Christmas Scavenger Hunt: Printable Clues, Lists and a Photo Hunt

You want a Christmas scavenger hunt that works on the day, not one that looked cute on Pinterest and fell apart at clue three. The short answer: pick one of three formats and match it to your crowd. For one or two kids on Christmas morning, run a clue trail that ends at a gift. For a room full of cousins, hand out a find-it list. For a mixed group of ages, or a walk around the neighborhood lights, split people into teams and run a photo scavenger hunt.

This guide has all three, ready to use. There are 15 rhyming clues for kids and 12 harder ones for adults, each tied to a hiding spot most homes have. There are two printable find lists, a 30-prompt photo hunt with scoring, a light-tour version, and a section on the things that usually go wrong.

For planning: Christmas Eve 2026 falls on a Thursday and Christmas Day on a Friday, so the weekend of December 26 and 27 is a natural slot for a family gathering hunt.

Which Christmas scavenger hunt should you run?

Each format solves a different problem. A clue trail turns opening one present into a 20-minute event. A find list keeps a group busy while the adults cook. A photo hunt gets people of different ages working together and leaves you with pictures.

Your situation	Best format	Group size	Time	Prep
One or two kids, Christmas morning, one big gift	Clue trail (gift hunt)	1–3 players	15–30 min	1 hour
A partner or adult kids, one special gift	Adult clue trail	1–2 players	20–40 min	1 hour
Lots of kids indoors while dinner cooks	Item-find list	Any	15–30 min	20 min
Mixed ages at a family gathering	Team photo hunt	8–40, in teams	45–60 min	30 min
Holiday party with adults	Team photo hunt	10–60, in teams	30–60 min	30 min
Evening walk or drive to see lights	Light-tour photo hunt	Families or teams	45–90 min	20 min

If you are torn, ask whether there is one prize or many players. One prize and one or two players means a clue trail. Many players means a list or a photo hunt, because a single trail with ten kids becomes a stampede led by the oldest.

How to set up a Christmas morning scavenger hunt

The Christmas morning scavenger hunt is the classic version: the child gets a first clue, each clue leads to the next hiding spot, and the last one leads to a present. It's simple, but a few setup habits make the difference between a fun half hour and a parent crawling under the couch at 7 a.m. looking for clue six.

Write the trail backward. Start at the gift and work back to the first clue. Number each card on the back so you know which one went missing.

Photograph every hiding spot. It sounds fussy until a relative tidies the kitchen at midnight.

Hide the night before. Walk the trail in order. Check each clue is findable at kid height and that nothing requires opening an oven, a medicine cabinet, or a knife drawer.

Run it as the last gift. After the main pile, it doesn't get lost in the chaos, and kids don't rush it to get back to the tree.

Give the first clue in a stocking or at breakfast. A card with their name on it in a different envelope signals "this is the start."

How many clues by age

These are our suggestions, not research. Scavify's Christmas guide recommends keeping the whole hunt to 25–45 minutes, and that matches what we'd aim for with older kids and adults.

Age	Clues	Clue style	Typical time	Adult role
3–4	3–5	Picture clues, or a short rhyme read aloud	10 min	Reads every clue, walks along
5–7	5–8	Short rhymes, familiar rooms	10–20 min	Helps read, gives hints
8–12	8–12	Riddles, simple codes, a physical task	20–30 min	Stays out of the way
Teens	10–12	Wordplay, ciphers, a timer	20–40 min	Hands over clue one and waits
Adults	8–12	Riddles, inside jokes, anagrams	20–40 min	Brings coffee

For non-readers, Hallmark's planning guide suggests direct instructions read aloud for toddlers and "I spy" style hints for preschoolers. A photo of the hiding spot, printed small or drawn, works well for this age too.

Two or more kids on one morning

Give each child their own envelope color and trail. Trails can share hiding spots, but each kid opens only their color, so the oldest can't solve everything while the youngest cries in the hallway. Give the younger child fewer clues so both finish together.

Christmas scavenger hunt clues for kids (ready to print)

Here are 15 rhyming Christmas scavenger hunt clues for common hiding spots. Pick the ones that match your house, put them in order, and write the next spot's clue on each card. The hiding spot in brackets is where you put the clue that reads the line above it. In other words, the clue for "bed" sends the kid to their bed, and the next clue is waiting there.

