Free Christmas Lights Scavenger Hunt for Families

This Christmas Lights Scavenger Hunt is a fun and FREE holiday activity for the whole family! Grab the free printable Christmas Light Scavenger Hunt cards and list. Hop in the car and find as many decorations as you can! If this hunt doesn’t get you in the holiday spirit, nothing will!

My family has a bunch of Christmas traditions. We bake and decorate cookies, enjoy Christmas morning brunch, and see a Christmas show. But my favorite tradition is driving around to look at Christmas lights.

We bring hot cocoa, homemade Chex mix, and our favorite cookies. We wear festive holiday pajamas and have a blast checking off items from our printable Christmas Lights Scavenger Hunt.

Moments like these make the holidays special. If you don’t have a Christmas tradition yet, try this scavenger hunt. My kids get so excited about it!

How to Do a Christmas Lights Scavenger Hunt

A Christmas Lights Scavenger Hunt is easy to plan and great for all ages. Here’s how to do it:

1. Plan a Time

We always go out to look at Christmas lights on Christmas Eve. It’s our thing. But you could pick any night that works for you.

If the weather’s nice, you might even walk around your neighborhood. Walking is a fun way to get some exercise and help the kids burn off some energy before bed.

2. Print the Free Christmas Lights Scavenger Hunt List

We’ve got 8 printables for your scavenger hunt. You can print one for each family member or just one for the whole family.

I print a list for each child so they can mark off items themselves. Our only rule is you can only check off one item per house.

You can find the all 8 age appropriate scavenger hunt cards in a PDF download at the bottom of this post. I hope your family has as much fun as mine!

3. Bring Hot Chocolate and Christmas Cookies

This is optional but highly recommended! We have a Christmas cookie baking day and take an assortment of cookies on the hunt. Try colorful M&M Sprinkle Christmas Cookies or Kris Kringle Christmas Cookies.

4. Have Prizes for the Winner

This adds extra fun and competition. If you have older kids, offer a prize for the most items found. Prizes could include:

• Coffee gift card or any gift card
• Cash
• One week off chores
• Opening the first present on Christmas Day
• Choosing the family Christmas movie

5. Make Your Own Christmas Light Scavenger Hunt

If you don’t want to use the free printables, customize your own list! Here are some ideas:

1. Have your kids cut pictures from magazines or print from the internet. Glue them to card stock or construction paper. Then, find the items during the hunt.

2. Let kids draw their own pictures of Christmas items like Santa and reindeer.

3. Have kids write their own list of items. This is great writing practice.

Things to Include on Your Christmas Lights Scavenger Hunt List:

• Santa
• Angel
• Baby Jesus
• Nativity scene
• Candy cane
• Deer
• Sleigh
• Dancing lights
• Snowflake lights
• Santa’s mailbox
• Sign that says “The North Pole”
• The Grinch
• Charlie Brown and Snoopy
• Fake snow
• A Disney character
• Penguin
• Polar bear
• Reindeer
• Gingerbread house
• Elf
• Toy soldier
• Train
• Giant inflatable
• Snowman
• Christmas tree with white lights
• Christmas tree with multicolor lights
• Snow globe
• Poinsettia

Try a Different Christmas Scavenger Hunt with Clues

If your kids love this activity, try other fun scavenger hunts. Here are some ideas:

Christmas Treasure Hunt with Clues: Set up a fun scavenger hunt with rhyming clues. Let your kids find their stockings or a larger gift on Christmas morning.

More Free Printable Christmas Scavenger Hunts: Want more free scavenger hunts? Try a selfie hunt for teens or a picture scavenger hunt for younger kids.

Download the 8 Free Printable Christmas Light Scavenger Hunt Cards

These free printables are a part of our exclusive subscriber library and are for personal use only. They are the exclusive property of Once Upon A Printable and may not be reproduced or used for commercial purposes without our written consent. Thank you for respecting our copyright.

Happy Nesting! And Merry Christmas!