Christmas Light Scavenger Hunt

Go on a Christmas Lights Scavenger Hunt with your family and friends! Printables are included with pictures for kids and words for teens and adults.

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A favorite tradition in our family is to cozy up in our pajamas, take along bags of popcorn, turn up the Christmas music, and head off to see homes and neighborhoods transformed into lighted wonderlands. Something that makes the evening even MORE fun, is a Christmas Lights Scavenger Hunt!

Holiday traditions are big thing in our family, and we have a list of favorite activities to countdown to Christmas. Looking at Christmas lights is a must! Just down the street from us, there is a house that has the best musical Christmas lights show around.  So much so, in fact, that my little kids, who rarely can sit still for anything longer than 10 minutes, sit in rapture watching the lights dance to the music as it streams through the speakers into our car. They beg to stay “just a little bit longer”, and that little bit soon turns into an hour. There is just so magical about Christmas lights, and taking a night to drive around and look at them is something we look forward to.

To make it even more fun, a few years ago I created a Christmas lights scavenger hunt printable with for both kids and teens/adults. It’s such a great activity for family and friends to enjoy together during the holiday season!


How it works

There are two versions of the scavenger hunt, depending on the age group.

One version is for smaller children that can’t read yet–it has pictures along with the words, and there aren’t quite as many to look for. I love it for our family because we have both readers and non-readers, so it makes everyone happy. The kids absolutely love looking at their list, and either crossing off the pictures or circling them.

There is another list for older kids/adults without the cute pictures, but with fun checkboxes! If you have teenagers or older kids, you might want to opt for this version. It also has more items to find, so it could take a little longer and be more of a challenge.

TIP: Look online for neighborhoods and homes that are known for their light displays. In all the places we’ve lived, we’ve always been able to find them. It makes the perfect Family Night Activity!

Another thing fun thing to do is team up with families and make it into a race!  Start at one home, hand out the printables, and give each other a certain time limit to find as many as you can. Take pictures along the way so you can prove what you found.  Meet back together to see who got the most, and have hot chocolate and treats.  SO fun!

You could even do it as a couples date night, and make it into race to see who can finish first.

FAQ

How do you find the best places to see Christmas lights?

I always do a search online for neighborhoods in my area. Start with local websites that highlight activities for kids or families, and check Facebook for groups or pages that feature holiday ideas in your area. Ask around to friends and neighbors–I’ve found word of mouth is often the best info!

Can I reuse the lists?

Yes! Try laminating them, then using Sharpie wet erase markers to cross off list items. Wipe clean, and you’re ready to reuse the next year.

Download printables

To print the scavenger hunts, just click on one of the links below. Print on to white paper or card stock.

TIP: To keep these from year to year, consider laminating them and using a wet-erase sharpie to circle the pictures or check off the items. Wipe them clean, and store until the next year!

More Christmas ideas

Homemade Cinnamon Ornaments | How to Write to Santa and Get a Reply | Rudolph Pancakes

*Originally posted 2015.

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10 Comments

  1. My kids are a little older. They are 10, 12 and 15. But with your ideas of popcorn, hot cocoa and a list to check off, they will totally be up for it. Thanks for the boost.

  2. So Adorable! I am going to do this tomorrow with my 4 kiddos! Such a great idea! Thanks for the printable!

  3. You are amazing Kierste and come up with the cutest ideas…love your website too! Thank you for sharing.

  4. Creativity at it’s finest, what a beautiful website and such a wonderful, warm, Christmas idea. Thank you so much for adding to the Christmas spirit ?

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