1. Bed: "Santa came while you were sleeping tight. Go back to where you spent the night." [under the pillow]
2. Toothbrush: "Before you eat a single sweet, go brush the teeth you use to eat." [next to the toothbrush]
3. Fridge: "It's chilly in here, like the North Pole, with milk and eggs and a butter roll." [front of a shelf, at kid height]
4. Freezer: "Even colder, where the snowmen stay. Look by the ice cream, then be on your way." [in a sandwich bag]
5. Boots: "Before you stomp outside in snow, look in the place where your toes go." [inside a boot or shoe]
6. Washing machine: "Socks go in dirty and come out clean. Look inside the spinning machine." [empty washer or dryer, door left open]
7. Christmas tree: "I wear lights and a star on my head. Look in my branches, near something red." [tied to a low branch]
8. Couch: "Where grown-ups doze after Christmas dinner, dig in the cushions to find a winner." [under a seat cushion]
9. Bathtub: "Rubber ducks swim here, splish and splash. Pull back the curtain and look, quick as a flash." [taped inside the curtain]
10. Bookshelf: "Stories live here, row by row. Look for the book with pictures of snow." [inside a winter picture book]
11. Cookie jar: "Santa's snack is kept in here. Lift the lid, the next clue is near." [in the jar, in a bag]
12. Coat closet: "Coats and scarves and hats hang here. Check the pockets, the clue is near." [in a coat pocket]
13. Pet bed: "Somebody furry sleeps here at night. Check their bed, if they say it's all right." [under the cushion]
14. Stocking: "It hangs up high with your name on top. Reach inside, but do not stop." [toe of the stocking]
15. Final clue (fill in): "You cracked every clue and searched every place. Your present is waiting in ______'s favorite space." [the gift]

For younger players, read each rhyme aloud and pause before the last word so they can shout the answer. Put clues at their eye level, not yours.

For older kids, add one clue that needs a task before the next card is handed over. Hallmark's examples include building a block tower of a set height. Other options: sing a full verse of a carol, solve a one-line code (A=1, B=2), or count the ornaments on one branch and use the number to pick a book page.

Christmas scavenger hunt clues for adults

A Christmas scavenger hunt for adults needs harder clues, a bit more humor, and a better prize than a candy cane. These 12 work for a partner, adult children home for the holidays, or a small group on teams. Answers are in brackets. Swap in inside jokes wherever you can, because a clue only your family understands is better than any we can write.

1. "I'm the coldest room in the house, and nobody can walk into me." [freezer]
2. "RIZE FREE. Unscramble me, then open me." [freezer, as an anagram, if you didn't use clue 1]
3. "Without me, nobody in this house opens presents politely. Look where the morning starts dripping." [coffee maker]
4. "I do the dirty work, then spin the story." [washing machine]
5. "Batteries, takeout menus, three pens that don't work and a key to nothing. Every house has one of me." [junk drawer]
6. "The most fought-over object in this house on December 25th." [TV remote]
7. "The second most fought-over object. Hands off, it's set where it's set." [thermostat, taped beside it]
8. "Hibernating until July, wearing a coat of its own." [grill under its cover, or the garage]
9. "Mirror, mirror, on the wall. Look behind me, that is all." [bathroom mirror cabinet, or tucked in the frame]
10. "Where the wrapping paper goes to start a new life." [recycling bin, under the lid, not inside]
11. "Twelve days of Christmas, and not one of them spent parallel parking." [car glove box]
12. "Ebenezer can help. Page 1, line 1, first word." [inside a copy of A Christmas Carol, or any book you name]

Hallmark also suggests themed adult hunts (cocktails, caroling, trivia) and a romantic version. For a partner, hide each clue at a spot tied to a shared memory, like the mug from your first trip. Keep that one to six or eight clues; by clue ten even nice memories feel like a chore.

Indoor Christmas scavenger hunt list (printable)

An item-find list is the lowest-effort option. Players hunt for things already in the house, so nobody hides anything. Hallmark suggests 10–25 items if everyone should find everything, and more if players compete to collect as many as they can.

List for kids 4–8

Players bring the item back, or point at it and get a tick from an adult.

1. A red ornament
2. A candy cane
3. A picture of Santa (cards and wrapping paper count)
4. Something that jingles
5. A star
6. A snowman
7. A reindeer
8. Something green that isn't the tree
9. A bow
10. A pinecone
11. Mittens or gloves
12. Something that smells like Christmas
13. A bell
14. A stocking
15. A gingerbread person (cookie, ornament or picture)

List for kids 9 and up, teens and adults

These need looking and thinking, not just grabbing.

