New Year’s Eve Treasure Hunt

Are you looking for a fun New Year’s Eve activity for the kids and teens? I have the perfect idea. Try a New Year’s Eve treasure hunt! Lead the players to a fun surprise or perhaps another fun activity.

Set Up The Treasure Hunt

When you plan your treasure hunt, I think about the best way to move players around the house for maximum fun. For me, that means having one clue in the kitchen and then leading to another right at the other end of the house upstairs in a bedroom. I like to make my kids work for their treasure! I can guarantee I will be doing the same for the kid’s New Year’s Eve treasure hunt this year. Some clues will even send players right back down to the kitchen to look in the fridge. 

Clues lead from one spot to the next. Hide each clue in the spot mentioned in the clue just read. Finally, hide a treasure – it could be a small gift or a surprise – at the final spot. Gather everyone, share the first clue, and let the adventure begin! Follow the rhymes, solve the clues, and uncover the treasure together. It’s a fantastic way to add an extra fun New Year’s Eve activity into your celebrations.

To help you set up your treasure hunt, I highly recommend writing down the order of the clues. It will make setting up a lot easier.

Supplies for your treasure hunt

Treasure hunts, or some people call them scavenger hunts, are so simple to set up! Here’s all you need to get started:

• Scavenger hunt clues – create your own fun clues or grab yourself a copy in my shop here.
• Scissors: You will need these to cut out your clues.
• Tape – I like to use low-tack washie tape to secure clues that I don’t want to move around.
• Pen & Paper – you’ll want to keep track of the route and where you hide each clue. Trust me, I have forgotten far too many times, I blame mummy brain!
• Treasure– This is, after all, a treasure hunt, so you will need some kind of treasure. Candy is always an easy option, but you can think outside the box. As this is a New Year’s Eve activity, the treasure could be a fun party pack filled with party poppers, photobooth props and garlands.

How To Do The Treasure Hunt

One player should read the first clue and decipher where it leads. When they think they know, they should go to that location and search for the next clue. The players keep on going until they eventually reach the end of the hunt and discover the treasure.

If you are new to my blog, you won’t know this, but I love puzzles, code and secret clues. Even when I host a simple rhyming treasure hunt, I always end up with the treasure locked inside a box. It’s an entertaining way to end the game and more satisfying than just finding the treasure.

Two Treasure Hunt Games for you to try

I have two ready-made New Year’s treasure hunts you can download from my shop today. The first kit is a rhyming treasure hunt, and the second is a puzzle treasure hunt. The puzzle treasure hunt is my kid’s current favourite. My two kids are not so little anymore. I still wanted them to have fun, but they needed more of a challenge. The extra puzzle-solving in the game was an instant winner.

Will a Treasure Hunt Work For My Home?

My priority is to try to make my clues lead to universal places that most people have. Bedrooms, bathrooms, appliances found in the kitchen, etc, all make an appearance in my rhyming treasure hunt. It should work for any home. I have included inside and outside clues since only some people live in a cold place for New Year’s Eve. For example, the temperature here in the UAE is beautiful this time of year, so I will send the kids outside for a clue or two.

If you want to have more freedom and choose any location for your treasure hunt, then my New Year’s Eve puzzle treasure hunt will be right up your street. The game is a different take on a treasure hunt, as the answer to each clue is a word. The players find the words in a list they have, which then tells them where to go. You get to choose exactly where the clues lead to. You will have the ability to play the game in any location.

Do I Have To Use All The Clues?

My New Year’s Eve treasure hunt includes 54 clues in total. You only need to use some of them. You would struggle to use them all. Feel free to pick and choose only the ones that suit your location. As a bonus, if you are still looking for a location you want to include in your treasure hunt, then there is a template included allowing you to create your own clues. The more clues you choose to include, the longer the game lasts. 

There are twelve puzzles for the New Year’s Eve puzzle treasure hunt, and you can choose any twelve locations you want. If you don’t want to include a puzzle, that’s fine. This treasure hunt kit is aimed at older kids, so if you play with younger family members, you may want to omit a clue or two if they seem too difficult. 

A great option if you have an age gap between the players is to do the following. Mix and match the two New Year’s Eve treasure hunts together. Create a mixture of rhyming clues and puzzle clues. 

How do I get the Treasure Hunt?

Both of my New Year’s games are available in my store. They are available to download right away. As soon it’s downloaded, you can start planning your treasure hunt. Why not keep the clues protected and laminate them for future use? You can use them to play a new game every year. I recommend printing the clues onto bright white card for the best results.

More Fun Activities For Kids?

Looking for more scavenger and treasure hunt adventures? I’ve got a treasure trove of ideas for every big holiday and a bunch of awesome themes! Explore all my treasure hunts – from simple rhyming clues to exciting puzzle hunts – on my dedicated treasure hunt page. Get ready for endless fun and surprises!

More New Year’s Eve Fun and Games

Coming soon…