Christmas Indoor Scavenger Hunt for Kids (Free Printable)

The hunt list

Thirty-one everyday holiday finds, a few with bonus points. Nothing on the list needs to be bought, and the items marked look only are there so the tree and the candles survive the game.

How to run the hunt on a winter break day

By the third day of winter break the house is full of decorations, cousins and restless energy, and a scavenger hunt puts all three to work. Children already know where the stockings hang and which drawer holds the tape, so the grown-up barely has to set anything up.

1. Open the kitchen, living room and hallway, which usually hold everything on the list, and shut the door on rooms where gifts are hidden.
2. Hand each child a sheet and a crayon, or pair a small child with an older one who reads the list aloud.
3. Explain the two kinds of finds: things you may carry to the sofa, and things you only point at, such as the candle and the tree topper.
4. Let them loose. Bring the finds to one spot so you can check them off together and count the bonus points.
5. End with cocoa, and make putting everything back the last round. Most items returned to the right place wins a cookie.

Three ways to change the game

• Grandparent judges. Older relatives sit on the sofa and award points for each find, with a bonus for the best story about where it came from.
• Colors only. For a four year old, ask for only the red things, then only the green things, and tick the list for them. Ten minutes, no reading needed.
• Christmas Eve version. Keep ten items for the hour before bed, when the waiting is hardest. A slow, quiet hunt with the lights low settles the excitement.

Tips for a calmer house

Agree on a home base before the start, usually the sofa or the kitchen table. Finds go there and nowhere else, so nothing gets lost before the big day.

Mixed ages work best in pairs: the older child reads and keeps the sheet, the younger one fetches and ticks the box.

Skip the timer unless you want a race. On a lazy afternoon the hunt can stretch to an hour, snack break included.

Keeping the tree, the gifts and the children safe

Say the rules aloud before the first find. No climbing on chairs, shelves or the sofa to reach a decoration; anything up high is pointed at or fetched by a grown-up. Wrapped presents under the tree stay exactly where they are, unshaken and unsqueezed. Candles are looked at, never lifted, and lit candles belong where children cannot reach.

The tree deserves care too. Glass ornaments stay on their branches, light cords stay untouched, and nobody tugs at the garland. Keep small children away from the water in a real tree's stand, walk on stairs, and put away anything sharp or breakable before you start.

Printing the list

The checklist layout prints all 31 finds on one page with big checkboxes and the bonus points marked beside each find, an easy format for a child who is just learning to read. Three copies are set by default; change the number to match your household.

Plain white paper reads better for early readers than red or green. To play again on the next snowed-in day, slip the sheet into a clear sleeve and tick with a dry-erase marker.