Christmas Eve Scavenger Hunt Printable

Looking to add extra fun and meaning to your Christmas Eve celebration? These Christmas Eve Scavenger Hunt printables are the perfect way to engage the whole family! As everyone hunts for hidden treasures, they’ll piece together the beautiful story of the Nativity, making memories while celebrating the real reason for Christmas.

Printable Christmas Story, Star and Holy Family on a wooden background

A Christmas Eve Scavenger Hunt That Brings the Nativity Story to Life

There’s nothing like gathering with family on Christmas Eve, enjoying festive games, and sharing meaningful moments. This Christmas Eve Scavenger Hunt offers the best of both worlds—fun and tradition! As players search for each object or character, they’ll uncover key elements of the Nativity story, from Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem to the birth of baby Jesus in the manger. It’s a wonderful way to blend excitement with reflection on the true meaning of the season.

How It Works

The scavenger hunt is designed to keep everyone engaged—kids and adults alike! Here’s what you can expect:

Handy Checklist – Use the checklist to guide participants through the hunt, with each discovery revealing a new part of the Christmas story.

Objects to Find – Players will search for familiar Nativity symbols like a manger, a star, a lamb, an angel, and more.

Assembling the Story – We often read the accounts in both Matthew and Luke since each tells a different part of the story. But we’ve very carefully combined the two stories in case you want to read through it all in one place.

Each element that has a scavenger piece is underlined, but there are several pieces included that aren’t actually mentioned in the story. They are all very familiar elements though. When all the pieces are found they can be used to retell the story in your child’s own words as the nativity scene is filled in with the characters.

When our daughter was about five, her retelling included a cat and the old billy goat gruff! You just never know with kids!

This activity works perfectly indoors, but you can mix it up by adding an outdoor search for a little winter adventure. Of course, I recommend laminating the pieces if you plan on using them outdoors.

One year we hid one of the manger animals (I think it was a camel) so well that we didn’t find it until we put up the tree the next Christmas. So now I suggest if you’re hiding stuff a day or two before the actual hunt you might want to print out an extra checklist to jot down where they are… just in case!

Why Families Love This Scavenger Hunt

This Christmas Eve Scavenger Hunt offers more than just fun—it helps create meaningful moments with family. Kids love the excitement of the hunt, and parents appreciate how it keeps everyone entertained while gently focusing on the message of Christmas. Plus, it’s an easy way to keep little ones busy while waiting for Santa!

Easy to Use, Easy to Enjoy

Just download, print on bright white cardstock, laminate – if you want, cut out and hide the pieces! It’s perfect for any family gathering, and you can even make it a new yearly tradition.

Celebrate Christmas Eve with joy, laughter, and meaning this year—one clue at a time!

Want to Grab Your Own Copy of the Christmas Scavenger Hunt?

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