Christmas Hunt Inside the House: 8 Clues to Print
Hide seven clue cards around the house, hand the first one to the children, and let them follow the riddles to a Christmas prize basket. The eight numbered player cards are above; the hiding map below tells you where each one goes. There are replacement clues for homes without a tree, stocking or boot, plus a sample schedule and notes you can print for the host.
Follow the eight-card trail
The route is start card → tree → stocking → fridge door → bathroom mirror → picture book → sofa cushion → boot → prize basket. Card 1 points to card 2, and so on; card 8 points to the prize. You can use objects in the rooms you have. The route does not require five separate rooms, a fireplace or a yard.
For one group, print eight player cards: hand out card 1 and hide cards 2–8. For two teams sharing the trail, print nine player cards: two copies of card 1 plus one copy each of cards 2–8. Print a separate host copy of the map. Cut between the numbered cards; there is no separate downloadable file or required dotted cutting line.
The pack’s preview selects a random clue, so use it to browse rather than to run the trail. During play, follow the printed card numbers in order. Keep the hiding map out of the player cards so it does not reveal the answers.
For a different format, the hunt guide by theme and location compares clue trails with lists of things to find. The birthday treasure-hunt clues and hiding map offer a separate household trail; borrow its setup approach rather than inserting its cards into this one.
Hide the cards before guests arrive
Allow about twenty minutes for setup, then extra time if you need to rewrite clues or draw pictures. Have paper, scissors, tape or magnets, a stocking, a picture book, a boot, a basket and bells ready. Use attachments suited to your surfaces; the type of tape alone does not guarantee that it will leave no marks.
- Keep card 1 with the host to hand out at the door or living-room rug.
- Hide card 2 under the Christmas tree skirt. Without a skirt, put it beneath the tree beside the presents.
- Clip card 3 to the stocking with a clothes peg, or tuck it just inside the stocking where it can be found.
- Attach card 4 to the outside of the fridge door, at a height the children can reach.
- Attach card 5 at the edge of the bathroom mirror, away from water.
- Put card 6 in a picture book on the bookshelf, with its top showing.
- Put card 7 under a sofa cushion.
- Put card 8 inside a boot on the shoe rack.
- Put one wrapped prize per hunter in the basket, with two spares if you want them. Stickers, erasers or another small gift are possible choices. Place the basket on the kitchen table, out of view from the sofa if possible, and keep the bells with it.
- Walk the route once: read card 1, find card 2, and continue all the way to the basket. Check that every changed hiding spot has a matching clue.
Use printable party signs to mark where the hunt starts and which rooms are outside the search area. Prepare cups and drinks separately from the cards; party drinks for kids can help you organize the serving area.
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Change the clues for your home
When you move a hidden card, change the clue on the previous card so it leads to the new spot. Moving card 2 changes card 1; moving card 8 changes card 7. These are suggested replacements you can copy onto the relevant player card.
| What your home has | Where to hide the card | Replacement clue |
|---|---|---|
| Presents on a TV stand instead of a tree | Card 2 beside those presents | Card 1: “Find the stand where we watch TV. Beside the presents, a clue will be.” |
| A stocking but no mantel | Card 3 on a stocking hung from a hook or drawer handle | Keep card 2 as written: it already mentions a hook. |
| No stocking | Card 3 behind a chosen drawer handle | Card 2: “Find the drawer we open wide. Behind its handle, a clue can hide.” Tell players which room contains the drawer if there are several. |
| A laundry basket instead of a boot | Card 8 clipped to the basket rim | Card 7: “Clothes for washing gather here. Look around the rim, my dear. Find the basket, take a peek; the final clue is what you seek.” |
| A towel rail instead of either | Card 8 attached to the towel rail | Card 7: “In the bathroom, towels stay here. Find their rail; your clue is near.” |
| No bookshelf | Card 6 in a picture book on a table | Card 5: “Find the picture book today, on the table where we play. Look inside and you will see the next clue waiting patiently.” Use a table the children recognize. |
No laundry room is needed for a laundry-basket stop, and nothing in the route goes outdoors. If the bathroom or another room is unavailable, choose a different household object, write a clue that names or describes it, and record both changes below. Do not move a mirror clue to an unrelated object unchanged.
Write down your hiding spots
Keep this sheet with the host. Fill in changed locations before hiding the cards, then print it with the guide. The player cards belong with the children.
