It is raining, the walk is cancelled, and four or five children are looking at you. Christmas scavenger hunt clues fix that for about forty minutes, indoors, with a pen and a pile of paper cards. Here are twenty rhymes, each with its answer, split into two tracks of ten so two teams never meet at the same shelf.
Quick answer:
- Clues: twenty rhymes, each with its answer, in two tracks of ten.
- Groups: two teams of up to four children, one track each, or one team playing all twenty.
- Time: plan for about 20 to 25 minutes per track, and 20 minutes to hide both.
- Young kids: a grown-up reads each rhyme aloud, and the child points to the place.
- No time to write twenty cards: a ready-made Christmas printable bundle gives you cards already drawn.
Christmas Scavenger Hunt Clues: 20 Rhymes for Indoors
Each card holds one rhyme. You can call it a Christmas treasure hunt if you like.
The rhyme names a place in your home, and you hide the next card there. The last card of each track names a table with a treat on it.
Most clue lists hand you a pile of rhymes in no order. You then work out where everything goes.
Below, every rhyme has its answer next to it, so you see where to hide the next card. If you would rather skip the writing, a printable Christmas games bundle includes a scavenger hunt page.
How to Set Up 20 Clues in Twenty Minutes
You may wonder how to make a scavenger hunt with clues without standing in the hall holding cards. Number the cards and hide them from the end.
- Write the numbers 1 to 20 on twenty cards. Cards 1 and 11 stay in your hand.
- Put the treat on the kitchen table, the finish for both tracks.
- Start with card 10 and hide it at the place that clue 9 names, then card 9 at the place clue 8 names, and so on back to card 2.
- Do track B the same way: card 20 at the place clue 19 names, down to card 12.
On the back of each card write a note to yourself: “hide card 6 at the stairs”. With a set of printable Christmas cards there is already a blank space for it.
Hide the cards from the last to the first. If you hide them in the order the children will find them, two places get mixed up and the track breaks halfway.
How to Play: Two Teams, Two Tracks
Every printable pack, one licence
The bundles I use for classroom and party printables live in one subscription — commercial use included, no per-file checkout.
You hand card 1 to team A and card 11 to team B, and say go. Each team reads its card, runs to the place it names, and finds the next card there.
The tracks use different rooms, so the teams meet only at the table. If you have no time to write, a bundle of printed Christmas game cards does the job.
- Team size: up to four children per track, so a group of eight plays at once.
- One team: a single team can play track A, then track B, for all twenty.
- Your job: stand in the middle of the house and give a hint after two minutes on one card.
- Finish: both tracks end at the kitchen table, where the treat is shared.
Walk both routes once before the game.
You will find a card where the cat sleeps, and you will move it. For more inspiration, read our one-sheet Christmas scavenger hunt, and for a hunt that leads to one present, the gift scavenger hunt with twelve clues.
Clues 1 to 5 With Answers: Track A, Living Room
Track A starts in the living room, where your group is already sitting. Each answer is the place where you hide the next card.
- Clue 1: “Stories stand in a tidy row. Find the thickest book and open it slow.” Answer: the bookshelf.
- Clue 2: “I hide the window from the night. Look behind me, left or right.” Answer: the curtains.
- Clue 3: “I warm the room when snowflakes fall. Peek behind me, by the wall.” Answer: the radiator.
- Clue 4: “Flat and soft, I lie on the floor. Lift my corner and look once more.” Answer: the rug.
- Clue 5: “Press a switch and I shine bright. Look beneath my base of light.” Answer: the lamp.
Keep each card flat and low, so a four-year-old can see it without moving furniture. Switch the lamp off before the game starts. For ready-made pages to hand out while one team waits, look at a pack of Christmas game pages.
Clues 6 to 10 With Answers: Track A, Stairs, Hall and Bathroom
The second half of track A moves your team into the hall. Ask the children to walk, because the hall is narrow.
- Clue 6: “Up I go, one step, two. The third one has a clue for you.” Answer: the third stair.
- Clue 7: “Boots wipe here before they come in. Lift me up, the card is within.” Answer: the doormat.
- Clue 8: “Look at me and who is there? A smiling face with Christmas hair.” Answer: the mirror.
- Clue 9: “I dry your hands and dry your hair. Look inside my folded layer.” Answer: the towel rail.
- Clue 10: “The hunt is done, you did so well. Find the table and ring the bell.” Answer: the kitchen table, where the treat waits.
Put the card for clue 7 under the mat, not inside a shoe, so no one gets a wet hand.
The hall is the part that most often goes wrong, because two teams may arrive together. For a calmer game afterwards, try 10 Christmas party games that need no prep and a set of separate Christmas games.
Clues 11 to 15 With Answers: Track B, Kitchen and Dining Room
Track B starts one room away from track A. You hide its cards in the kitchen and the dining room.
- Clue 11: “Apples, oranges, round and sweet. Look beneath the fruit you eat.” Answer: the fruit bowl.
- Clue 12: “Crumbs and cookies, baked with cheer. Lift my lid, the next is here.” Answer: the cookie jar.