1. An ornament older than you
2. A Christmas card with a dog or cat on it
3. Something made in a country other than this one (check labels)
4. A word in a Christmas card that rhymes with "snow"
5. Something that's both red and green
6. A gift tag with handwriting you don't recognize
7. A Christmas song lyric written anywhere in the house
8. Something with exactly three of something on it
9. The oldest photo on display
10. Something that plays music
11. Something you'd regift (point, don't announce)
12. A recipe card or written recipe
13. A battery that still works (prove it)
14. Something shaped like a tree that isn't a tree
15. The person who has been to the most countries (ask around)

Scoring and timing for lists

Give one point per item and set a 20-minute timer. Ban opening wrapped presents. If kids compete, pair a younger one with an older one rather than running them against each other. A 4-year-old against a 10-year-old is not a hunt, it's a lesson in sibling dynamics.

How to run a Christmas photo scavenger hunt

A Christmas photo scavenger hunt swaps "find it" for "photograph it." Teams get a list of prompts and take a photo for each. Nothing needs to be hidden, nothing gets carried around the house, and grandparents can play from a chair while the kids run.

Our general guide on how to create a photo scavenger hunt that works covers writing prompts. This section covers the Christmas part: teams, rules, scoring and prompts.

Teams. Use three to five people per team. Mix ages on purpose: at least one adult with a phone, one kid, and if possible one person over 60. Mixed teams are why this format works at family gatherings. The kids do the running, and the adults handle the phone and the judgment calls.

Team markers. Give each team a color (a scarf, a paper hat, a felt-tip sign) and require it to appear in every photo. This makes judging easy when all the photos end up in one place.

Rules. Keep them short enough to read aloud in 30 seconds:

• One photo per prompt per team. If you take three, the judge picks the worst.
• Every team member must appear in at least three photos.
• Don't wake anyone up, don't open wrapped gifts, and don't go into rooms that are off limits.
• Be back by the deadline. Late teams lose five points per minute.

Timing. For a family gathering, 45 minutes of shooting and 15 minutes of judging is about right. Hand out lists after the meal, when people are full and the kids are restless, and finish before dessert so the reveal happens around the table.

Scoring table

Assign points by difficulty. Scavify's guide uses a similar system (points per clue, plus bonuses for finishing first and best photo), and a small bonus for a "best photo" works well here too.

Points	Type of prompt	Example
1	Easy, can be done anywhere	Your whole team wearing something red
2	Needs a bit of setup or another person	A grandparent teaching someone a card game
3	Needs creativity or courage	Recreate a nativity scene with kitchen items
+5	Judge's favorite photo	Picked at the reveal
+5	First team back with every prompt done	Ties go to the team that made the judge laugh

30 Christmas photo scavenger hunt prompts

Print this list, or generate a different card with our free photo scavenger hunt generator. It makes a printable card of 12, 18 or 24 prompts by event type and guest count; choose "Any party" for Christmas, then add a few prompts from this list.

1 point

1. Your team wearing something red
2. The most decorated spot in the house
3. A selfie with the tree
4. Somebody wearing reindeer antlers (or fingers as antlers)
5. A plate of Christmas cookies, untouched
6. The same plate, five minutes later
7. Someone wearing a Christmas sweater
8. A snowman, real or otherwise
9. Your team's best "we just saw Santa" face
10. The oldest ornament you can find

2 points

11. Three generations in one photo
12. Someone asleep on the couch (gentle, no drawing on faces)
13. A grandparent teaching a kid something
14. Your team in a human Christmas tree pyramid (safely)
15. The dog or cat in a festive accessory, if they agree
16. Someone helping with the dishes
17. A family photo recreated from an old album on the shelf
18. A team member hugging someone from another team
19. The messiest pile of wrapping paper
20. Your team's best impression of the Grinch

3 points

21. A nativity scene made only from kitchen items
22. A team "album cover" for a Christmas song (the judges must guess it)
23. The whole team doing the same pose as a figure in a Christmas card
24. A gingerbread person in a dramatic action scene
25. A photo that looks like a 1980s family Christmas card
26. Someone opening a gift with the most surprised face (staged is fine)
27. "Santa's workshop" using whatever is on the dining table
28. A team member hiding inside the decorations, still visible
29. The best photo of the cook, taken with their permission
30. Your team as the Twelve Days of Christmas (at least four days shown)

A note on prompt 17: it means photographing the old photo on the shelf, then recreating it. If you plan to use Revel, old photos can't be uploaded from the camera roll (more on that below), so the old print has to be in the new shot.

