If you’re looking for a fun way to pass the time with littles during the holiday, this free printable Christmas scavenger hunt game is perfect!
Before we get into the details of this party scavenger hunt game, let me give you a little background story…
My new favorite word to use when it comes to parenting is “deflect.” When Gwen is about to scream her head off because I won’t let her empty all of our media console cabinets onto the floor, boom, deflect!
Which then means I bust out a random household object… like a spatula… that she likes far better than her 100 baby toys in plain sight. Haha!
Where I’m going with all of this is that my mind now thinks in distraction mode, and the holidays are no different.
We’re big FUJIFILM fans for memory capturing around here, but you can easily use disposable cameras, iPhones, or digital cameras to play this game!
Printable Christmas Scavenger Hunt Game – How To Play
The beauty of this game is that it’s not only fun for the kiddos, but you can also use the blank card to make it as easy or as hard as you want it to be.
For instance, if you’re having groups of adult or older kids play, you can fill in the blanks with something like “find a Santa with no beard” or “a half-eaten taco,” and they have to go around town to get a holiday Santa to take his beard off.
Clearly, I’ve done this a few times in youth group days, haha!
For the little kids, you can use the simple items that are already on the printable lists below, and it keeps them plenty busy during the family Christmas party or Christmas mornings.
If you’re looking for another family game night, try this Scattergories Game: Best Free Printable Scattergories Lists that are cute and easy to prepare!
The fun part is that you’ll have a whole slew of square instant photos left over to remember the chaos by! It’s a fun keepsake and tradition to make.
How to Play our Christmas Scavenger Hunt Game
Step 1 — Each child or team gets a scavenger hunt card and a camera to document their finds.
Step 2 — Set a time limit so that, in the end, whoever has the most accurate finds wins the game. For the smaller kids, the length of the party will do. For the harder games with adults, a few hours timeframe to meet back at the meeting point is best.
Step 3 — Everyone will present their photos to calculate who got the most to win a prize.
Free Printable Scavenger Hunt Pages
While it just so happens that I came up with this during the holidays, I also uploaded blank printable scavenger hunt cards below so that you can repurpose them any time of year too.
Basically, there are endless scavenger hunt ideas, so the sky is the limit on the blank cards!
Tip – You can also include Christmas scavenger hunt clues or scavenger hunt riddles on the back of the printables if you’d like as well!
Needless to say, I’m VERY excited about the days when Gwen can actually enjoy things like my printable Christmas scavenger hunt game over a random Tupperware lid.
Until then, I’m happy to help you stockpile ideas for your kiddo’s rainy day activities.
More Holiday Party Ideas
In case you’re looking for other holiday party ideas, here are a few of my favorites —
- Ornament Christmas cocktails
- Mini Christmas advent calendar
- DIY wooden Christmas trees
- Colorful front door Christmas decor
- 59 of the best gifts for kids
- DIY Cactus Christmas tree
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WOW! these are really so awesome things you have made. Thanks for your concept, kids will really love these. take care
You’re welcome! XOXO
Christmas games you share very well. I have learned a lot from this game. Thanks very much.
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Hello, after reading this awesome post i am too glad to share my familiarity here with colleagues
Logo Design
Great things for kids activity.
Thanks, Mary! We’re glad you loved it!
Your article remembering my childhood. Ahh how nice was that. There are no tensions, just fun and fun.
Love you
Glad we could take you back down memory lane! :)
I enjoyed so much reading your post! It’s really funny and the game you propose is so original!
Such an interesting and funny activity. Perfect for kids and for adults as well. Games should be for everyone at any age.
We couldn’t agree more! This party scavenger hunt is fun for all!
Oh, what a fun idea! This would work well for any party with kids, not just holiday time! I could see my daughters’ Girl Scout troop doing this :)
Hi Flossie! We are so glad you love this Scavenger Hunt Game! It would be so fun to do that!
This is such a cool idea; to be honest, my friends and I in our 20s would even find it fun!
This party scavenger hunt would be fun for all ages!
This printout scavenger hunt is a really fun idea to share with the kids. I like that you mention deflect, This is a great way to shift attention and focus onto something else fun.
Thanks Joshua! I couldn’t agree more. This party scavenger hunt is the perfect thing to share with kids.
This is such a great idea! This looks like the perfect way to keep little ones busy this holiday season!
Thanks Patricia! We are so glad you loved this scavenger hunt game!
This sounds like a fun way to keep the kids busy. Could be fun for the adults too!
Thanks Heather! We are so glad you loved this scavenger hunt game!
I love that you mention youth group days because I immediately thought of something similar we did with my best friends youth group! Our was a video challenge, each team with given a video camera and we had a list of things worth set amounts of points that we had to do. I was so much fun! Once my boys can read I want to do something like this with them.
Thanks Stephanie! We are so glad you loved this scavenger hunt game!
When you were around 4 or 5 yrs. old, I was trying to think of something unusual to do for your birthday and I knew how much you enjoyed hanging outside. I took brown paper bags and cut them in no particular size and crinkled them to look old and burnt the edges for an added effect and drew a map resembling a scavenger hunt. All that attended were given one at Koonskin Park where we held your party. You and your friends loved hunting for treasures. Do you remember?
Thanks Jewel! We are so glad you loved this scavenger hunt game!
I JUST RECENTLY DID A BLOG POST ABOUT FAVORITE BOARD GAMES TO PLAY DURING THE HOLIDAYS, BUT I LOVE THE IDEA OF HAVING SOMETHING TO PRINT OUT. I’M A PAPER PERSON SO THIS IS PERFECT. THANK YOU FOR THE IDEAS!
Thanks Shelly! We are so glad you loved this scavenger hunt game!
Ha – yes! Deflection is key with little (and even big) ones. Mine are 12 and 9 and I still deflect! Love this scavenger hunt idea – would be perfect to play over Christmas!