Make some memories! In need of a Holiday Treasure Hunt with a bit more challenge than a simple riddle? Check out our Mind-bending Holiday Treasure Hunt with riddles, secret codes, word searching, and more! These clues and riddles will definitely give your kiddos some added fun while searching for the big prize! Read on to check out the fun!
NOT YOUR ORDINARY TREASURE HUNT
This treasure hunt consists of 8 clues with riddles & an additional activity. They’re meant to be a bit more involved and challenging for kids who get through riddles WAAAAY to quickly 🙂 If you’d like to make it entirely challenging, you can just use most of the activities without the riddles; however, the riddles help give some hints & direction. Each clue challenges the ‘treasure hunt seeker’ to solve a puzzle, complete a word activity, determine the pattern, or decode a hidden message. You could also use just the activity portion for some indoor, worksheet fun if you’d like to!
THE CLUES
Feel free to use these for your own personal use. There’s also a blank card at the end if you want to add more fun!
Many of these items are either standard items you may already have at home or typical holiday items that you might have as part of your decorations already; however, if you don’t have some of them – don’t worry! Print out an image and you’re all set 🙂
The items where the clues are hidden are:
- Window
- Sled
- Star
- Elf on the Shelf
- Reindeer
- Choice of: Bath Kits, Phones, Books, Toys
- Refrigerator
- Reindeer
- Wreath
Feel free to add or remove any clues as needed!
THE INTRO CARDS
The first set are introductory. Many are already familiar with treasure hunts, so not much intro is needed but if so, add these cards to the front of the first clue 🙂
THE FIRST CLUE – WINDOW
The first clue is a “free one”. It’s simply a riddle that they need to solve. Place the next clue near a window with your best holiday view. Add in the print out of the ornaments as well – it’s a cipher is what they’ll need to decode the last clue. Hopefully they don’t lose it!!!
THE SECOND CLUE – SLED
In this next clue, they’ll need to solve a puzzle. Simply cut out the fireplace image with the word “SLED” spelled out on the stockings. For younger kids, keep it very simple (1 or 2 cuts to make 2-4 piece puzzles). For older kids, try a few cuts: they don’t even need to be all straight lines. Add in a few triangle cuts or other odd shapes to throw them off 🙂
THE THIRD CLUE – STAR
In this next clue, we drew out the word “STAR” in light green bulbs among the “mess of bulbs”. The closer you look, the harder it is to see it 🙂
THE FOURTH CLUE – ELF ON THE SHELF
This next clue has two parts: the first part is unscramble all the letters. The next part is to read the word / phrase in the green box. The phrase in the green box is the actual clue (elf on the shelf). Hide the next clue somewhere near your elf on the shelf.
THE FIFTH CLUE – BATH KITS / PHONES / BOOKS / TOYS
In this next clue, you get to select where you put the next clue. There are a set of presents wrapped in different colors (pink, red, blue, and green) which represent a different present type (bath kits, phones, books, toys). Whichever item you select as your clue’s location, ensure you have more of that colored present in the pile. The kids will have to either count or chart out the presents in order to determine the winner.
THE SIXTH CLUE – REFRIGERATOR
In the next clue, the kids have to solve 3 patterns (depending on age, it should be relatively easy). The second part may require some creativity. They’ll have to use the answers to the puzzles (snow + man + nose) and place them together to find the answer (carrots). The riddle tells them to go where those are stored (refrigerator).
THE SEVENTH CLUE – REINDEER
In the next clue, the kids will have to find all the words in the word search. Once they’re done, the remaining letters will spell out R-E-I-N-D-E-E-R. Hide the next clue near any reindeer decoration you have in the house!
THE LAST CLUE – WREATH
The last and final clue is where they’ll need the ornament cipher! Each ornament image represents a different letter, empty space, or exclamation point. The last clue contains an image of a tree with ornaments that will spell out “RING OF PINE”. The kids will have to solve for “ring of pine” – A.K.A. “wreath”. Hide the presents/prize by a wreath (or even behind that door!
THANK YOU
Thank you so much for checking out our holiday article. Hopefully this has helped or maybe even inspired more ideas! If so, we’d love to hear it! Let us know in the comments below or follow us on Pinterest.
Also, check out our other Christmas Treasure Hunts or our other posts here for more Holiday Ideas!
Happy Creating & Happy Holidays!