Christmas light tour photo hunt

A light tour pairs a walk (or drive) past decorations with a photo checklist. It suits kids who can't sit still and adults who want a reason to be outside before the mulled wine.

When to go. In Chicago, the sun sets around 4:22–4:25 p.m. between December 20 and 25, 2026, and civil twilight ends about half an hour later, per sunrise-sunset.org. Your city will differ, so check yours. Starting 30–45 minutes after sunset gives you a dark sky and lit-up houses, while young kids still have energy left.

Safety. Vermont's safe streets guidance for walking at night recommends light or bright clothing, a flashlight, reflective gear that shows from the front and back, crossing in well-lit spots, and using sidewalks wherever they exist. Put a reflector or a clip-on light on every child. Photograph from the sidewalk, never from someone's lawn or driveway, and don't photograph people inside their homes.

Format. Teams or families, a 60-minute limit, and a meeting point (your kitchen, with cocoa). If you drive, only passengers shoot.

15 light tour prompts

1. A house with only white lights
2. A house with every color you can count (count them)
3. An inflatable that has fallen over
4. A light-up reindeer
5. A nativity scene
6. A wreath on a door (from the sidewalk)
7. A tree decorated outdoors
8. Lights shaped like a word
9. The most over-the-top house on the route
10. The most understated house on the route
11. A lit-up window with a candle
12. A snowman, real, plastic or inflatable
13. Your team's breath visible in the cold
14. Your whole team in silhouette against lights
15. Something that blinks (try to catch it lit)

Use the same 1–3 scale if you want a winner, or just vote on the best house photo over cocoa.

Adapting a Christmas scavenger hunt for any age

Mixed-age crowds are where most hunts break. Here's how to adjust each format.

Group	Clue trail	Find list	Photo hunt
Toddlers (2–3)	3 picture clues, adult walks along	5 items, bring-back	Rides along with a team
Preschool (4–5)	3–5 read-aloud rhymes	Kids list, 10 items	"Pointer" on a mixed team
Kids (6–11)	Full trail, one task clue	Full kids list	Runs the prompts, adult holds the phone
Teens	Codes and a timer	Older list, solo	Own team, phone in hand
Adults	Riddles and inside jokes	Older list, as a party icebreaker	Teams of 4–6, harder prompts
Grandparents, low mobility	Clue reader or judge	Seated "checker" for answers	Seated prompts (they're the subject)

For toddlers, keep the small parts away. The CPSC bans toys and children's products with small parts that present a choking hazard for children under 3. Treat clue containers the same way: no coins, wrapped candies, small batteries or plastic eggs with tiny prizes in reach of a toddler.

For a work version, keep it to photos of the office decorations and teams across departments, and skip anything that involves drinking or embarrassing poses. Our work Christmas party ideas post covers office events more broadly, including photo consent. For the rest of the evening, our guide to Christmas party games has 30 more, sorted by crowd.

Where Christmas scavenger hunts go wrong

Most of these are avoidable with ten minutes of thought the night before.

The clue gets found early. A kid spots clue seven while looking for clue two, and the trail collapses. Hide clues in sealed, numbered envelopes, and put the number on the outside. A kid who finds number seven early knows to leave it alone, or at least knows they're cheating.

Someone moves a clue. Dogs eat paper. Use your hiding-spot photos to redirect, and keep a blank card and pen in your pocket.

The clues are too hard. Adults overestimate how clever a riddle is when they wrote it. Test two clues on another adult. If they need more than 30 seconds, simplify. Plan a hint system: one free hint per player, then a small point penalty, as Scavify suggests.

The clues are too easy. Teens finish in four minutes and are bored. Add a code, a physical task, or a timer, and make the last clue the hardest.

The oldest kid runs the show. Give each child their own trail, or rotate who reads and who searches.

Too many prompts. Thirty is the maximum for 45 minutes. Twenty is plenty if half the players are under 8.

No finish line. Hunts drift when nobody says when they end. Set a clock time, announce it twice, and enforce the late penalty with a straight face.

The photos vanish. This is the photo hunt's big failure point. Teams come back, the photos sit in six camera rolls, the reveal never happens, and two weeks later someone asks whether anyone got the one with Grandpa in antlers. Decide where photos go before you start.

