Christmas Treasure Hunt Clues: 30 Fun Riddles for Kids

Where winter stories wait in rows,
Your next small Christmas secret goes.
Look beside a book you know;
That is the place you need to go.

Choose a low, easy-to-reach shelf. Place the next card beside a familiar book, rather than inside a row of books that children would need to pull down. A few books on a chair work just as well.

We wait in pairs beside the door,
Then take your feet across the floor.
No need to step outside today;
Your next clue is where shoes all stay.

Keep this stop indoors. Put the card beside one clearly chosen pair of shoes, not inside outdoor footwear. If your shoes live on a high rack, move a pair to a suitable spot before the game.

After carols, games and cheer,
We settle down together here.
Find the sofa, soft and wide;
Your clue is by a cushion’s side.

Leave a corner of the next card showing beside a cushion. There is no need to lift furniture, reach into a mechanism or pull apart the sofa. Tell players that moving the cushion slightly is all they need to do.

We stand with wishes in a row,
With snowy scenes and ho, ho, ho.
Among the cards with love inside,
Your next small Christmas clue will hide.

Use cards standing on a low surface. If you have not received any yet, fold a piece of paper and draw a Christmas picture. The hunt should work with what is at home, rather than depend on a full seasonal display.

Before you head into the snow,
I am what you wear before you go.
Look beside the coat you wear;
Your next small clue is waiting there.

Lay the coat on a chair if its usual hook is too high. Put the next card beside it or visibly on top. Keep the whole route in the agreed play area, even if coats are normally stored somewhere else.

We gather round for games and tea,
With room for you and room for me.
Find the table where we meet;
A final surprise is by your seat.

This is the finish in the ready-made route. Put the ending note or surprise on the table before play starts. If you use a different table, make it clear in your opening instructions which room belongs to the game.

I look like a sock, but I am not for your shoe.
At Christmas I wait for a small gift or two.
Find where I hang, or where I have been laid;
The next little clue is ready and made.

An ordinary clean sock can stand in for a stocking. Place it on a chair away from a working fireplace. Use this clue only if looking in a stocking will not spoil another Christmas surprise you have planned.

We do not like the muddy street;
We stay indoors and warm your feet.
Find our soft and cosy pair;
The next small clue is waiting there.

Choose slippers that are easy to recognise. A card beside the pair is enough; do not hide anything under someone's feet or in a place people need to walk through. Shoes and slippers work best as separate, clearly labelled stops.

When winter evenings feel quite cold,
I am the cosy thing you unfold.
Find my folds and have a peek;
The next small clue is what you seek.

Fold a blanket on a low chair with the card peeping out. Let children lift only the top fold. This is an easy stop to add if you want the whole hunt to stay within one sitting room.

We colour stars in red and green,
And draw the brightest trees you have seen.
Find where your pencils like to stay;
A little clue will point the way.

Use colouring pencils in a visible pot or closed pencil case. Keep any scissors, sharpeners and other adult supplies elsewhere. For a picture hunt, a drawing of a pencil makes the answer easy to recognise.

My paper coat is folded tight;
A ribbon makes me look just right.
Do not unwrap me, only see
The next small clue beside me.

Wrap an empty box so no real gifts need to be opened or disturbed. Put the next card beside the parcel and say that wrapping stays closed. A small reusable gift bag is an easy alternative if you rewrite the first line.

My box holds turns and rules to read,
And all the pieces players need.
Find a game you like to play;
Your next clue is not far away.

Put the card on top of a closed box, rather than among small game pieces. Pick a game the children know. This stop can also announce the shared activity you will enjoy when the hunt finishes.

I keep the days in tidy squares,
With dates for parties, plans and fairs.
Find December on display;
Your next clue waits beside a day.

Use a paper calendar that is visible at a suitable height. You can draw a simple December grid instead. Avoid relying on an advent calendar if opening the wrong door would reveal tomorrow's treat.

I count the minutes, one by one,
Through Christmas games and festive fun.
Look nearby, but let me stay;
I tell the time throughout the day.

Use a picture of a clock or a low, safely positioned clock. The card belongs on a nearby reachable surface; nobody needs to touch a wall clock, climb or handle batteries to solve this clue.

I carry clothes from here to there,
Then leave them ready for fresh air.
Find my empty, tidy space;
The next small clue is by my base.

