Treasure hunt guide
How to set up a Christmas morning treasure hunt
A clue-to-clue hunt turns one present into a little adventure: Santa's letter hands over Clue 1, each clue points to where the next card is hidden, and the last one leads to the gift. This guide shows how we set one up safely indoors, and how to pitch the clues for ages 4–9. The examples come from our sample hunt for two fictional children, Emma (5) and Leo (8).
Updated October 11, 2026
Setup in six steps
1.Choose 8 spots your children can reach
Pick 8 places from the list of indoor spots below — one of them is where the present will wait. Choose spots at child height that your children can open or look under without climbing.
2.Walk the route and check each spot
Look at every spot in your own home: nothing heavy or breakable on top, nothing they need to climb, the bathtub dry and empty, the couch cushion easy to lift. Swap any spot that doesn't work for your house.
3.Pick the clue level for the youngest player
Ages 4–6 get short rhyming clues that a grown-up reads aloud. Ages 7–9 get simple clues they can read themselves. Siblings play together; with mixed ages, use the easier level so the youngest can join in.
4.Print, cut and separate the pages
Print the letter, the kids' clue cards (4 per page, cut along the dashed lines) and the parent setup sheet. Keep the setup sheet away from the cards — it has every answer.
5.On Christmas Eve, hide cards 2–8 and the present
After the children are asleep, follow the setup sheet line by line: put each card exactly where it says, put the present at the gift spot, and tick each box as you go. Keep Card 1 with the letter.
6.On Christmas morning, hand over the letter and Card 1
Give the children Santa's letter with Card 1. Stay nearby, read clues aloud for younger players, and give a small hint if they get stuck. The last clue leads to the present.
Safe indoor hiding spots
These are the 14 spots our hunt builder offers. Each has a specific place to put the card, so the clue and the hiding place always match. You don't need a fireplace or a big house — a couch, a coat and a bed already make three stops.
| Spot | Exactly where the card goes |
|---|---|
| Pillow | Inside a pillowcase on a child's bed |
| Couch cushion | Under a seat cushion on the couch |
| Shoe rack | Tucked into a shoe on the shoe rack |
| Bookshelf | Between books on the lowest shelf |
| Wardrobe / closet | On the floor just inside the closet door |
| Towel rack | Folded into a hanging towel at child height |
| Laundry basket | On top of the clothes in the laundry basket |
| Under the dining table | Taped under the edge of the dining table |
| By the curtains | Tucked behind a curtain at child height |
| School backpack | In the front pocket of a backpack |
| By the Christmas tree | On the floor at the front of the Christmas tree |
| Toy box | Just under the lid of the toy box |
| Coat pocket | In a pocket of a coat on a low hook |
| Bathtub (dry & empty) | Inside the dry, empty bathtub |
Spots we deliberately left out
- Kitchen appliances, ovens and fridges
- Medicine cabinets and cleaning cupboards
- Electrical outlets and cables
- High shelves or anywhere that needs climbing
- Cars, garages and outdoors
Before you hide anything
- Every spot should be reachable standing on the floor.
- If your youngest isn't steady on stairs, keep the whole route on one floor.
- Pick a gift spot big enough for the present — a pillowcase suits a book, the space by the tree suits a box.
- Tell other grown-ups in the house, so nobody tidies a card away.
Adjusting the hunt for ages 4–9
Our clues come in two levels: ages 4–6 (read aloud by a grown-up) and ages 7–9 (simple reading). Here is the same spot written both ways — these are the real clues from the hunt builder.
Ages 4–6 · read aloud by a grown-up
“Where does the family sit to snuggle and play? Lift a soft square seat — your clue is there today!”
Answer (parents only): couch cushion
Ages 7–9 · simple reading
“Grown-ups sink into me after a long day. Lift up one of my soft square seats to find your next clue.”
Answer (parents only): couch cushion
Ages 4–6 · read aloud by a grown-up
“When it's chilly outside, you zip me up tight. Check inside me — on the left and the right!”
Answer (parents only): coat pocket
Ages 7–9 · simple reading
“You zip me up when it's cold outside. Reach into the places where you warm your hands.”
Answer (parents only): coat pocket
Ages 4–6
Read each clue aloud and let them guess. Use rooms they know well, walk with them between stops, and give a hint early — finding the card matters more than solving it alone.
Ages 7–9
Let them read the cards themselves and run the route. Stay within earshot; the letter tells them a grown-up can give a tiny hint if they're stuck.
Mixed ages
One family plays together, so we use the easier level. Older children can be the readers, or take turns: one reads, one searches.
What the printed hunt looks like
The parent setup sheet lists every card in order — where to put it and what it leads to — with a box to tick. The kids' cards only show the clue, never the answer.
- Card 1: hand to the children with the letter → leads to: Couch cushion
- Card 2: hide under a seat cushion on the couch → leads to: Shoe rack
- Card 3: hide tucked into a shoe on the shoe rack → leads to: Bookshelf
- Card 4: hide between books on the lowest shelf → leads to: Toy box
- Card 5: hide just under the lid of the toy box → leads to: Coat pocket
- Card 6: hide in a pocket of a coat on a low hook → leads to: Laundry basket
- Card 7: hide on top of the clothes in the laundry basket → leads to: Pillow
- Card 8: hide inside a pillowcase on a child's bed → leads to: By the Christmas tree — the present
Let us write the clues
The Christmas Morning Treasure Hunt Bundle ($9.90 one-time total, up to 3 children) builds the route from the spots you choose: 8 clue cards, the parent setup sheet, a completion certificate for each child, and everything in the Santa Letter Family Pack. You can try the builder and preview the whole hunt before paying.
Printing tips for the cards and setup sheet are in our printing guide.