Prizes cause tears. For kids, give everyone a small prize and the winning team a bigger one, or make the "prize" first choice of dessert. Hallmark's ideas for end-of-hunt prizes include hot cocoa, small gifts, a winner's hat or "special powers" for the day. Special powers (choosing the movie, skipping a chore) cost nothing and kids take them very seriously.

Collecting the photos with Revel

This is where we'd suggest Revel, the shared event camera we make. It's built for the photo version of the hunt: every team shoots into one shared album, and you reveal it all at once at the end.

Here's how it fits a Christmas photo scavenger hunt:

• Set up a Moment. Name it ("Christmas Hunt 2026"), set the end time to your deadline, and set the shots per guest to roughly the number of prompts plus five. The limit stops teams from taking 40 versions of the same pyramid.
• Guests join by QR code. Print the code on the bottom of each prompt list. People scan it and start shooting in their phone browser, with no app download and no account. That matters when half your players are relatives who haven't updated their phones since 2019.
• Hide photos until the deadline. Set the reveal to happen when the Moment ends. Nobody sees other teams' shots during the hunt, so the final reveal works as the judging session.
• Show it on the TV. The live feed or slideshow works on any screen. Put it on the living room TV, scroll through, and award points by team color.
• Review before sharing. The host can approve every photo before the gallery goes live, which is where the sleeping uncle photo gets a second opinion.
• Light tours work offline. Guests can keep shooting with no signal, and photos sync when they reconnect. The first scan needs a connection, so have everyone scan at home before you head out.
• One look. Pick one of 50+ film-style filters for every photo. Originals are kept.

Pricing is per event, with no subscription. It's free for up to 10 guests, which covers most single-family hunts. A gathering of up to 25 is $2.99, and 50 is $5.99 (US prices, checked November 2026; they vary by country and can change). The holiday parties page has more on using it for bigger seasonal events.

It's the wrong tool in a few cases, and we'd rather you know now:

• The Christmas morning gift trail. No photos needed. Paper and envelopes are the right tech.
• Old photos. Camera-roll uploads are only allowed for photos taken between when the Moment was created and when it ends. If you want last year's Christmas photos or old family prints in the gallery, Revel can't add them. You'd have to photograph the print during the hunt.
• Video prompts. Revel doesn't do video, so leave out prompts like "film your team singing."
• A phone-free crowd. If your family keeps phones in a basket during the holidays, or the kids don't have phones, you'll need an adult phone per team or a different format.
• Relatives who won't scan a QR code. Some people won't, whatever you say. Put them on a team with someone who will, or make them the judge.

Christmas scavenger hunt FAQ

How many clues should a Christmas scavenger hunt have?

For kids aged 5–7, five to eight clues is plenty. For older kids, teens and adults, eight to twelve works well. Aim for a hunt that takes 15–40 minutes total. Shorter is better than a hunt that runs out of energy.

What are good hiding places for Christmas scavenger hunt clues?

Use spots kids can reach and can name: under a pillow, inside a boot, in the fridge or freezer (in a sandwich bag), in the Christmas tree, under couch cushions, in a coat pocket, in a stocking, or inside a favorite book. Avoid ovens, medicine cabinets, knife drawers and anything high up for young kids.

How do you make a Christmas scavenger hunt for adults fun?

Make the clues harder and personal. Riddles, anagrams, inside jokes and spots tied to shared memories all work. Run it in teams for a party, or as a sentimental trail with a real prize for a partner. Drop the "find a candy cane" lists, which bore adults fast.

How long does a Christmas scavenger hunt take?

A clue trail for young kids takes 10–20 minutes. A full trail for older kids or adults takes 20–40 minutes. A team photo hunt at a family gathering runs best at about 45 minutes, plus 15 minutes for the reveal and judging.

How do you do a Christmas scavenger hunt with multiple kids?

Give each child their own trail with a different envelope color, and give younger kids fewer clues so everyone finishes around the same time. For a big group of cousins, use a find list or put them on mixed-age photo hunt teams instead of one shared trail.

What do you put at the end of a Christmas scavenger hunt?

Usually a gift that's too big to wrap, such as a bike, tickets or a family present. For group hunts, a small prize for everyone plus "special powers" for the winner works better than one expensive prize.

Try the photo hunt before Christmas, free

Revel is free for up to 10 people, so you can run a practice round before the real hunt. Get the host app from the App Store or Google Play, create a Moment, and have the household shoot five prompts from the list above one evening this week. Set the reveal to after dinner and see how the slideshow lands. If it works for your family, upgrading for a larger gathering is a one-time purchase in the app, with no subscription.