Christmas Scavenger Hunt Hiding Spots: 40 Ideas by Room

The best Christmas scavenger hunt hiding spots are places players know well but rarely check: inside a winter boot, under the tree skirt, in a stocking, behind a picture frame or taped under a dining chair. Match the spot to the players’ age: open, eye-level spots for little kids and tucked-away, underneath spots for tweens and teens.

Below are 40 hiding spots grouped by room, each rated easy, medium or hard, plus the places you should never use.

How to read the difficulty ratings

• Easy: visible or nearly visible once you are in the right spot. Good for ages 3 to 7.
• Medium: needs a little looking, such as opening a drawer or lifting a cushion. Good for ages 7 to 12.
• Hard: hidden inside, under or behind something. Good for tweens, teens and adults.

For a clue trail, mix difficulties. A hard spot followed by an easy one keeps momentum up.

Living room hiding spots

The living room is the heart of a Christmas hunt, since that’s where the tree and presents usually are.

#	Hiding spot	Difficulty	Tip
1	Under the tree skirt	Easy	Tuck just the edge of the card out
2	Inside a stocking	Easy	Pick a stocking that isn’t the player’s own for a twist
3	Behind a framed family photo	Medium	Only on stable frames on shelves, not hanging glass
4	Under a sofa cushion	Medium	Classic, reliable, easy to reset
5	Inside the TV cabinet	Medium	Keep away from cables and power strips
6	Between pages of a coffee table book	Hard	Pair with a clue that names the book
7	Inside a board game box	Hard	Great for families who play games
8	Under the rug corner	Medium	Tape flat so nobody trips
9	In a fake gift box under the tree	Hard	Wrap an empty box with the next clue inside
10	Inside a throw pillow cover	Hard	Unzip, slide in, zip back

Kitchen and dining room hiding spots

Kitchens offer lots of containers, but they are also where the biggest hazards live. Stay away from the stove and small appliances.

#	Hiding spot	Difficulty	Tip
11	Taped under a dining chair	Hard	Players will check every chair
12	Under a placemat	Easy	Good first or second clue
13	Inside an empty cookie tin	Medium	Seasonal and on theme
14	In the hot cocoa box	Medium	Tuck behind the packets
15	Inside the fridge, on the butter shelf	Medium	Use a zip bag to keep the card dry
16	Taped to the underside of the table	Hard	Use painter’s tape
17	In a napkin holder	Easy	Fold the card like a napkin
18	Inside a mixing bowl on a low shelf	Medium	Choose one kept at kid height
19	In the recycling bin lid	Medium	Clean bins only; tape to the inside of the lid
20	Inside an empty egg carton	Hard	Put the card in one of the cups

Bedroom hiding spots

Bedrooms are good for the middle of a trail, when players think they have figured out your pattern.

#	Hiding spot	Difficulty	Tip
21	Under a pillow	Easy	Great for little kids
22	Inside a slipper	Easy	Rolled card in the toe
23	In a jacket pocket in the closet	Medium	Name the jacket’s color in the clue
24	Inside a pillowcase	Medium	Card goes between pillow and case
25	In the sock drawer, inside a sock ball	Hard	Unroll required
26	Taped under a nightstand drawer	Hard	Players must pull the drawer out a little
27	In a jewelry box or keepsake box	Medium	Ask permission first
28	Between the mattress and box spring	Hard	Keep it near the edge

Bathroom and laundry hiding spots

These rooms surprise players because they rarely expect a clue there.

#	Hiding spot	Difficulty	Tip
29	Tucked into a folded bath towel	Medium	Towels on a shelf, not the one in use
30	Inside an empty tissue box	Medium	Easy to reuse every year
31	In the laundry hamper	Easy	On top of clean clothes only
32	Taped inside the washing machine lid	Hard	Only when the machine is off and empty
33	In the toilet paper roll tube	Hard	Use the spare roll, not the one in use

Hallway, entry and stairs hiding spots

#	Hiding spot	Difficulty	Tip
34	Inside a winter boot	Easy	Very festive; pick a boot that fits the clue
35	In a glove or mitten	Medium	Mittens on a hook are perfect
36	Under the doormat	Easy	Good final clue before going outside
37	Taped under a stair tread lip	Hard	Only on stairs with a lip and good lighting
38	In the umbrella stand	Medium	Roll the card up
39	In the mailbox	Medium	Only if it’s your own and safe to reach
40	In the car glovebox	Hard	Only with an adult and the car unlocked and parked safely

If you want the clue wording to go with these spots, see Christmas scavenger hunt riddles with answers, which are grouped by room.

Where to hide clues for a scavenger hunt: what to avoid

Some spots look clever but are unsafe or likely to end in a broken ornament.

Never hide clues in or near:

• Ovens, stovetops, microwaves, toasters and air fryers
• Space heaters, radiators and fireplaces, even if unlit
• Candles, including on the mantel
• Electrical outlets, power strips, tree light plugs and extension cords
• Glass ornaments or anything that hangs from the tree’s branches
• Medicine cabinets or cleaning supply cupboards
• High shelves that need a chair to reach
• Tall furniture that could tip if pulled open, unless it is anchored to the wall
• Anywhere a pet might chew the card or eat a treat

Also avoid:

• Places inside the family’s gift stash (unless you want the surprise spoiled)
• Other people’s rooms without permission
• Spots that will be used during the hunt, such as the dishwasher someone runs after lunch

Best places to hide scavenger hunt clues by age

• Ages 3 to 6: mostly easy spots, like numbers 1, 2, 12, 17, 21, 22, 31, 34 and 36. For more on this age, see Christmas scavenger hunt for young kids.
• Ages 7 to 12: a mix of easy and medium, with one or two hard spots.
• Teens and adults: mostly medium and hard. Use spots within spots, like number 25, and add codes. See Christmas scavenger hunt clues for teens for clue ideas at this level.

Planning your route

Once you have picked your spots, sketch a quick route so players move around the house instead of cleaning out one room. A useful pattern is living room, kitchen, bedroom, living room, bathroom, entry, kitchen, finale. For a full room-by-room plan, read Christmas scavenger hunt around the house. And if you want clue cards written for you, our printable Christmas scavenger hunt comes with an answer key that tells you where to place each card.

A final tip: take a quick phone photo of each hidden card before the hunt starts. If a clue goes missing or a player swears it isn’t there, you can check the photo instead of retracing the whole trail.