tree when time is up, count the boxes and hand out the prizes.

Checking things off where they are matters more at Christmas than any other time of year. Glass ornaments and snow globes break, and a tree with half its decorations carried to the couch is nobody's idea of fun.

What's on the Christmas scavenger hunt list

This printable scavenger hunt has 30 finds of three kinds. Decorations: a tree topper, a red ornament, a wreath, twinkle lights, tinsel, a nutcracker, a snow globe. Treats: a candy cane, a gingerbread cookie, a marshmallow, a mug for hot cocoa. And cozy things: fuzzy socks, a mitten, a holiday sweater, a cozy blanket and something that smells like cinnamon.

Every home decorates differently, so not every team will find all 30. That's fine. Agree before you start that the most checked boxes wins, and let the host rule on the close calls, like whether a cookie shaped like a star counts as a gingerbread cookie.

The things print in two columns with a checkbox next to each one, under lines for the team name and the time limit. Type your own title, like "Grandma's Christmas Hunt", and it prints at the top of every copy.

Teams and timing

Teams of two to four work well, and holiday gatherings are made for mixed teams. Put cousins of different ages together, or set the kids against the grown-ups and give the kids a head start. With a big family, print a sheet for every team and keep a few spares.

Give teams 15 to 20 minutes for the full list. If the house is big or the kids are small, stretch it to 25. Write the time limit on each sheet so nobody can claim they didn't know.

At a classroom holiday party, the hunt works with the decorations already in the room. Make teams by table and give them 10 minutes.

Rules for a merry hunt

• Walk, don't run. Trees, cords and gift piles are easy to trip over.
• Stay in bounds. Wrapping rooms and closets with hidden gifts are off limits.
• Ornaments stay on the tree. Point to them and check the box.
• Presents under the tree can be looked at, but not shaken, squeezed or peeked into.
• Treats you find are for later. Nobody eats the evidence until the hunt is over.
• Everything you move goes back where it was.
• The host breaks ties, and the decision stands.

Prizes and variations

Holiday prizes are easy: the first cookie, choosing the Christmas movie, hanging the last ornament or opening one small gift early. Once everyone knows the game, change it up.

Christmas scavenger hunt ideas for every age

Ages 3 to 5: Hunt together as one team with a grown-up reading the list. The lights, the candy cane and the snowman are easy wins.

Ages 6 to 10: Teams of two or three with the full list. Let them carry the sheet and be in charge of the pencil.

Ages 11 and up: Mix the order on every copy, set a tight time limit and add the riddle clues. Let teens write the riddles for the younger kids.

Grown-ups: Play it at a holiday party with mixed teams, or bring out the printable Christmas bingo cards for the table. For more ideas, see our Christmas games and family game night picks, and every holiday printable on the printables page.

Questions