Christmas Treasure Hunt Clues for Kids: 20 Rhymes

A Christmas treasure hunt is a chain of clues: each one points to the next hiding place, and the last one leads to the treasure. With the 20 rhyming Christmas treasure hunt clues for kids below, setting up a trail around the house takes about fifteen minutes. Pick six to ten, hide them in the right order and hand over the first one.

The rhymes suit children of about 6 to 9; there are versions for younger and older children further down.

How a Christmas treasure hunt works

1. Choose the treasure and its hiding place first, then six to ten other hiding places (four or five for under-6s), alternating rooms so the hunt keeps moving.
2. Plan the route backwards. The clue that points to the treasure goes in the second-to-last place, the clue that points there goes in the place before, and so on. The first clue is the one you hand to the children.
3. Number the clues on the back and keep the list of places in your pocket, in case someone moves one.
4. Read every clue aloud and walk the route once, then hide the clues just before the hunt, so nobody tidies them away.

20 rhyming clues for around the house

Copy each clue onto a folded slip, and swap the details for your home: the robin can become any card, the left welly the right one.

1. The fridge: “Open my door and a light comes on, / I'll guard the trifle till it's all gone. / Cheese on one shelf, leftovers below: / your clue's in the door, where the bottles go.”
2. The Christmas tree: “I glitter and twinkle, I'm dressed up in green, / the shiniest guest that you've ever seen. / A star on my head, but I can't see the sky: / look under my branches, low down, not high.”
3. A stocking: “I'm long and I'm empty, I hang and I wait, / on Christmas Eve night I put on some weight. / Before Father Christmas arrives with his sack, / reach down to my toe for the clue, then come back!”
4. A radiator: “I'm warm in the winter, I'm cold in July, / I sit under windows, but never up high. / Wet gloves dry on me when they've played in the snow: / your clue's at my side, so look down low.”
5. The wellies: “We wait by the back door, a muddy old pair, / we stamp in the puddles, we really don't care! / There's no rain today, so we're having a rest: / the clue's in the left one. Our left is the best!”
6. The biscuit tin: “Give me a shake and you'll hear me rattle, / custard creams and bourbons, all ready for battle. / Lift off my lid, but please don't munch: / the clue's in with the biscuits, so save them for lunch.”
7. The washing machine: “On laundry day I grumble and roar, / your muddy kit swishes, then swishes some more. / Don't open me up, just look on my top: / the clue's lying there, so go on, don't stop!”
8. The bath: “I'm where the rubber ducks like to float, / with bubbles as big as a fluffy white coat. / Today I am empty, as dry as can be: / look by the taps for a clue left by me.”
9. The sofa: “Grown-ups nap on me after their dinner, / for comfy and cosy, I'm always the winner. / Lift up my cushions and dig all around: / a clue, a few crumbs and a lost penny are found!”
10. Under the kitchen table: “Crumbs fall on me after every meal, / the dog sits beneath me and hopes for a deal. / Crawl under like a puppy, then look up high: / the clue's taped beneath me, I'm not telling a lie!”
11. The doormat by the letterbox: “My mouth is a flap that goes clatter and snap / when the postie pops cards and the bills through my gap. / There's no post today, so whatever can it be? / Look down on the mat: there's a letter from me!”
12. The airing cupboard: “Open my door and it's warm as toast, / the towels are piled up, the fluffy ones most. / Don't pull the pile out, it took ages to stack: / the clue's on the bottom shelf, right at the back.”
13. The fruit bowl: “I'm full of satsumas, all orange and round, / an apple, some grapes, not a crumb to be found. / Lift up the fruit with a gentle hand: / your next clue is under it, just as we planned.”
14. The toy box: “I'm stuffed full of teddies, some cars and a ball, / at tidy-up time I swallow them all. / Lift up my lid and rummage inside: / the clue's in the corner where lost jigsaw bits hide.”
15. A coat pocket: “I hang on a hook with my arms by my side, / I go on the school run and walks far and wide. / Put a hand in my pocket and what will you see? / A tissue, a conker… and a clue from me!”
16. The sock drawer: “I'm full of things that come in pairs, / they keep your toes warm on the chilly stairs. / Pull me open and dig through the lot: / the clue's in the stripy pair, ready or not!”
17. The recycling box: “After the presents I'm full to the top / with cardboard and boxes, it just doesn't stop! / Don't tip me all out, you'd make a big mess: / the clue's on the top, it's an easy one, yes!”
18. The toothbrush mug: “Morning and evening you come to see me, / you brush and you spit and you smile with glee. / Toothbrushes stand in me, tall and straight: / the clue's tucked behind me, so don't be late!”
19. The Christmas cards: “We came through the door from aunties and friends, / with robins and snowmen and glittery ends. / We stand in a row on the shelf, nice and neat: / the clue's behind the robin. Tweet, tweet!”
20. The box of crackers: “Inside me the crackers lie snug in a row, / each with a joke and a hat, you know. / Don't pull one yet, it's not time to eat: / the clue's at the bottom, under them. Neat!”