- Clue 13: “Four legs, but I never run. Under my seat is the next one.” Answer: the dining chair.
- Clue 14: “A pinch of white like winter snow. Under me the clue will show.” Answer: the salt shaker.
- Clue 15: “I dry the plates and hang on a rail. Check my folds and find the trail.” Answer: the tea towel.
Keep everything away from the oven and the sink. Put each card under an object, never in it, so it stays dry.
If a rhyme does not scan, do not worry. Your children care about the place, not the poem. For cards you do not have to cut yourself, look at these printable Christmas cards.
Clues 16 to 20 With Answers: Track B, Bedrooms and the Finish
The last five clues of track B take your team upstairs and then back to the table. Children rarely arrive together, which keeps the bedrooms calm.
- Clue 16: “Blocks and cars are sleeping here. Open my lid, the next is near.” Answer: the toy box.
- Clue 17: “Fuzzy and brown, I hug you tight. Check my paws, left and right.” Answer: the teddy bear.
- Clue 18: “Crayons stand up in a cup. Look inside and pull it up.” Answer: the pencil pot.
- Clue 19: “Socks and sweaters pile up high. Dig inside, don’t be shy.” Answer: the laundry basket.
- Clue 20: “Merry Christmas, the hunt is through. Run to the table, the treat is for you.” Answer: the kitchen table.
Your team will most often need a hint here, because a teddy bear has many places to hide a card.
Tape the card to the paw. Pair this with a quiet Christmas Eve evening plan and a pack of Christmas puzzles and mazes for the hour after.
Clues Read Aloud for Kids Who Cannot Read Yet
A four- or five-year-old cannot read a rhyme, and a hunt that needs reading ends in tears. Keep the rhymes short and read them aloud yourself.
- A reader beside you: read the clue while the child holds the card and points to the place.
- Five clues, not ten: take every second card on one track and keep the route short.
- Picture on the card: draw a lamp, a rug or a bear, so the child matches the picture to the room.
Drawing ten pictures takes an evening. That is when you open a bundle of drawn Christmas pages and cut out what you need. For other pages for the youngest, see printable activities for kids by attention span.
How Long 20 Clues Take for a Group
St. Patrick's Day Scavenger Hunt Kid Game
Printable by DigitalPrintableMe
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Activity sheet young
Plan for about 20 to 25 minutes per track. Your team spends two to three minutes on a clue, and ten clues add up to that.
- Hiding both tracks: about 20 minutes, with the cards written in advance.
- Two teams, ten clues each: 20 to 25 minutes, side by side.
- One team, all twenty: 40 to 50 minutes, which suits older children.
- Five clues for small children: about 10 to 12 minutes.
If you see a team run long, it is stuck on one card, so give a hint.
If it runs short, you chose places that were too easy. A collection of Christmas games fills the time while the first team waits for the second.
Printable Clue Cards Instead of Writing 20 by Hand
You can copy the twenty rhymes from this page in a few minutes. The slow part is turning them into twenty neat cards.
For a child who cannot read, you also draw twenty pictures. A free list stops here, because it is text only. A christmas scavenger hunt clues printable with the pictures already drawn saves you that evening.
More: Christmas scavenger hunt, Christmas games for kids and a free Christmas bingo.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make a scavenger hunt with clues for adults?
Pick harder places, such as the garage or the attic, and write one rhyme per place. You hide the cards from the last to the first, then hand card 1 to the players. A printable bundle saves you the writing.
What are the best christmas scavenger hunt ideas?
The best ideas keep the route short and the places easy to reach. You pick two tracks of ten clues for a group, or six clues for one small child.
What are good christmas scavenger hunt clues for kids?
Good clues name one household place each: a bookshelf, a rug, a lamp, a laundry basket. Keep them to two lines and use a rhyme only when it comes easily.
Are there christmas scavenger hunt clues and answers?
Yes, all twenty clues above have the answer written next to the rhyme. The answer is the place where you hide the following card.
What are christmas scavenger hunt clues around the house?
They are rhymes that send children from room to room: the living room first, then the hall, the kitchen and the bedrooms. Twenty fit comfortably in an ordinary flat or house.
Is there a free printable christmas scavenger hunt clues list?
You can copy the twenty clues on this page onto plain cards for free. For pictures and a neat layout, pick up a Christmas games bundle.
Can teens use these christmas scavenger hunt clues?
Yes. You swap some answers for harder places and let teens play all twenty as one team. The hiding order stays the same.
Key Takeaways
- Twenty rhymes with answers, in two tracks of ten, ending at one table.
- Hide the cards backwards, starting with card 10 and card 20.
- Plan for 20 to 25 minutes per track and 20 minutes to hide both.
- Small children get five picture cards and a reader.
- For cards already drawn, see a Christmas printable bundle.
About the author: Hi, I’m Tess.
I taught preschool for nine years and now make the printables I used to photocopy at 7am. Every game here has been played with a real group of kids before it goes up, and I tell you how long it actually held their attention, not how long it should have.
