Christmas Scavenger Hunt
Make a Christmas scavenger hunt for the places you actually have. Tick the spots in your home, garden or classroom, choose where the gift is hidden, and the tool writes a chain of clue cards: card 1 is handed to the player, each card is hidden at the place the card before it describes, and the last one leads to the gift. Pick our rhymes for children, riddles for teens and grown-ups, or picture clues for children who can’t read yet, drawn by us. Add your own places and clues, shuffle the order, and print 4, 6 or 8 numbered cards per page on US Letter or A4 with a hider’s answer sheet that lists where every card goes. Free, with no sign-up and no watermark.
Nothing to upload. Cards are made in your browser.
Places
Clues
Runs in your browser with our own code: the places and clues you type never leave your device, and nothing is saved. The order is drawn with your browser’s secure random numbers; every place you pick is the answer to exactly one card. The pictures are our own drawings. Print at 100% (Actual size).
How to make a Christmas scavenger hunt
- Choose where the hunt is: indoors, outdoors, both, or a classroom.
- Tick the places you have, and add your own as “place = clue”, one per line.
- Choose where the gift goes, the clue style and the card design.
- Download the PDF, print at 100% and cut on the dashed lines.
- Hide each card where the answer sheet says, then hand card 1 to the player.
What you can use it for
- Christmas morning: a trail that ends at the big present
- A hunt for children who can’t read yet, with picture clues
- A riddle trail for teens who are too old for rhymes
- A classroom hunt on the last day before the holidays
- An outdoor hunt in the garden on a dry winter day
How the clue chain works
| Card | Where it is | What its clue describes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Handed to the player | Place 1 |
| 2 | Hidden at place 1 | Place 2 |
| 3 | Hidden at place 2 | Place 3 |
| Last | Hidden at the place before the gift | The gift spot |
Every place you pick is the answer to exactly one card, no card describes the place it is hidden in, and the last card always leads to the gift. The page checks this every time it is built: in a test of 200 chains of 2 to 30 places, every one held.
The places and clues
| Set | Places | Starts with |
|---|---|---|
| Indoors at home | 22 | Christmas tree, Fridge, Bed, Bathtub, Washing machine… |
| Outdoors in the garden | 8 | Mailbox, Bike, Garden shed, Flowerpot, Bird feeder… |
| In the classroom | 10 | Teacher’s desk, Book corner, Globe, Pencil pot, Coat pegs… |
| Home, indoors and out | 30 | Christmas tree, Fridge, Bed, Bathtub, Washing machine… |
All 40 places have a rhyme for children, a riddle for teens and grown-ups, and a picture drawn by us. We left out ovens, fireplaces, heaters and anything electrical. Use dry, easy-to-reach spots, and pick an outdoor spot only if a grown-up is nearby.
Card sizes
| Cards per page | Card on US Letter | Card on A4 |
|---|---|---|
| 4 (2 × 2) | 98 × 129.7 mm (3.86 × 5.11 in) | 95 × 138.5 mm |
| 6 (2 × 3) | 98 × 86.5 mm (3.86 × 3.4 in) | 95 × 92.3 mm |
| 8 (2 × 4) | 98 × 64.8 mm (3.86 × 2.55 in) | 95 × 69.3 mm |
Worked out by the tool with 10 mm margins. Dashed lines show where to cut. Thick paper or card stock makes the cards easier to hide and find.
Clue styles and card designs
| Clue style | Best for |
|---|---|
| Rhymes | Children who can read a short rhyme |
| Riddles | Teens and grown-ups |
| Pictures | Children who can’t read yet: a drawing and the name of the place |
Card designs: Candy-cane stripe, Snowflakes, Holly and berries, Plain (saves ink). Each prints in colour or in black and white, with the card number in the corner and an optional player’s name.
More Christmas printables
Write a note to go with the gift with the Christmas Card Template, or label it with the Gift Tag Template.
- A wish list for the fridge: Christmas List Template.
- A game for after the hunt: Bingo Card Generator.
- A quiet puzzle for the afternoon: Word Search Maker.
More free Christmas printables
Planning Christmas morning?
Cards, lists and games that run in your browser: free, with no sign-up and no watermark.
Frequently asked questions
How does a Christmas scavenger hunt work?
You hide a chain of clue cards. The player gets card 1, which describes a place; there they find card 2, which describes the next place, and so on. The last card describes where the gift is. The tool builds the chain so every card points to the next hiding spot.
How do I set it up?
Print the PDF, cut out the cards and keep the answer sheet. Hide each card where the answer sheet says: card 2 at the first place, card 3 at the second, and so on. Put the gift at the last place, then hand card 1 to the player.
What order do the clues go in?
A random order, drawn with your browser’s secure random numbers, with the gift spot always last. Press Shuffle the order for a new one, or choose As listed to keep the order of the list.
How many clues should I make?
As many as you like from 2 to 30 places. The default set has 8 places. A short trail suits small children; teens can take a longer one.
Are there clues for children who can’t read?
Yes. Choose Pictures for children who can’t read yet: each card shows our drawing of the next place with its name under it. For early readers, keep the rhymes and tick Show the place’s picture on the card too.
Is there a version for teens or adults?
Yes. Choose Riddles for teens and grown-ups. Every place has its own short riddle, so the trail takes more thought.
Can I write my own clues?
Yes. Type your own places, one per line, as place = clue, for example Garage = Where the car sleeps at night. They join the chain like the others and can be the gift spot. Without a clue, the card simply names the place.
What is on the answer sheet?
A table with every card number, where to put it and the place its clue leads to, plus where the gift goes. It prints after the cards; keep it away from the players.
Can we do it outdoors or in a classroom?
Yes. Outdoors has 8 garden places and the classroom has 10. Choose Home, indoors and out to mix house and garden places in one hunt.
Can I sell the cards or use them at a paid event?
Yes. The designs are our own drawings: you may use them and anything you make with them, including things you sell, with no credit needed.
Are my places and clues uploaded?
No. The cards and the PDF are made in your browser and nothing is saved.