Hunt date: __________ Number of hunters: __________ Host/helper: __________
| Card | Original location | Your location, if changed | Previous card to update |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Handed out by host | __________ | None |
| 2 | Beneath tree | __________ | 1 |
| 3 | Stocking | __________ | 2 |
| 4 | Fridge door | __________ | 3 |
| 5 | Bathroom mirror | __________ | 4 |
| 6 | Picture book | __________ | 5 |
| 7 | Under sofa cushion | __________ | 6 |
| 8 | Inside boot | __________ | 7 |
| Prize basket | Kitchen table | __________ | 8, if the finish changes |
Replacement clue for card ___: __________________________________________________
Replacement clue for card ___: __________________________________________________
Team 1 start time: __________ Team 2 start time, if used: __________
Prizes to prepare: __________ Spare prizes: __________ Drinks/snacks: __________
Use the party food quantity guide if you are serving snacks afterward; count the adults and helpers who will eat too.
Help everyone follow the clues
For a small group, play together and take turns reading the clues and finding the cards. An adult or reading buddy can read aloud for children who need help. For picture clues, draw the next destination on the front of each card—for example, a tree on card 1 and a stocking on card 2. Draw the destination you actually chose after any swaps.
If four children are searching together, let one read, one look for the next card and the others help solve the riddle; rotate those jobs at the next stop. The hunt is intended for children roughly 3–10, with reading help as needed.
For two teams, start the second about three minutes after the first. Both follow the same numbered route. Read each shared card and put it back in its hiding spot before moving on. If both teams arrive together, let one finish reading before the other takes a turn. In a tight hallway, use one group or run teams separately; swapping start cards will not reverse this trail.
If a group gets stuck for about two minutes, give the room name as a hint, then name the object if they still need help. Once a group reads card 8, the host rings the basket’s bells. Without bells, tap a spoon against a mug and change “bells” and “jingle” on card 8 to describe that sound. Let early finishers wait at the table, then open the basket when everyone has arrived.
An example 30-minute hunt schedule
This is a suggested 3:00–3:30 p.m. window, not a tested completion time. It allows ten minutes to welcome everyone and explain the game, fifteen for the trail and five for the basket. Allow longer if teams play separately or children need more help.
- 3:00–3:10 p.m. — Welcome and explain the hunt (10 minutes). Put coats away, gather at the rug, explain the search area and practice putting a shared card back. Hand out card 1 at the end of this interval.
- 3:10–3:25 p.m. — Follow the trail (15 minutes). Start together, or release a second team around 3:13. Give hints as needed. Early finishers can wait with a seated activity.
- 3:25–3:30 p.m. — Find the basket and share prizes (5 minutes). Ring the bells after the final clue, gather everyone and give out prizes. Begin the cocoa or snack break; continue it after 3:30 if needed.
The example totals 10 + 15 + 5 = 30 minutes.
Games to play after the hunt
Have one option ready for children waiting at the table. Christmas picture bingo suits guests who want to match pictures; the Christmas word-game pack offers pencil activities for readers.
If the family wants to keep playing after the snack break, try Christmas acting cards or browse Christmas party games for families for rules and supplies. For another day, easy party games include simple games beyond the Christmas theme. You do not need to prepare them all for this hunt.
Christmas house hunt questions
How long does an indoor Christmas scavenger hunt take?
The example allows thirty minutes: ten for welcoming guests and explaining the game, fifteen for the trail and five for prizes. Actual time depends on the group and your hiding spots. Setup is separate; allow about twenty minutes, with more time for changes or picture clues.
Where do you hide clues in a small apartment?
Use the tree or gift area, a stocking, fridge door, mirror, picture book, sofa cushion and boot. Several objects can be in one room. The swap table gives replacement clues for missing objects; update the previous card whenever you move a hidden one.
How many clue cards do I print?
Print eight for one group: card 1 is handed out and cards 2–8 are hidden. For two teams sharing the trail, print nine player cards: two copies of card 1 and one copy each of cards 2–8. Keep a separate hiding-map copy with the host.
What if two teams reach the same hiding spot at once?
Let one team read the card and put it back before the other reads it. Both teams follow cards 1–8 in order. Stagger their starts by about three minutes, or run teams separately if there is not enough room.
What works as a prize at the end of the hunt?
Put one small wrapped gift per hunter in the basket, with optional spares. Stickers or erasers are possible choices. Keep the basket at the finish table and ring its bells only after the final clue has been read.