Elf on the Shelf Scavenger Hunt With Free Printable Clues
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Every December our elf, Bo, turns up and gets into all kinds of mischief. Out of everything he does, the thing my girls love most is waking up to find he’s sent them on a scavenger hunt around the house.
So I’ve put together printable Elf On The Shelf scavenger hunt clues you can print off and hide tonight. There are two versions in the set: rhyming clue cards, and a candy cane hunt for mornings when you have nothing left in the tank.
If you’re still building up your elf’s routine, I’ve got 50+ elf ideas here and ideas for two or more elves if you’ve got more than one visiting.
Come and join our Elfing Around Facebook group for even more ideas!
Every elf parent knows that coming up with new and fun Elf ideas each night can be exhausting during an already busy holiday season, but seeing the joy on your kids’ faces in the morning makes it all worth it!
An Elf scavenger hunt can be a fun idea for an Elf on the Shelf arrival or for Christmas Eve before he or she prepares to head back to the North Pole for another year.
But really, you can do scavenger hunts anytime during December!
And I’ve made this extra easy for you with my free printable Elf on the Shelf treasure hunt clues!
Make sure you come and join our Elfing Around Facebook group for even more ideas and inspiration!
How To Set Up An Elf On The Shelf Scavenger Hunt
I have put together two different types of Christmas scavenger hunts for you, included in my free Elf on the Shelf printables.
The first is a more traditional style scavenger hunt with rhyming clues.
You can use your clues to lead to little treats at each hiding spot, such as candy canes, chocolates, small toys such as these advent calendar fillers or perhaps even a cheeky prank left by your elf. Or a single treat at the end.
The second type of Elf hunt in this printable set is an Elf Candy Cane scavenger hunt, which is quick and easy, with no clues required!
If you don’t have a printer at home, you can easily set this fun activity up by writing on a piece of paper or a chalkboard instead and hiding candy canes around your house or yard.
There are a few key things you need in order to set up an Elf On The Shelf scavenger hunt:
- An elf (of course!)
- The printable clue cards (which you can download at the end of this post)
- A few small treats or prizes for finding each clue or a bigger treat at the end
Print the clue cards and cut them apart. Decide where each one is going, then hide each clue at the spot the clue before it points to.
Leave the very first clue with your elf. When the kids find him in the morning, that’s their starting point.
You can drop a little treat at every hiding spot, or save one bigger surprise for the last clue. If you’re doing the big surprise version, good ones are Christmas pyjamas, a new book, or the ingredients for something you’re baking together that day.
No printer? Write clues on scrap paper. It works exactly the same so I have included some other scavenger hunt clues below.
Extra Elf Scavenger Hunt Clues
These are the twelve clues on the page. All original, all rhyming, all pointing at spots that exist in most houses. Put this section directly under the setup instructions.
Clue 1 — Shoes by the door
I flew in from the North Pole and I landed with a thud.
Go and check the shoes, but watch out, mine are covered in mud!
Clue 2 — Christmas tree
There’s something in this house that’s tall and green and bright.
Look under all its branches, you’ll find your next clue in sight.
Clue 3 — Fridge
All that flying made me thirsty and I needed something cold.
Open up the chilliest door and see what it will hold.
Clue 4 — Bookshelf
A bedtime story every night is my favourite thing by far.
Your next clue is hiding where the rest of your stories are.
Clue 5 — TV remote
I sat down to watch a movie but I couldn’t work the screen.
Check beside the buttons for the next clue to be seen.
Clue 6 — Bathroom mirror
An elf must always look his best before he flies at night.
Find the place you check your face, your clue is there in sight.
Clue 7 — Laundry basket
Your socks smell so incredibly bad I noticed from the tree.
Go and check the washing pile and see what you can see.
Clue 8 — Toy box
I played a game of hide and seek with every single toy.
Look inside their special box, they hid your clue with joy.
Clue 9 — Kitchen sink
The dishes were all stacked up high so I gave them all a scrub.
Your next clue is waiting where you wash, rub a dub dub.
Clue 10 — Pantry
Santa packed me sandwiches but I ate them on the way.
Check the shelf where snacks are kept, I’m rather hungry today.
Clue 11 — Under a bed
All this hiding made me sleepy and I needed somewhere small.
Have a look beneath the place you sleep in after all.
Clue 12 — Back to the elf
You’ve followed every single clue, you clever, clever thing.
Come back and find me one more time and see what I might bring.
Scavenger hunts are a lot of fun! Check out these Easter scavenger hunt ideas and give them a Christmas twist if you want to try something different. There are even ideas for adults! And grab my free printable Christmas lights scavenger hunt too.
If you are doing your treasure hunt on Christmas Eve, you could have your kids find your Christmas Eve box, which is another beautiful family Christmas tradition.
How To Do An Elf Candy Cane Hunt
Some mornings you just don’t have it in you to find places to hide twelve clues, and that’s what this one is for. There’s no reading involved, so it works for kids too young for the clue cards.
Hide twelve candy canes around the house or the yard, one for each of the twelve days before Christmas. Leave your elf with the candy cane hunt sign so the kids know how many they’re looking for, then let them go.
If you’d rather not count out twelve, write your own number on the sign and hide that many instead.
Free Printable Elf Scavenger Hunt Clues
Click the image or button below to be sent the free download. You will get the rhyming clue cards and the candy cane hunt sign, both in PDF, and both print fine in black and white if you’re out of colour ink.
Elf Arrival Scavenger Hunt For Older Kids
If you are looking for an Elf arrival scavenger hunt for older kids, I’ve got the perfect option for you in my printables store! Kids need to solve the clues and work out the secret code to find the final hiding place.
More Elf On The Shelf Printables
If you want to take the stress out of this fun but time-consuming holiday tradition, my Elf tool kit is sure to be your new best friend every December!
In this kit, you will find arrival and goodbye letters, a letter to introduce your new elf, blank letterhead, behaviour report cards, printable elf ideas, excuses why the elf did not move, printable lunch box notes, Christmas jokes and much more.
An Elf scavenger hunt is a fun way to add a little extra excitement to your December and get your kids thinking as they work to solve each of the clues. Make sure you grab the free printable clues to save you time! Merry Christmas!
Find more Elf on the Shelf ideas & Christmas fun:
- Fun Elf on the Shelf ideas
- Ideas for 2 or more elves
- Excuses for when the elf forgot to move
- Elf on the shelf arrival letter and ideas
- Free Elf on the shelf planner
- Santa gift tag
- Free printable Elf props
- Christmas colouring pages
- Advent activities for families
- Fun things to do on Christmas Day at home
- The best Christmas party games
- Funny Elf on the shelf names & name generator
- Christmas lights scavenger hunt
- Christmas Eve box ideas
- Christmas Would You Rather questions
- Free printable Christmas Charades
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