Christmas guide
A Christmas morning treasure hunt, clues and all.
A clue trail turns the first ten minutes of Christmas Day into a game. Here is how to plan one the night before, plus real clues for the spots a Christmas house has: the tree, the stockings, the gap behind the sofa.
Christmas Elves is a Pro theme. The free version makes a 5-clue Treasure Map hunt.
How it works
- 1
Choose the end
Decide where the trail finishes: the stockings, the presents under the tree, or one big present hidden somewhere else.
- 2
Pick 5 to 10 spots
Use places your children know well. Keep clues out of the room where the presents are, so nobody spots them early.
- 3
Write or print the clues
Each clue describes the next hiding spot. Number them so you can check the order.
- 4
Hide them the night before
Put clue 2 where clue 1 points, clue 3 where clue 2 points, and so on. Keep a list of where each one is.
- 5
Hand over clue 1
Give it at breakfast, or tape it to the bedroom door so it is the first thing they see.
Christmas clues for festive spots
These come from the Hiddlewink clue library. Rhymes suit ages 6 to 8. Riddles suit ages 9 and up. Tap "Answer" to see the hiding spot.
Rhyme · ages 6 to 8
It twinkles and sparkles, it's green and bright,
With a star on top that shines at night.
Look in the branches, gently now,
And find the clue tucked on a bough!
Answer
Rhyme · ages 6 to 8
Red and white and long and thin,
It hangs and waits for treats to go in.
Reach inside and wiggle about:
A clue is in there! Pull it out!
Answer
Rhyme · ages 6 to 8
Where does the family snuggle in
To watch a film with a great big grin?
Tiptoe round the back and see
What's tucked in the gap. A clue! Yippee!
Answer
Riddle · ages 9 to 12
I have needles but I can't sew, and I wear lights but I can't see. Presents gather around my feet. What am I?
Answer
Riddle · ages 9 to 12
I look like a giant sock, but nobody wears me. Once a year I hang up empty and wait to be filled with little surprises. What am I?
Answer
Riddle · ages 9 to 12
I have arms but no hands, a back but no spine, and cushions on top. Look in the gap between my back and the wall. What am I?
Answer
Clues from Pip the elf
In the Christmas Elves theme, a cheeky elf called Pip Tinselton has hidden the treasure. Every clue is told in Pip’s voice. Here are a few of them.
Pip the elf · ages 6 to 8
Pip the elf says, "Brrr, it's cold!
As cold as the North Pole, I am told!"
Open the door, peek past the cheese,
And grab your clue before you freeze!
Answer
Pip the elf · ages 6 to 8
Pip the elf flopped down to snore
After wrapping gifts galore.
Lift the squishy seat up, quick,
The clue is under! What a trick!
Answer
Pip the elf · ages 6 to 8
On Christmas Eve, it's hard to rest,
You're far too excited, I have guessed!
So squeeze your soft and fluffy friend,
The next clue's waiting at one end!
Answer
Pip the elf · ages 6 to 8
Elves wear pointy, curly ones
That jingle-jangle as Pip runs!
Peek in a pair and you will see
A clue from Pip, with jingly glee!
Answer
Pip the elf · ages 6 to 8
Every elf loves a bedtime read
Of sleigh rides at a super speed!
Run a finger along each row,
A paper peeks out. Ho, ho, ho!
Answer
Pip the elf · ages 6 to 8
In the workshop, elves make lots:
Rocking horses, trains and robots.
Search the box where they all play,
Pip hid a clue there yesterday!
Answer
Tips for a calm Christmas morning
- Keep it short. Five or six clues is plenty before breakfast. Excited children lose patience fast.
- Use one trail per child if their ages are far apart, and send the trails to different rooms.
- Give the youngest the job of reading out the clue, or reading the picture, so they are not left behind.
- Hide clues at child height and away from the tree lights and cables.
- Tape clues down. Pets and early risers like to move paper.
- Keep your list of hiding spots in your pocket. You will forget at least one by morning.
Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?
Some families run the hunt on Christmas Eve, ending at a box with new pyjamas, a book and a hot chocolate sachet. It burns off some energy before bed. Others save it for the morning and end at the presents.
Both work. On Christmas Eve, end somewhere calm, like the bedroom. On Christmas Day, end at the tree.
Let Hiddlewink write the whole hunt
Pick the ages, the rooms and a theme. Hiddlewink puts the clues in order for your home, with a cheat sheet for the hider. Print the cards, or play from your phone.
Make a Christmas huntChristmas Elves is a Pro theme. The free version makes a 5-clue Treasure Map hunt.
Questions
How many clues should a Christmas treasure hunt have?
Five to eight for most families. Under-fives manage three to five. Older children can do ten or twelve, but on Christmas morning shorter is usually better.
Where should the last clue lead?
To the presents, the stockings, or one big present you hid somewhere else, such as behind the sofa or in the wardrobe.
Can children who cannot read yet join in?
Yes. Use picture clues: a drawing of the next spot with one line to read aloud. Pair little ones with an older sibling for rhyming clues.
When should I hide the clues?
After the children are asleep on Christmas Eve. Lay out the clues in order first, then walk the trail backwards from the end, so the last clue goes out first.
Is Hiddlewink free?
The free version makes a 5-clue hunt with rhyming clues or riddles in the Treasure Map or Pirates theme. Pro (USD 4.99, one payment) adds picture clues, secret codes, longer hunts and every theme, including Christmas Elves and the Present Hunt.