christmas scavenger hunt clues
With the Christmas theme, Santa has left a present hidden and the child follows the cards until it turns up. The tool opens with a chain of 8 spots already built, Christmas tree, Bookshelf, Mailbox, Fridge, Dining table, Backyard tree, Pillow, Shoes, and the Christmas tree only shows up in the suggested sets for this theme.
“I'm green and tall and wear a star, / with twinkling lights that shine from far. / Look on my branches, low or high: / a clue is hanging, bright nearby.”
“I am a tree that lives indoors for one month a year, wearing lights and glass balls and a star on my head. The gifts sleep at my feet. What am I?”
“I stand in front of the house with my mouth open, waiting for news. A carrier visits me every day, and in December I receive letters addressed to a man at the North Pole. What am I?”
“Jackets, scarves and hats hang here, / by the door, so near, so near. / Reach inside a pocket deep: / a clue is there, a secret to keep.”
“On ordinary days I am an office, a classroom and a craft studio; on holidays I become a stage for a feast. Four legs, not one step. What am I?”
Choose 6 to 12 hiding spots, let the tool chain the order and print the cards. The first clue goes to the player, each later card is hidden at the previous spot and the last spot holds the treasure. With 55 ready-made spots at 3 original clues each, a set of 8 becomes 8 clue cards plus 1 final card, 9 cards in all.
Pick the Christmas theme, the Kids level and a set of 6 or 8 clues, print them and hide the cards in the order on the organizer sheet. The child gets the first card and moves from place to place until the present. For children under 6, switch to the Little kids level, which uses emojis and short sentences.
Between 6 and 8 usually does for a morning with several restless kids, and the set of 12 suits an afternoon when the hunt is the main event. As a personal rule of thumb, count about 2 minutes per clue; the tool accepts 1 to 20.
You can. Use the Teens and adults level, where every clue is a riddle describing the place without naming it, and pick the dining table, the coat rack and the mailbox as stops. Switch on the Caesar cipher if you want something harder.
The opening and the final message already speak for Santa and use the child's name when you type it. If you want to say more, fill in the treasure field, which appears on an extra line of the final card.
In the print dialog, turn off "Headers and footers" and keep the scale at 100% so the cards print cleanly.
Ages 7 to 10: rhyming clues.
Clues print as plain text.
Santa left a present hidden somewhere in the house. Follow the clues, card by card, to find it!
I'm green and tall and wear a star, with twinkling lights that shine from far. Look on my branches, low or high: a clue is hanging, bright nearby.
Tales of knights and dragons fly, on my shelves, lined up high. Pull a book and flip it through: a clue is waiting there for you.
Letters come from far away, I wait for them both night and day. Open my door and take a look: a clue is tucked in like a book.
I hum all day and keep things cool, milk and butter, that's my rule. Open my door and take a peek, your next clue is hiding, cold and sleek.
We eat, we talk, we laugh, we sing, around me, in a happy ring. Peek below my wooden top: a clue is stuck there. Do not stop!
My trunk is strong, my arms are wide, the birds build nests and sing inside. Stand in my shade and look at me: a clue is tied on my trunk, you see.
Soft and puffy, I'm your friend when the day comes to an end. Lift me up and look below, a little clue is hiding. Go!
Laces and soles, I walk with you, left one, right one, a pair of two. Reach inside my toe, and then you'll find the clue to go again.
You did it! Merry Christmas! Your present is right here.
Cut along the dashed lines.
8 clues, in the order the cards should be hidden.
1. Hand this card to the player
The clue leads to: Christmas tree
I'm green and tall and wear a star, with twinkling lights that shine from far. Look on my branches, low or high: a clue is hanging, bright nearby.
2. Hide it at: Christmas treeHang the card on a low branch like an ornament.
The clue leads to: Bookshelf
Tales of knights and dragons fly, on my shelves, lined up high. Pull a book and flip it through: a clue is waiting there for you.
3. Hide it at: BookshelfSlide the card into a book with a corner sticking out.
The clue leads to: Mailbox
Letters come from far away, I wait for them both night and day. Open my door and take a look: a clue is tucked in like a book.
4. Hide it at: MailboxSlip the card inside the box with a corner showing.
The clue leads to: Fridge
I hum all day and keep things cool, milk and butter, that's my rule. Open my door and take a peek, your next clue is hiding, cold and sleek.
5. Hide it at: FridgeTape the card inside the door, on the top shelf.
The clue leads to: Dining table
We eat, we talk, we laugh, we sing, around me, in a happy ring. Peek below my wooden top: a clue is stuck there. Do not stop!
6. Hide it at: Dining tableTape the card under the tabletop or inside the centerpiece.
The clue leads to: Backyard tree
My trunk is strong, my arms are wide, the birds build nests and sing inside. Stand in my shade and look at me: a clue is tied on my trunk, you see.
7. Hide it at: Backyard treeTie the card to the trunk with string at kid height.
The clue leads to: Pillow
Soft and puffy, I'm your friend when the day comes to an end. Lift me up and look below, a little clue is hiding. Go!
8. Hide it at: PillowSlide the card under the pillow.
The clue leads to: Shoes
Laces and soles, I walk with you, left one, right one, a pair of two. Reach inside my toe, and then you'll find the clue to go again.
★ Leave it with the treasure at: ShoesTuck the card inside a sneaker or shoe.
You did it! Merry Christmas! Your present is right here.
Safety: do not hide cards near fire, hot water, tools or high places, and check every spot before you start.