Treasure Hunt Ideas For an Epic Christmas

Are you looking for some creative ways to make Christmas morning extra special for your kids? Or make the build-up to the big day even more exciting? How about a Christmas morning treasure hunt filled with puzzles and secret codes? Here are some ideas that you can use to make a treasure hunt that you will want to make part of your family’s Christmas tradition.

Fun Christmas Morning Treasure Hunt Ideas

If you are new here, you need to know I love puzzles and secret codes. Treasure hunts and escape rooms are some of my favourite activities to host over Christmas. So here are some fun ideas I think will make some fab Christmas morning treasure hunts.

1. Candy Cane Code Breaker: 

Create a scavenger hunt with clues written with a UV pen onto gift tags tied around candy canes. Give your kids a blacklight flashlight to reveal the hidden messages and find their next clues.

2. Ornament Hunt: 

Hide ornaments around your house and attach a clue to each one. Each clue will lead to the next hidden ornament until they reach the final treasure. The players can then decorate the Christmas tree with the decorations. 

These clear baubles would be a fun option; you can fill them with treats and goodies.

3. Santa’s Secret Message: 

Write clues to your children using a fun secret code. Have the players decode the messages as they go from room to room, solving the puzzles. Or write clues using a UV pen and have the players using a blacklight torch.

4. Reindeer Hunt: 

Have your kids help Santa find each of his reindeer. You can use rhyming clues or picture clues and have the children search for the reindeer and save Christmas. At the end of of the hunt how about the kids discover a treat to leave out for Santa’s Reindeer.

5. Search for the missing Stocking: 

On Christmas morning, when the children wake, where their stockings would normally be found, there is just the first clue for a Christmas morning treasure hunt. At the end of the hunt, the children will find their missing stocking filled with goodies.

6. Do You Want to Build a Snowman Scavenger Hunt: 

Create a scavenger hunt where you have an item at each location for players to build a snowman. I found these fun build-a-snowman kits on Amazon that would be great for hiding pieces at each clue location. When all the parts are collected, they can assemble a fun snowman. 

I’ve put together a super fun Snowman Scavenger Hunt you can download right from my blog! Kids race around the house hunting for all the pieces they need to “build” their snowman, scarf, hat, carrot nose… the works. It’s simple to set up, and makes a really cute Christmas Eve activity to burn off that excited energy before bedtime!

7. Search for Santa’s Magic Key: 

You can buy magic keys from most cheap shops closer to Christmas. I bought one when my kids were little at our local pound store. Have the players search for clues to discover where Santa lost his magic key. At the end of the hunt, the children find the key and can leave it for Santa on Christmas morning

8. Elf on the Shelf Treasure Hunt:

OK so you thought Elf on the Shelf was a cute tradition, but you are fast running out of ideas. You need something that kids are still going to find exciting but is going to make your life so much easier.

Have your elf create a treasure hunt that they will play over several days…or even the whole month. Each day the kids receive a new clue and are one step closer to finding the elf. The clue each day can lead to an advent calendar-type candy or gift. The clue on the final day will revel where the elf has been hiding.

9. Nativity Treasure Hunt: 

Every year, my mum had a beautiful handmade nativity scene that she would display proudly in the living room. It was a tradition for us to set it up as a family; it was something as kids my sister and I would always look forward to. I like the idea of having a hunt where the kids find the pieces for the nativity scene. If you want to make it Christ-centered, include some of your favourite bible verses. When all the pieces are found, you can assemble your nativity scene.

Consider writing clues that suit your child’s age and interests when setting up your treasure hunt. For younger kids, make the clues easier to solve and more straightforward; picture hunts are great for early readers. For older kids, throw in a few puzzles and secret messages to make it more engaging.

How many people can play a treasure hunt?

There are no limits to how many people you can have playing in a treasure hunt. The more people you have playing, the quicker clues are solved and the treasure discovered.

Lastly, make sure the treasure at the end of the hunt is memorable. Gifts are always appreciated, but kids remember doing things and having fun with their families, so a gift certificate for a family date night to the movies or a full-on at-home cinema experience with popcorn, treats and Christmas movies galore would be fantastic for everyone. 

What Ages are Treasure Hunt For?

In my opinion, you are NEVER too old for a treasure hunt. Especially for special occasions like birthdays and Christmas, hunts are a perfect way to reveal a surprise gift or just extend some festive fun. I will subject my kids to treasure hunts until I’m too old to set them up any more lol, sorry kids!

How Long Should a Treasure Hunt Last?

This is a tricky one to answer. I have designed this Christmas Treasure Hunts for ages and abilities. For young kids under 6, you will probably get about 20 minutes before they get bored.

Older kids and adults, you can probably get a good hour or so of full-on hunting before they get thirsty or the lure of social media gets the better of them! Just keep in mind your players’ characters when planning the games. Are they likely to get bored easily, or do they love a challenge?

Want to set up your own hunt but just need a few things to get you started. Grab my mini hunt templates that you can use as a base for your own Christmas morning treasure hunt. Use the blank clue card to write your own rhyming clues or secret messages or use the candy canes to create a candy cane hunt without all the sugar!