Use a clean, empty basket and leave the card outside it. Keep it separate from washing products and appliances. If the basket is usually in a room outside the play area, bring it into the sitting room for the game.

I cannot talk or walk or sing,
But I am good at cuddling.
Find the friend you hold quite near;
Your next small clue is waiting here.

Choose one familiar toy and sit it in a clear place with the card beside it. If several toys could be the answer, tell the players a colour or name as an extra hint so the stop feels fair.

My branches wear a festive glow,
With little lights from high to low.
Look beside me, let me be;
Your next clue waits near the tree.

Place the next card on a separate low surface near the tree. Children do not need to reach between branches, pull decorations or touch light cables. A paper tree picture works if your tree is not up yet.

With pointed arms, I catch your eye,
Like tiny lights across the sky.
Find my picture shining bright;
A clue beside me feels just right.

Use a drawn star on a table, not the topper at the top of a tree. The answer is the shape itself. This makes the clue suitable for a seated game or a hunt played with pictures in one room.

A circle dressed in Christmas green,
On many doors I can be seen.
Find my picture, round and neat;
The next small clue is yours to meet.

Place a picture of a wreath inside the play area. You do not need to open a front door, go outside or handle real foliage. A green circle drawn on paper is enough to make the answer recognisable.

A stripe, a curve, a festive hook,
You know my shape from just one look.
Find my picture, red and white;
Another clue is now in sight.

Draw or print the shape instead of using a real sweet. This is a spotting clue, so nothing needs to be eaten or collected. A picture avoids introducing food into a game that does not otherwise need it.

I dress a branch in Christmas cheer,
Then rest in boxes till next year.
Find my picture, look and see;
Please leave the real ones on the tree.

Use a picture for children to find. If you show a real ornament, an adult places and handles it. Delicate decorations and hanging ribbons are for display, rather than objects to collect during a running game.

I am a jumper dressed for cheer,
With festive patterns this time of year.
Find me folded, soft and bright;
Your next small clue is tucked in sight.

Fold the jumper on a chair and leave the card visibly on top. A drawing of a festive jumper works too. Choose this stop when the player will recognise the clothing without searching through drawers.

You cannot hear my picture ring,
But I remind you of a ding.
Find the shape that jingles clear;
The next small clue is waiting here.

A picture of a bell is all you need. Keep loose bells and small craft supplies out of the route. If a player is sensitive to noise, this clue can stay completely quiet and still make sense.

I start out flat or in a roll,
Then wrapping gifts becomes my role.
Find my festive pattern near;
Your next small clue is waiting here.

Lay out a spare sheet or a short empty roll in advance, away from cutting tools and tape dispensers. This answer is the paper itself, so keep it separate from the wrapped-parcel stop if you use both clues.

With antlers raised in winter air,
I am a Christmas friend with flair.
In festive tales I pull a sleigh;
Find my picture on your way.

Draw a simple reindeer or point to one on a Christmas card. In a character hunt, this is a picture to spot rather than a place to search. An adult can hand over the next clue after the answer is found.

I waddle past in black and white,
My little wings will not take flight.
I swim instead of soaring high;
Find my picture passing by.

A small drawing is enough for the game. Keep this as a playful winter character clue rather than suggesting that penguins live beside polar bears. The characters can share a Christmas story without needing to share a real habitat.

A biscuit body, smile and feet,
In storybooks I am quick and sweet.
Find my picture, drawn with care;
Your next small clue is waiting there.

Use a paper gingerbread person so the game does not depend on baking or eating. You can draw icing lines and buttons with a pencil. Let children help create the pictures on a different day if you want to reuse the hunt.

A big white coat and paws so wide,
I walk where Arctic waters slide.
Find my picture, winter-white;
Another clue is now in sight.

Choose a picture that clearly shows a polar bear rather than a brown teddy. This makes the answer fair for younger players. For a seated game, put it among a few other character pictures on a tabletop.

A floppy hat above my nose,
A beard that reaches to my toes.
In Christmas scenes I often appear;
Find this little bearded friend here.

Accept either gnome or gonk as the answer. A simple hat, round nose and beard make a recognisable drawing. There is no need to introduce a new word as a test if a child already uses the other name.

Born when snow is rolled in three,
A scarf and smile look right on me.
When warmer sunshine comes to stay,
My snowy body melts away.

A drawing keeps this clue useful even when the weather is mild. It is a good final character to spot before an adult hands over the ending note. You do not need snow, a garden or a wintry day to play.