Adapting the clues by age

• Ages 4 and 5: picture clues. Draw the fridge or the tree on a card, or print a photo of the spot. Four or five hiding places at their height.
• Ages 6 to 9: the rhymes above, six to ten of them.
• Ages 10 to 13: put the answer in code: an anagram (GIDREF), numbers for letters with A = 1 (6-18-9-4-7-5), or every other letter missing (F_I_G_). All three spell FRIDGE.
• Teenagers: a Caesar cipher where each letter moves three places along the alphabet (IULGJH is FRIDGE), a close-up photo of part of an object, or a final box with a padlock whose code comes from the last three clues.

Two teams, two trails

With a crowd of cousins, copy every clue on two colours of paper and lay two trails through the same places in a different order, so the teams don't follow each other round the house. The first team to the treasure wins, then shares it, which keeps the peace. Mix the ages, with an older child reading for a younger one.

Treasure ideas and when to play

The treasure can be small: chocolate coins, a new pack of cards, a board game for the family, or a slip that says “You choose tonight's film”.

• Christmas Eve afternoon: it uses up some of the excitement before bedtime.
• Christmas morning: five clues at most, ending at the last present under the tree.
• Boxing Day: when the cousins are round and the new toys have lost a little shine.
• Between Christmas and New Year: older children set a hunt for the younger ones.

Keep it safe

• No clues on high shelves or anywhere a child would need to climb.
• Nothing near the oven, the hob, the kettle, candles or a lit fire.
• Radiators and the airing cupboard only if they are just warm to the touch.
• Nothing on dark stairs, in the medicine cabinet, under the sink or in the toolbox.
• Nothing outside, in the shed or in the car unless a grown-up goes too.

Printable treasure hunts

The Christmas Championship, our book of 40 games for Christmas Day, includes The Elf's Treasure Hunt: eight riddle cards to cut out, plus spare riddles for homes without a bath or a washing machine, for 1 to 10 children aged 5 to 11, in 20 to 30 minutes, with a version for two teams. In December, the treasure hunt card of our printable family Advent calendar has a grown-up write five clues, with drawings for non-readers. And for 7 to 12-year-olds who want to set a hunt themselves, the Travelling treasure hunt in 100 Screen-Free Holiday Challenges has them prepare four clues with an adult, plus a bonus code. More ideas on our printable Christmas activities page.

Ready-made hunts to print

The Christmas Championship: 40 family Christmas games

€9.90

This year, Christmas Day becomes a championship

Printable Advent calendar: 24 family activities

€14.90

What if Advent became family time again?

100 screen-free holiday challenges for ages 7-12

€9.90

"I'm bored!" on holiday? Here are 100 answers, one per page

Frequently asked questions