Planning a Christmas light scavenger hunt is a great family tradition to begin!
It can be as simple or as elaborate as you want and it’s FREE to do! Read on for tips and to get your FREE Christmas light scavenger hunt printable!
CHRISTMAS LIGHT SCAVENGER HUNT
When we moved into our neighborhood, it was around Halloween so I didn’t know what Christmas looked like. Within a few weeks, people started putting up decorations and we discovered that we had moved into a great neighborhood for Christmas lights.
Going to look at the Christmas lights and decorations is one of our Christmas Eve traditions. If the weather isn’t too harsh, we sometimes walk. But if it’s too chilly or rainy, we all jump in the car together.
This is a pretty common holiday season tradition which is why a Christmas light scavenger hunt makes perfect sense!
HOW TO PLAN A CHRISTMAS SCAVENGER HUNT
There are so many different Christmas light scavenger hunt ideas, you can roll with. You can make the hunt fit a specific theme or focus on certain types of decorations.
The easiest way to plan a holiday scavenger hunt is with a free printable Christmas light scavenger hunt! You don’t have to spend a ton of time planning anything. You can print as many copies as you need and you’ll be ready to go!
There are a few more things to think about if you’re planning for a larger group or just want everything to go smoothly.
CHOOSE A DAY AND TIME
Choosing the night you will go on the hunt depends on how many people you are planning to take with you. Find a time and day that works well for your family and friends.
If you’re just planning a lights scavenger hunt with your family, you can do this as more of a spur of the moment activity too. All you need to do is download the printable and roll out into the neighborhood.
The most important part about planning a Christmas light hunt is to plan it late enough in December that people have their decorations up. Our family goes on Christmas Eve, but it’s a great activity for the week or too leading up to Christmas.
PREPARE YOUR SUPPLIES
You don’t need many supplies for this hunt. Download the Christmas light scavenger hunt printable and grab some pens or pencils. That’s the basics of what you’ll need!
I recommend getting a clipboard for each person that will have a printable page. It makes it easier to check things off on the list. So if you’re giving everyone their own list, get enough clipboards so each person can have their own.
You can usually get an affordable pack of clipboards on Amazon or at the local dollar store.
GET CHRISTMAS LIGHT HUNT PRINTABLE
Fill out the form below to receive your file via email and you’ll be ready to start planning!
If you don’t want to sign up for the free printable, I have a slightly different version available in my Etsy shop HERE!
When you’re ready to print, you can print them full sheet or print two per page for smaller-sized checklists.
BE READY FOR THE WEATHER
Once you’ve got the date of your scavenger hunt planned, be sure to keep an eye on the weather so you’re prepared.
If you’re going to be outside walking the neighborhood, the quickest way to end the fun is by being cold so be sure to check out the weather report as you get closer and closer to the night of your hunt!
WILL THERE BE A WINNER?
The last thing to decide is whether or not there will be a winner in your hunt.
Will the person to check off the most items on the Christmas scavenger hunt list be the winner? Will everyone who plays get a little prize at the end? Or maybe you’re all working together on one set of holiday lights scavenger hunt clues to see how many you can spot together!
If you do decide to have prizes, here are some scavenger hunt prize ideas that work well for the holidays:
- Candy canes
- Fun candy that you can often find in season aisles of stores like Target and Walmart
- Small gift cards like Starbucks, iTunes, Amazon, etc.
- Coupons like – choose a Christmas movie, have a hot chocolate night, open the first present on Christmas Day, etc.
- Holiday pencils, erasers, stickers, etc.
If you need ideas for little prizes, here are some favorite goodies of my kids (and my students when I was teaching):
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![]() | Coluans 15Pc Christmas Gifts LED Necklaces Party Favors For Kids/Adults Christmas Stocking Stuffers Decorations with Gift Wrap | PrimeEligible | Buy Now | |
![]() | Christmas Erasers for Kids Bulk, 400 PCS Cute Mini Erasers for Kids Bulk, Santa Snowman Stocking Erasers for Christmas Party Favor Kids Xmas Gifts | PrimeEligible | Buy Now |
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